Part 22

The records will show that they have been nolle prossed. The Detrich case will show dismissal for want of prosecution, but it was really on account of settlement having been made. After these defendants were convicted he was released without ever having a hearing on the habeas corpus matter and gained his liberty on account of the state losing jurisdiction. Since organizing the Landlords' Protective Association he was arrested on complaint of A. D. Smeyer before either Caverly or Prindiville at the Harrison Street Police Station and there discharged on account of no prosecution. It was brought about by a settlement.

The arrest was made on account of his taking $3 appearance fee, which he should have paid and filed appearance in the Circuit Court in the case of Chicago Press, R. D. Smeyers vs. Barry Transportation Co. He was arrested a great many times for obtaining money by false pretenses from poor and ignorant people, who gave him $2 to get them a job, but he failed to do so.

Patrick L. Tuohy was born in Ireland; came to Chicago about forty years ago and located in Rogers Park.

He was a member of the School Board at one time. He is a politician. He is a professional bondsman and is manager of the Chicago Mercantile & Reporting Agency, also an employment and collection agency and professional bond agency at 171 Washington street. They take a fee of from $2 to $3 and agree to get employment, but few are ever employed. This money is put into his pocket.

He has been engaged in many questionable concerns. Among them he and his pals secured a charter for the United States Express Company and tried to shake down the company and prohibit them from doing business in the State of Illinois. The matter was taken into court and a Federal injunction issued against them.

They have a habit of looking up firms, for instance, say the Blackenberg Express Company, and get someone to do business with them, then they will go in and see if they use a corporate title and force them to settle in some way.

Bulfer and Tuohy were proprietors of the Chicago Mercantile & Reporting Agency: Daubach was a clerk in the office and Burnett was a solicitor for the company.

Bulfer was the apparent head of the concern--in fact the brains and dominating spirit.

Tuohy's name appeared as manager on the letterheads of the company and he was plaintiff in all suits brought upon alleged contracts.

Burnett, as solicitor, called upon small merchants and solicited accounts for collection upon representation that the Chicago Mercantile & Reporting Agency would deduct 25 per cent in case of collection.

If a merchant gave Burnett some bills to collect he (Burnett) would ask the merchant to sign his name on a piece of paper giving authority to the Chicago Mercantile & Reporting Agency to collect. Or if a merchant upon whom Burnett called would say he had no bills, Burnett would secure his signature upon representation that he must show his company that he had called upon him and solicited.

Each witness with but one exception testified that no contract was shown him and that he was not told by Burnett that in signing his name he was putting it to a contract to furnish the company with at least 25 valid claims during the next thirty days following and to pay the company a fee of $20.

Louis Perlman, the complainant-witness in the case tried, testified that he gave Burnett a claim for $2 to collect and at the solicitation of Burnett signed his name to a paper giving authority (as explained by Burnett) to the company to collect. Nothing was said to him about a contract, but at the expiration of 30 days he received a letter from the Chicago Mercantile & Reporting Agency, signed P. L. Tuohy, manager, that he was indebted to the company in the sum of $20. Upon calling at their offices to ascertain the cause of such indebtedness he was shown a contract signed by himself, agreeing to furnish the company 25 claims and obligating himself to pay $20 on that day. The victims were all men and women of the poorer classes, mostly small shopkeepers, and such tradesmen in the outlying districts.

Perlman said that was the first time he had ever seen the contract, for when he signed his name at the request of Burnett there was no printing in sight and nothing was said about a contract. Although Perlman had given but one claim to the agent of the company, and that for the sum of $2, which had never been collected, he was threatened with suit by Bulfer when he called at the office of the company, and finally compromised by the payment of $5. No service had been rendered him whatever and yet he was compelled to give up $5 to have the alleged contract canceled.

The state called about 17 witnesses, all of whom had similar experiences to that of Perlman. Several testified that they told Burnett they had no bills to give him, but at his request signed their names so that the company could know how many people he had called upon in the course of a day, and yet each was notified at the expiration of 30 days that he or she was indebted to the Chicago Mercantile & Reporting Agency in the sum of $20, and each was compelled to pay from $5 to $12 to have the alleged contract canceled, although no service had been rendered to any of them.

