BLACKMAIL

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 288, 31 August 1929, Page 29

BLACKMAIL

THE CRIME IN WHICH WOMEN SPECIALISE

Any form of crime which enjoys immunity is pretty certain to be prevalent; and blackmail certainly enjoys immunity because the basic reason why A blackmails B is because A knows that the only person who can betray him is bis victim, and because he is also sure that the unfortunate man from whom he is obtaining money will no go to the police for fear of exposing his own errors or follies in a public court (writes Edgar Wallace in the “Daily Mail”). All habitual criminals are opportunists; therefore all habitual criminals are blackmailers. It has been hinted to me time and time again, generally on the telephone, that unless I give Mr. X £5 he will tell the world that I have among my acquaintances many dangerous members of the criminal classes. But the habitual criminal is not the tvpe from which the successful blackmailer is drawn. Like murdeieis, blackmailers are as a rule members ot the non-criminal classes — that is to sav, they are persons who have never been convicted, never even made an appearance in a police court, A large proportion of them are women, but not, as people think, women of a certain undesirable class. In all my journalistic association with the courts I have only known two women of that type, one of whom was Chicago May, who were professional blackmailers. The modus operand! of the average blackmailer lias become almost a formula. A man who has been guilty of some stupidity, or has had some discreditable association with a woman, receives a letter from one who professes to be the woman’s friend, saying that the treatment which the victim has accorded to her friend resulted in a serious illness which can only ne cured by an expensive trip to —any place which is expensive. There is no demanding of money; there is no threat of unpleasant consequences; but usually the writ . hints at what might happe if “all your friends knew.” The alleged illness of the friend on whose behalf the letter is written can be a nervous breakdown, but usually the trouble presages a comin*’ responsibility for the offender. This I think is- the most common method of all. There must be thousands of cases of which the police hear nothing. Chicago May found the simplest method in the world was to scrape acquaintance with a man or some standing on a casual visit to London. The innate vanity of man—which is about 500 per cent, greater than the vanity of woman —makes him a very easy mark. He is flattered by

his immediate conquest of a beautiful and seemingly innocent lady, and leaves her with the assurance that his name and his antecedents are not known to her, only to learn a few weeks after that his anonymity was a delusion on his part. Sooner than face a scandal he pays, and continues to Dav —i knew a case of a man who supported a mythical child for twelve There is hardly a degenerate in the world who does not pay blackmail to somebody or other; and only very, very rarely does a man, rendered desperate by the prospect of financial ruin, take his case to the polled Though there is no law compelling the suppression of the name of a man or woman who is blackmailed, the Press invariably offers this protection to any persons who dare take their persecutors into court. Women victims are as numerous as men. They are as a rule the prey or unscrupulous former servants, who have either extracted letters or have been the witness of some indiscretion on the part of their mistresses. Such letters have a knack of falling into the hands of unscrupulous criminal-minded “professionals.” In that case the wretched woman receives a letter, al.o from a “friend” of the discharged servnnt • “Dear Madam.—You will be sorry to hear that Miss X, who was former! v in your employ, is very an. She has been worrying a great deal as to whether she ought to'tell your husband about” (something hat no husband should know-) “and it has so preyed on her mind that she has had a nervous breakdown. I want to send her to her relations in Canada, who will look after her, and as the fare is only £5O perhaps you

will help me." Woe betide the unfortunate woman if she raal.es the mistake, of sending tint £so’ In six months’ time the girl will be officially back in England.’ the climate of Canada being unsuitable, and further money will be required lor special medical treatment: and sd on ad infinitum. The only thing to do with such -letters as these is to send them to your lawver, or to any lawyer. You will find that, a sharp letter from the man of law will bring about a remarkable recovery. • ' r I should imagine that millions ot pounds are paid quite unnecessarily .0 blackmailers every ear One of these days, when I have leisure, I intend to open a bureau for dealing with blackmailers. and doing something, to relieve society of its most vicious pest. .