BLACKMAILING ROGUES.

NZ Truth, Issue 60, 18 August 1906, Page 6

BLACKMAILING ROGUES.

SUPPRESSING A BOOK.

Author and Publisher Charged.

Remarkable Story at Bow-street./

, -An , extrabrdinar7. ..story of alleged blackmail/ was , unfbided at Bow-street ■recently.'".',. •.■.'.;■; '■■ ' '1;,., . ' : :. '..

Henry • Warren, /40, described as \an author, living 'at Mdrtiake-r,oad, Kcw,' and Robert Arthur Everett; 45, a publisher, of Kew .;,; Gardens, Kew, were '.charged ..with threatening to print arid . publish matter affecting the Xondon and Paris Exchange, Limited, arid Mr Alexis Moreton Mandeville, and further, with unlawfully proposing to abstain from printing and publishing matter ajtecting the Exchange and Mr. Mandeville, with intent to extort money;

Mr Gill. X.C m opening for the prosecution, said that the accused lived m furnished lodging^ at Kew. Everett was formerly employed m connection with a publishing firm that went into linuidation. A short, time aep the two entered into partnership for the purpose of conducting a black-mailiing compaign, and took rooms m Garrick-street.

"DR. BASIL 1 ." In the name "of Everett and Son they issued a prospectus dealing with a book, the subject of which could not possibly be ■ mistaken for Mr Mandeville. The book, it was stated, was entitled "Dr. Basil," who, was a prince of swindlers and an ex-card sharper. One of the prospectuses was sent to Mr Mandeville, and the accused subsequently called upon him;

They represented that the book was to be published immediately, but told him that he might, if he felt so disposed, 'buy the MSS. and .the type, which was already set up. Mr Mandeville was the head of the London and Paris Exchange, which was a concern employing aver 300 clerks. Knowing that the book, if published, would considerably injure his firm, and that he would have no redress against the accused, who were practically penniless, he consented to their proposal to pay them £2,000 for the rights. of the book.

T-hev endeavored to obtain further sums, so Mr Mandeville obtained a warrant, and the accused were arrested.

The defendants, said counsel, had accused Mr Mandeville of being a 'Jew trading man assumed name. That was absolutely untrue. ■ Mr Mandeville was the soni of- a man who was m the Government serv cc. His grandfather was a man of independent means, and his great-grandfather was well known m the diplqmatic world. When Mr Mandeville started m, life he was employed by two Avellknown firms m the city. He was also employed m a London bank for some years. Fifteen or 16 years ago he started business^ on his own account as p. mortgage broker and stock and share dealer, and m 3 895, he founded the business known as the London and Paris Exchange.

OLD CORPSE LIGHT. Last May, Warren, said counsel, ?)ostcd to the London and Paris Exchange a description of the book, "Dr. Basil." According to this it was : —

"The life story of a great swind>-£ r who lives by his wits m the > lie art of the City of London, cannot fail to be interesting. J c

'■In reality the author • is , simply narrajiinfr • actual facts which came under his" own observation when- -he , himself was the chairman "of a bogus newspaper company that was, incepted by one of the greatest" city sharks of modern .times. In the first chapter we ■ are introduced to Basil. Dashville, a palefaeed doctor, of Throg-morton-street, with a narrow retreatins; forehead, a doctor of finance, whose English . and Irish Exchange, Limited, though ostensibly a bank, is m reality a low gambling hell into which thousands of little-m en and women of the United "Kingdom are tempted and robbed-, m many cases of their last pound by the assistance J of old Corpse Light, a whilom undertaker's mute, who is. now Dash•ville's manager, and a gang of rascally journalists and so-called experts."

The prospectus also stated that Basil Dashville and old Corpse Light had the impudence to offer themselves; to .the Brutish electors as candidates for Westminster m the Liberal interest at the last election. "Neither of them was returned, but an outride contributor to Dr. "Basil's bucket-shop journal is now Liberjal M.P. for a London borough."

A TRIP TO SHEFFIELD. After the £2,000 was paid to /the accused, said counsel, Mr Mandeville went with them to the proposed printers at Sheffield. The type was destroyed, the books were cut up, and apparently, everything was done to carry out the proposition that had been made by these two men the day before. Warren subsequently wrote to the prosecutor, acknowledging that, so far as his knowledge extended, his business was carried on m an honest and straightforward manner, and promising to abstain from publishing anything further defamatory to his business.

Subsequently Warren again saw Mr Mandeville, and one of the first suggestions was that he might buy the copyright of a book which he (Warren) had written on . the same lines as the "Dr. Basil" book. TV; book, which also contained libellp'us matter he was anxious to sell, for £50, and again Mr Mandevill© was induced to consent to the proposal. Within a very short time Warren again thought it desirable that, he should get more money out oE Mr Mandeville, and he stated m the presence of Everett that he had formed the idea of getting as much as £5,000 out of him.

He was told that by paying £2,000 he had only purchased a particular edition of the book called "Dr. Basil/ and he wa<s invited to buy the copyright of Ue book. Similar pamphlets we*e sent out., but containing the additional information that the first edition of the work was sold to Mr A. M. Mandeville, ."and the present edition contains a.n account of this remarkable transaction, together with a description of the journey to Sheffield."

The trial was concluded on 'July 28, and the accused Warren and Everett were found guilty, and each sentenced to one year's imprisonment with hard Labor.