The evening world., 1913-10-11
SOCIETY LEADER
|SMADE TARGET
Of BLACKMA|LER
Demand of $4,000 Made on
Mrs. Ethel N. Backoff
by Strange Woman.
OFFENDER GOES TO JAIL
Chance Acquaintance With
Man at Asbury Park Leads
to Extortion Conspiracy.
OFFENDER GOES TO JAIL

An alleged attempt on the par. OF .
woman who says she Is Mrs. Sadis de
Benin Of No. 3 West F'orty-scventh
street TO sytort $4,000 from Mrs. Ethel
N. Backoff. the wife Of . wealthy mer-
chant Of No. SO Clinton avenue. Newark.
81 disastrously failed that Mrs. dc Bchm
10 now being held Ia H.op bail for exam.
inauon next Tuesday.
Mrs.. Do Benin was arraiGned In the
Yerkvills Police Court to-day. at which
time her attempt at blackmaii was de-
, scrtbsd BY Mrs. Backon In . long a..
| ftdavit. the complainant being unable to
attend.
Il appears that while Mrs. BackofR
was staying at tho Metropolitan Hotel
In Asbury Park = few weeks ego she
len her handbag containing large sum
Of money on tho porch ono afternoon
Later . man cams to her and stated he
had found Il. and he returned Il 10 her
after she had given an accurate descrip-
tion Of II.
PMsogc OF MONEY eAvs NE 10
AN ACTOR.
The man said his name was John
Ksrn. that no was an actor under the
name Of John de Benin. Mrs. Bsckoff
THANKED him Tor the return of the bag.
end during her stay there she says shc
/. saw MIN several times and bowed 10
! him. and onoe or twtcs chstted pleas
antiy with him.
/ when the season vas over Mr.. Bach
on returned to her home In Newark and
dismissed the incident from her mind.
~ ahs 10 one OF the most highly re-
sarded soe;sty ieadoru OF that city.
But Il appears Kern. or de Benin.
didn't forget the incident. and he tele-
phonsd her on several occasion and en-
deavored TO make appointments with ne:
In New York. Mrs. Backon refused.
stating that she saw no occasion for
such . meeting: that she didn't think
she ought TO meet him. and added thai
she was devoted TO her husband. and II
would be an improper thing to do,
Last Monday she received another
!, telephone call from Kern. and ne urged
her to meet him at the Hotel Manhattan
! a. Il was OF the utmost importance tina,
no see her about Q certain matter. lie
was 30 pressing In his request that Mrs.
Backof finally agreed 70 meet him
there on Tuesday afternoon.
Accordingly the wealthy woman Jour-
neyed 20 New York the next day and
went IN the Manhattan and en-.
tered tho ladies' parior. whore shs
found Kern awaiting her arrival. He
said he was very pleased TO see her
and excused himself for . moment ana
left the room. Almost instantly q rather
tall. slim lady neatly dressed and
heavily yelled. entered the room and
walking Up TO Mrs. Backoff. said: 80
, You're tho Mrs. Backoff. who's been
& alternating the affections Of my hus-
band?
THRGATENs TO NAME HeR IN 81.
voRce SUIT.
Mn. B.ckon replied; why. who are
your
II am the wife Of John de Benin. and
n you don't give me $4,000 7 will sue
him for divorce and name you ~ the
correspondent"
Now, NN. Backoff 10 . senaibl,
woman and one who IL not easily blum
= ed. and %. wnen the woman made tint
\ spasmodic demand OF her, the wife o
the merchant became suspicious tina
something was WRONG.
Il haven't got that amount OF mono!
with me-" she replied. but. n You vii
meet me at Mays on Friday after
noon will try In the meantime to e
this amount for you"
The eo-oallsd Mrs. dc Benin agrset
VITO this. and yesterday they met in tn
above store, AT which time Mrs Back
off Informed Mrs. do Benin thsa she ha1
lbsen unable 10 get the eD.ooo.
6. swell. I'll take 5000 then" said MI
'ds Benin.
But she quickly discovered she ha'
mad a mistake In cutting her price .
s4Gculousiy low. for Mn. Backoff ev'
dmtiy decided that u she would TAX
0ayoeo she would probably take eve
/, iess. So she said she would pay he
r. 6 for the trouble she had been cause
and the expense she had been put to.
But the woman persisted she mui
tays the 5000. at the same time inform
lng the complainant she wanted TO u
70 Europe.
Mrs. BackofR told her she would thin
Il over and ist Ssr know just what Oh
could do for her.
Upon reaching the sidewalk Mr.
HaOkon met Detective Svermer. VT
Joined her. and they followed the won
an to No. 252 West Thirty Ilinth strss
whGs they found abe was employs
by Q dressmsker nxmed Mrs. Steuffe
IAtR they followed her to No. We
Forty-seventh street, where Dstecti'
9vesmer placed her under arrest
gt appears ta,at Mrs. Backo6 hs
obviously gone 70 Inspector Faurot al
explained che matter TO him bsfo
u,6stng he Dc Benin woman and
hsA assigned Detective Hall Svsrm'
. the cass.
The prisoner. on her own request. ~
the case adjourned until asxt Tuesda
In oCdss TO give her time 20 81 . Law
y0. THIS wAs granted and ball W.
Axad Il N@4 which shs was unsb!
- ~.
= her aAadAvk Nrs. Backo6 ~
she had reason tor believing THAI Mr.
- Bahm y not xN. Dc Benin. u
vt5e Of John Dc Dehm. but tiaat she
. vt1ov. Dstsctivs Svsrmss hoids 4
49, aetaisn .--..,----.s,.--.-