Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-20
Says Men Who Practice
Getting Money in That
Manner viii Never Dare to
Take Matter to Court

PHILADELPHIA, June H.
Major w. o. Wynne, chief of the
Philadelphia county detectives as
serts that ninety-nine out Of one
hundred Of the persons blackmailed
would have nothing to fear If they
defied those who tried to mulct
them.
Blackmailing is one of the sub
jects that the major is we'll up on,
as a result Of a long term Of years
as postal inspector, government in
telligence officer, and as assistant
and finally head of one Of the most
efficient municipal detective offices
in the country.
The Ward case has brought the
gentle art of Matchmaking to. ma
tional notice because Of the means
Ward employed to settle his prob
lem. An attempt to obtain $4,000
from John Bell, in Pittsburg, re-
suited not long ago in sentence
to James E. O'Conner to two and
one-half years in Jail. Three men in
the past few weeks have been i'm
prisoned in Philadelphia, each for
a different type of attempt black
mail. Many other attempts have
ended harmlessly for their intend
ed victims, and without any pub
lefty.
The threat Of publicity is one that
blackmailers use more frequently
than in any other class of cases.
Yet it Is an idle threat, according
to Major Wynne.
Threats Only Bluff
"They threaten to go to the news
papers with scandal that may not
be true" said Major Wynne, when
they know that no papers would
dare print such information be-
cause Of the libel laws. Or, If they
do not threaten press publicity,
they threaten prosecution. Anyone
should be able to estimate the like
lihood of a blackmailer's venturing
to bring complaint and prosecute
charge against his victim. Such
persons stay away from the courts
as far as they can"
There are various classes of
blackmail that are subject to cycles.
For time one of them will be
prevalent in the east, and a year
later it will crop up in the middle
west, or on the Pacific coast. Some
times a particular form of game
will drop out Of sight all together.
This is the case with the badger
game" which has not come to the
attention, of the Philadelphia au-
thorities at least, for some time.
This form consists of getting
compromising position with a wom-
an who is the tool Of the black
mailers.
Complicated forms Of blackmail
that have come to the attention Of
Major Wynne are those engineered
by private detectives, some Of
whom let no principles of conscience
or morality stand in the way of
their rapacity. Two detectives are
behind the bars in Philadelphia
now for a plot they arranged to
compromise a woman and later ex.
tort money from her husband, leda.
ing him on with bogus proofs of
his wife's infidelity.
Tables Turned
These two utilized woman,
whom they controlled, to win the
Commence VI IIlS WOIIldu LIlSy liz
tended to make the butt Of their
scheme. Through her influence they
managed to get several photographs
of the victim, and data concerning
her, which, with a false twist, was
capable of causing the husband to
belief his wife guilty. With this
false evidence they visited the hus-
band, and tried to convince him that
they should be employed in getting
the remainder of the evidence he
would need for a divorce.
The man was sufficiently conf
dent of his wife to consult de-
tective connected with the police de-
partment and the guilty were speed
lily punished.
Against this case may be set
others, with no more reason for
being successful, that have Melted
private detectives who have betrayed
their calling. constant sums OF