Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-03-13
A WELL SET TRAP
Shared a BlackmaiIer Who Dared
to Invade Wall Street.
TRIED TO WORK JAY GOULD.
But the Old Financier Was Not to ee
Scared by Black Hand Letter, and
His Partner Fixed Up Scheme That
CIeverly Caught che Culprit.

The late Jay Gou.0 arrived at his Of
fee one morning in state OF mind.
There he said to his favorite part
ner. fiinging down letter which had
been addressed to Mrs. Jay Gould. Il
don't mind their writing their scurril-
Gus things to me. but when they begin
to send them to my wife it's got TO be
stopped. What can you do?"
The partner first read the letter. The
writer promised that he had lost n great
deal of money Specializing in Gould
stocks. especially Missouri Pacific. and
required that he be advised how to get
back what he had lost and more be
sides. Unless Mr. Gould impaired to
him straight. bona fide money making
Information he would destroy Mrs
Gould The manner in which he de
sired the information TO be impaired
was this: Every morning an advertise
ment should be inserted in the personal
column of a certain New York news
paper advising him when to buy and
when to sell Missouri Pacific. The ad-
vertisement should be written in code
which he had devised. so that he alone
would receive and understand the tip
81 think l can catch him. said MIR.
Gould's partner. Just leave 1t to me-"
Mr.. Gould was for calling in Inspec-
tor Byrnes Mt once. but his partner
! thought they had better wait until
they had laid n mine for the offender
The partner. who had shrewd I'M
| Outstanding OF human nature. proceed
ed in an unexpected manner. 1t hap
pened that Mr.. Gould's firm was very
active in Missouri Pacific and con-
trolled the stocks fluctuations. On
the next day an advertisement was
inserted. as the blackmailer had re-
Quested, informing him agreeably to
his code to buy Missouri Pacific and
to watch for further instructions. Mis-
souri, Pacific stock went up. A few
days later another advertisement was
inserted telling him 10 sell Missouri
Pacific. And Missouri Pacific declin-
ell. Again he was told when to buy
ii and again when to sell IL. and when
this had been repeated a number OF
times the partner was ready to spring
the trap. He inserted an advertise
ment which took the blackmailer off
his guard. II read somewhat like this:
missouri Pacific.-The person who
has been receiving information to his
own profit about the movements OF
this stock has not kept faith with us.
He has been imparting it to others.
For that reason it is discontinued"
That was not true. There was not
the slightest reason to believe that the
blackmailer had impaired his informa-
ton to others; there had been even
no conclusive evidence Of his acting
on it for himself. as he would not be
likely TO speculate on so large scale
as to he recognized in the stock mar
ket. But even in few hundred shares
at a time man could make a great
deal of money in II short time if he
knew beforehand infallibly when the
price would rise and when it would
fall. Mr.. GOulds partner counted
upon the mans natural impulse when
accused of having. by his own lack
of discretion. slain his goose The i'm
pulse would be TO deny that he had
{. broken faith The chances were that
he would deny 1t by letter The trick
was to nail him as he mailed the letter
Inspector Byrncs was now called
into the case. The accusing advertise
ment was printed on Sunday morning
so that If the blackmailer posted a
r letter during the day it would he al
the easier to catch him. Inspector
4 Byrnes stationed q man at every mai
box in the postal district from which
the original letter Of threat had heeI
- posted to Mrs Gould. Every man whC
, posted a letter anywhere in that dis
4 trict that Sunday was under suspicion
+ Before he was out of sight a detec
l. tive. under prctense of posting one o.
c his own. had opened the box with hi
e pass key and had inspected the lette
Il last deposited.
i And just before dark a letter adj
8 dressed to Jay Gould was posted by
/. well dressed young man, who ten min
q utes later was in the office Of Inspccto
4 Byrnes protesting Indignantly and &c
iC claring his family connections. He di
Il not know on what evidence he I'M,
d been taken. Mr.. Gould's partner WA
y summoned. and he opened the letter
n which was exactly the one expected
4 The writer warmly and truthfully de
II MED that he had impaired the MisSoul
h. Pacific information to any one and sal
re- that therefore he should expect to cor
to tinue receiving it as before.
Is But the blackmailer was no more SUI
,u prised when confronted by the lette
Of than Mr.. GOuld's partner was when h
TX saw the blackmailer. for it turned OF
tc that he was socially we'll connecte,
OF He was. In fact, the son OF a man f.
Sc whom one member of the Gould fri
~ entertained feelings of friendship. II