BLACKMAILED BY PIGEON

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 March 1930, Page 8

BLACKMAILED BY PIGEON

“CHICAGO MAY” STORY. The recent reappearance in a London police court of Eddie Gue ]?“’Z ° escaued from Devil’s Island, followed upon the death of his < quondam lover ami confederate, Chicago May, queen of blackmailers, who, with Chailev Smith her new favourite, once XSttdookattne Old Bailey tor attempting to murder Guerin In St. John’s Wood there lived a wealthy brewer whose one distraction was to frequent the Empire Theatre, where he would sit in the promenade bar sipping brandies and sodas. MaY, whose beauty at that time was striking, soon contrived to make acquaintance with him. The old brewer however, was cautious, and it was not until after weeks of meetings and theatre parties that May succeeded in luring him to her flat in Baker Street. There, indeed, the fly walked into a web most cunningly spun. Through a hole in the wall Smith succeeded m taking six photographs of the unhappy brewer which he had good reason for wanting to suppress. These photographs were so skilfully developed that while the brewer’s face stood out distinctly, May’s features were unrecognisable. , The stage w r as then set for the denouement. From a well-known “fence” in the country Smith obtained two homing pigeons which were installed in the Baker Street flat. On a table were arranged the six compromising photographs, with a letter which called the wretched brewer’s attention to the pictures, defied him to call the police, declared that if he disobeyed instructions, copies of the pictures would be posted to each of the persons named in the enclosed list (including his wife and children), and directed him to go to his bank, draw out four five-hundred-pound notes, and attach two of these notes to each of the pigeons, which he was then to release through the window “This is blackmail —nothing different,” concluded the letter. “Once we have the money all pictures will be destroyed, and you will never be bothered again.” May rang up their victim “and invited him to let himself into her flat at 1.30 next day. The blackmailers then decamped and awaited results at the country house, to which the pigeons would return. Who can say whose was the greater agony—that of the victim on discovering the pit into which he had fallen — or that of the criminals who waited in suspense for the verdict, success of disaster? At three o’clock the two pigeons arrived. Attached to their legs'were four five-hundred-pound notes!

FROM USHER TO MILLIONAIRE. In the year 1919 Ambrose Small was a dominating figure in the Canadian theatrical world. Starting life as usher in a Toronto theatre at two dollars a week, he used to make his colleagues laugh by constantly averring that he would not retire until he had amassed a million dollars.

To the discomfiture of scoffers, the great day arrived. Having acquired theatres all over Eastern Canada and in New York and Chicago as well, ho •negotiated for the sale of all his interests, and on December 2 he received a cheque for one million dollars. He deposited this cheque in a Toronto bank, paid his last visit to the theatre, and left at six o’clock for homo and dinner. From that moment Small has never been seen again, his body has never been found, and no trace or elite to his fate has been discovered, despite the labours of the whole continent’s police!

Certainly he did not disappear voluntarily, for not one cent of the million dollars was drawn out of the bank. The police believed that ho was captured hy crooks for ransom, and that, proving truculent, he was killed. Presumably the truth will never bo known. In 1913 New York was thrilled by the discovery of the dismembered remains of a beautiful girl in the Hudson. The only clue was the cushion cover in which the remains were wrapped, but this was sufflcient to enable the police to find the flat in which she had lived. There they found a marriage certificate signed by a priest. The young priest made the following astonishing confession: — “I was directed to kill her by Saint Elizabeth. Saint Elizabeth is my patron, and she directed me to make tile sacrifice of the girl I loved; the sacrifice to be consumed in blood, as was the sacrifice of Abraham.”

Most, amazing was the conduct o( Harry Hayward, executed in 1894 for the murder of Catherine Gihg, at Minneapolis. Hayward, a young millionaire of social standing, was also guilty of at least three other murders. When the sheriff read out the death warrant, Hayward commented lightly: “Have you read all that?” and then in a jesting manner to the doctor who attended him: “Be careful and don’t forget your part, doctor. Remember, this is the last hanging that I am ever going to have anything to do with.” Greeting the spectators with a cheery “Good morning, gentlemen,” he walked directly to the gallows and mounted the steps to the landing so rapidly that he nearly fell. This drew a remark from him about, falling into the hereafter! . . After he had been shrouded in the black robe of death he made a brief speech. Occasionally it was interrupted by a jovial laugh from the speaker.