One witness testified that he had refused to compromise and he was sued before a justice of the peace friendly to the company and judgment was rendered against him for $20 and costs, amounting in all to $20.50, for which no services were performed and for which he got not the slightest return.

Daubach was merely a clerk in the office, but when a victim called at the office in response to a letter signed by Tuohy, Daubach would tell him the amount must be paid, although the victim would declare to him no service had been rendered to him and that he had no knowledge that he had signed a contract. The victim would then ask to see Mr. Tuohy and Daubach would take him to Bulfer's desk and say, "This is Mr. Tuohy," and the victim would have to settle or submit to a judgment on the alleged contract at the hands of the justice of the peace friendly to the company.

Although the indictment charged a conspiracy to obtain the signature of one Louis Perlman to a written instrument, the state introduced evidence, and rightfully so, to show similar acts of the conspirators.

It was demonstrated clearly, by the evidence that Bulfer was the leading spirit of the conspiracy; that Tuohy's name appeared on the letterheads as manager and all letters sent to victims bore his signature; that Burnett got signatures by means of false pretenses, for each witness claimed that the "contract was covered up and they were shown just the part of the paper on which was the space for signature; and Daubach performed many acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Bulfer and Tuohy did not go upon the witness stand. Burnett testified that he always showed the full contract to prospective clients, but was not called upon to explain its contents; he testified further that he received from the Chicago Mercantile & Reporting Agency $2.50 for each contract he brought in and he secured as high as six a day.

Daubach testified that when the objectors came into the office and complained he would tell them they could compromise and get off cheaper and admitted turning them over to Bulfer when they asked for Tuohy.

So that it appeared conclusively that each in his turn performed some act in furtherance of the conspiracy.

The case was called for trial on the 6th of May, 1907, and was concluded on the 8th of May, 1907. The jury returned a verdict of guilty as to each and fixed the punishment of Bulfer, Tuohy and Burnett at imprisonment in the penitentiary, and fixed the punishment of Daubach at a fine of $250.

PANEL HOUSE THIEVES.

Among the many dangerous and curious characters who live by their wits in a great city none is more interesting to the outsider than the blackmailer. To the reader of sensational literature the ideal is a person who holds some great family secret which he turns into money at rapidly narrowing intervals. Although this character is generally overdrawn, no one familiar with city life pretends to doubt his existence. The blackmailer is a well known character in all large cities, and certainly the arch swindler of the day.

Blackmailers are ever on the alert to learn anything detrimental to a person's character, and let them once obtain this, they fatten on it. Men's passions are taken advantage of by that particular class of thieves known as "badgers," and their operations are very rarely followed by exposure or punishment. A pretty woman is the bait used by these thoughtful rascals, who know full well that where a hundred men will resist a burglar, scarcely one will resist a robbery where disgraceful publicity must surely follow.

Briefly the mode of procedure is as follows: A house is rented in a quiet side street, not far from the principal thoroughfare. One man, occasionally two men, run the house--that is, they do the actual stealing, while they have from three and often as high as a dozen women out on the street picking up the victims.

MUST HAVE PRETTY WOMAN.

The qualifications necessary for the woman to have is to be pretty, plump, wear good clothes, and understand the art of making herself attractive. It is an understood thing that she shares one-third the proceeds of the robbery. The house is arranged especially for the purpose. The rooms on each floor are fixed so that the door separating them has the panels cut out and put in again on hinges, and fastened with a small button not noticeable. The hinges are well oiled, and a small hole is bored through the door, so that the thief can see into the room, or hear any slight signal given by the woman. The house rented has a front and rear entrance, the latter for the thief or thieves, who always station themselves on a corner of the street near the house, by which the woman will always bring the victim, so her pal can see him.

The woman goes out in the evening past the principal hotels and through the principal streets, never speaking to a man, but if she notices one who looks like a stranger and well-to-do, she will give him a coquettish glance and pass on, looking sideways to see if she is followed. If so, she will continue slowly, turning the first quiet street, until the man who follows her has a chance to overtake her. The chances are ten to one that he will address her. She will appear shy at first, and not inclined to speak, but after a short time she will talk, and after some conversation she will convey the idea to the man that she is a married woman; that her husband is out of town and no one is at home. If he will be discreet he may accompany her home, she says, and have a talk. The pair then walk to the house, passing the corner where the male accomplice is lying in wait, and the woman, pulling out her latch-key, will open the door; and the fly is in the parlor of the spider.

