Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-14
BIackmaiIer
Glow Dies
Unnoticed
But He Indirectly Aided
in Crime Expose
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

A VERY small and obscure
"A note in the paper reports
the death i'm Bellevue Hospital
of Steve Glow. who in his hey
day, about 20 years ago. seemed
TO have established beyond chal-
lenge and for all time the title
of dirtiest American.
He was a blackmailer along
Broadway operating a sly
little sheet which dealt almost
exclusively with scandal and
rumor and filth. but he finally
made a false move and was sent
10 prison on a federal charge
after Miss Peggy Hopkins Joyce
had given testimony against him
"a public service for which
that charming lady has never
received due recognition and
gratitude.
Newspaper reporters who
were on the job at the time
understood that another emil
nent American lady. the sister
of a powerful international I'm
ancier. likewise had been SUBJ
iected 10 annoyance by Glow,
but had preferred not 10 pros
ecute lest in refuti ing the
ISLANDERS she would only give
them wider circulation.
After his graduation from
prison. Glow was no longer the
ogre who had haunted persons
of prominence in town. although
il may be presumed that IN
petty way he continued to live
by blackmail.
A BOUT a year ago a citizen
"A got a letter from him whin-
inc for money. and after few
weeks this was ( oil owed ny
another threatening 10 expose
some dreadful secret.
That was one OF CLOVIS varia-
lions. Even when he had nothing
TO expose he would threaten, on
the strength of the tradition or
the night clubs and the under
world. that nine out Of 10 human
beings have had trouble OF
some kind.
Steve was indirectly respon-
sible for the enormous exploita.
! ton of the social and carnai
affairs of criminals and the
| drunken rich and the we'll
I dressed moochcr a. news.
IL was Steve Glow who caught
the late Phil Pane, then man
aging editor of a New York
PAPER. in a mood Of black de-
SPAR after the death OF Mrs.
Paine and persuaded him to
visit a night club for the nrst
time back when prohibition was
young.
Phil was a naive r'lbe from
Union City. n. j.. who did not
smoke or drink and had never
met an actress.
He gIamorizcd persons OF the
type known aS celebrities be-
cause he actually thought them
glamorous.
Phil was marvolouSly sue
cessful editor because ms own
attitude toward this set was
that Of the newspaper reader.
CLOW had met Paine some
~ time before, and he now
took him in tow 10 cheer him.
Phil met through Glow some or
the more vicious criminals OF
the day who were then running
SpeakeaSieS IN the side streets
off Broadway. and Phil began to
turn uD stories wherever he
went. some OF which may have
lacked news merit according TO
ordinary standards, but none or
which lacked circulation value.
And Phil first hit upon the
idea of assigning reporter, with
an expense account, to the night
club beat-the real beginning or
that phase of our journalism.
He even became a celebrity
himSelf-the ambition of all true
rubes-and delighted 10 be rec
ognized by underworld charac-
ters as he walked into some den
for his coffee and preserved figs
in cream at night.
1t gave him pleasure also 10
sit with some famous pretty in
the ringside at the old Garden.
where he would edit the first
edition in public and slip the
corrections and orders 10 Paul
Calico in the working press for
transmission TO the shop over
the fight wire
OF course. Paine knew Glow
was a blackmailer and crook Of
various gifts. but a reporter
doesn't demand social references
from a contact or news source
and. anyway, Phil showed off on
his own career as a wcll-known
man about town.
Conxrirhfed nv United Features gyud In,