The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-03-15
A WELL SET TRAP
Shared a BIackmaiIer Who Dared
to Invade Wall Street.
TRIED TO WORK JAY GOULD
But the Old Financier Was Not to Be
Scared by a Black Hand Letter, and
His Partner Fixed Up Scheme That
Cleverly Caught the CuIprit.

"Therew he said TO his favorite part
ner finging down letter which had
been addressed TO Mrs. Jay Gould. 81
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 doP
The partner first read the letter. The
writer promised that he had lost 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 n certain New York news
paper advising him when TO buy and
when TO sell Missouri Pacific. The al
vertisement should be written i'm II code
which he had devised, so that he alone
would receive and understand the tip.
"I think / can catch him." said Mr..
Gould's partner. "Just leave 1t 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 n shrewd un-
derstanding OF human nature, proceed
ed in an unexpected manner. IT 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 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 n 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 Pacifc.-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
| oil Iicrh IN hplinvn
| blackmailer had impaired his informa-
tion to others; there had been even
no conclusive evidence of his acting
on ii for himself, as he would not be
likely to speculate on SO large Il scale
as to be recognized in the stock mar
ket. But even I'm Il few hundred shares
at time n man could make sgreat
deal of money i'm Il short time if he
| knew beforehand infalliby when the
| price would rise and when ii would
| fall. Mr.. Gould's 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 Byrnes was now called
into the case. The accusing advertise
ment was printed on Sunday morning,
so that If the blackmailcr posted n
letter during the day 1t would be all
the easier to catch him. inspector
| Byrnes stationed a man Mt every mail
box in the postal district from which
the original letter Of threat had been
posted to Mrs. Gould. Every man who
posted letter anywhere In that dis
trict that Sunday was under suspicion
Before he was out of sight Il dcteC-
tive, 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 ud
dressed TO JAY Gould was posted 10y %
well dressed young man, who zen min
utes later was I'm the Office of Inspector
Byrnes protesting Indignantly and de.
claring his family connections He did
not know on what evidence ne had
been taken. Mr.. Gould's partner was
summoned, and he opened the letter
which was exactly the one expected
The writer warmly and truthfully de-
MED that he had impaired the Missouri
Pacific information To any one and said
that therefore he should expect to con
tinue receiving II as before.
But the blackmailer was no more sur
prised when confronted by the letter
than Mr. Gould's partner was when h,
saw the blackmailer, for IL turned on
that he was socially well connected
He was. In fact, the son of n man fol
whom one member Of the Gould firm
entertained feelings OF friendship. II,
had done badly with everything an,
had at last resorted to blackmail. Hi
threat TO do violence TO Mrs. Goul'
was empty. though there was no know
ing beforehand that such was the ease