Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-12

mer governor; r. Goodwin Rhett, for.
mer mayor of Charleston; Richard
Manning, we'll known business man
Of Sumter; John Gary Evans, former
governor, and the present governor.
A WELL SET TRAP.
Shared a BIaekmailer Who Dared to
Invade Wall Street.
The late Jay Gould arrived at his
office one morning in q state Of mind.
"ThereI he said to his favorite part
ner, fiinging down a letter which had
been addressed to Mrs. Jay Gould. II
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
great deal of money speculating in
Gould stocks, especially Missouri Fa-
cific, and required that he be advised
how to get back what he had lost and
more besides. Unless Mr.. Gould i'm
parted to him straight, bona fide
money-making information he would
destroy Mrs. Gould. The manner in
which he desired the information to
be impaired was this: Every morn
ing an advertisement should be insert
ed in the personal column Of a certain
New York newspaper advising him
when to buy and when to sell Mis-
souri, Pacific. The advertisement
should be written in code which ne
had devised, so that he alone would
receive and understand the tip.
"I think can catch him." said Mr..
Gould's partner. Just leave it to
me-"
Mr.. Gould was for calling in Inspec-
tor Byrnes at once, but his partner
thought they had better wait until
they had laid mine for the offender.
The partner. who had shrewd un-
derstanding Of human nature, pro-
ceeded in an unexpected manner. 1t
happened that Mr.. Gould's firm was
very active in Missouri Pacific and
controlled 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 to sell Missouri
Pacific. And Missouri Pacific declin-
ed. Again he was told when to buy
It and again when to sell 1t, 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 on
his guard. 1t 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 1t 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 infor-
nation 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 a scale
as to be recognized in the stock mar
ket. But even in a few hundred
shares at a time a man could make a
great deal Of money in a short time
IL he knew beforehand infallibly when
the price would rise and when II
would fall. Mr.. Goulds partner
counted upon the mans natural I'M
pulse when accused Of having, by his
own lack Of discretion, slain his
goose. The impulse would be to
deny that he had broken faith. The
chances were that he would deny II
by letter. The trick was to nail him
as he mailed the letter.
Inspector Byrnes was now called
into the case. The accusing advertise
ment was printed on Sunday morning
so that IL the blackmailer posted q
letter during the day 1t would be all
the easier to catch him. Inspector
Byrnes stationed a man at every mail
box in the postal district from which
the original letter of threat had been
posted to Mrs. Gould. Every man
who posted a letter anywhere In that
district that Sunday was under sus-
picion. Before he was out Of sight
detective, under pretense Of posting
one of his own, had opened the box
with his pass key and had inspected
the letter last deposited.
And Just before dark letter ad-
dressed to Jay Gould was posted by a
we'll dressed young man, who ten min
utes later was in the office of 1nspec-
tor Byrnes protesting Indignantly and
declaring his family connections. He
did not know OH what evidence ne
had been taken. Mr.. Gould's partner
was summoned, and he opened the
letter, which was exactly the one ex-
pected. The writer warmly and
truthfully denied that he had impart-
ed the Missouri Pacific information
to any one and said that therefore he
should expect to continue receiving II
as before.
But the blackmailer was no more
surprised when confronted by the let
ter than Mr.. Gould's partner was
when he saw the blackmailer, for II
turned out that he was socially well
connected. He was, in fact, the son
of a man for whom one member OF
the Gould firm entertained feelings OF
friendship. He had done badly win
everything and had at last resorted
to blackmail. His threat to do vio-
lence to Mrs. Gould was empty
though there was no knowing before
hand that such was the case. Mr.
Gould was not easily mollified. He
thought an example should be made
fpntnU letter