The male thief waits a few moments, and then makes his way into the house through the rear. As soon as he enters he takes off his shoes and in his stocking feet stations himself in the adjoining room, and there bides his time. The woman is all smiles and affection. She betrays an affected nervousness, which makes her all the more attractive. She talks about the sudden fancy she took to the gentleman who was weak enough to be inveigled, and in a thousand and one ways manages to give the idea that he is, above all others, the very man she could love. All this time she is gradually disrobing, and at the expiration of about ten minutes she is ready to do her part in the robbery.

MALE ACCOMPLICES GET BUSY.

Meantime her male accomplice has put on his shoes. He goes around to the front of the house, opens the front door noisily, and, walking heavily, he knocks loudly at the room door, and calls out, "Mary!" or any name that may suggest itself. The woman will at once exclaim. "Oh, that is my husband! Dress yourself quickly, and be ready to go out as soon as I get him away from the room door."

The victim will hastily put on his clothes, and as soon as the woman slips out and gives him the signal he escapes, only too glad not to be caught. Before he goes, however, and while he is talking to the woman, her pal has opened the panel, put his hand in all the victim's pockets--(his clothes having been put in front of the door), and nearly all his money is taken. A portion is left, so that he may not immediately discover his loss. Jewelry is never disturbed, as it would be missed at once. The favorite methods is to take out the middle of a roll of notes, if in a roll, or if in a pocket book, the bottom notes are removed, so that when the victim examines his purse hurriedly he will not discover that he has been robbed. If the amount stolen is large the house is vacated, and the woman skips the town for a time.

The women who work for these badger houses work in one city for a time, then go to the next large city with a note to the chief who runs the house there. The women generally wear wigs, so in case the man reports his loss to the police he will, perhaps, describe a fair-haired woman, when perhaps her hair is black. A blonde wig is discarded, the case is fixed.

A female badger and her lover may be poor and unable to rent a house. In this event they will rent a furnished room in a furnished-room house. The bolt on the door is fixed by simply taking out the screws from the nose of the bolt, and the screw holes are enlarged. The screws are well greased and then put back, the key taken out of the lock, so when the time comes for the thief in go in, as previously described, he pushes in the door easily and quietly, as the hinges are well oiled, and the victim is robbed while he is making violent love to the supposed "married woman."

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC CATCH.

Only a downright fool or egotist can become the victim of this scheme. He deserves to lose whatever he has if he is foolish enough to be taken in. The only way to protect yourselves against the work of these thieves is to mind your own business.

The new panel and blackmail swindle called the "Photographic Catch" is one by which dupes are frightened into paying hush-money, and otherwise putting themselves in the hands of unscrupulous and designing people.

The old panel game has been brought up to date and is being worked vigorously. This new swindle is one of the coolest "bluffs" ever attempted to be worked upon an unsuspecting person.

The victim selected by the coterie of choice spirits who work this fraud is always a married man. The blackmailers learn about his habits, and if his wife and family have removed to the country they immediately set about landing him in their net. If the family remains in town the swindlers spot their man and wait until his wife and children go to the country or seashore, leaving him to "work himself to death" in the bad, wicked city.

The bait used is a handsome young woman. She soon finds an opportunity to attract the attention of the victim, who is always a business man, generally of middle age and wealthy, for upon handsome but penniless clerks they do not waste a moment of their time.

As soon as the intended victim has taken the bait he is enticed to some luxuriously furnished apartment. It makes not the slightest difference how long he may stay there, and it is not even important what he may do there.

In the course of a day or two the victim is called upon at his place of business by a tall, well-dressed young man of gentlemanly manners, but with much firmness. This is one of the conspirators. He secures a private interview with his unsuspecting victim, and as soon as the door is closed he proceeds to outline his little game.

He pulls from his pocket an alleged instantaneous photograph showing the victim in a compromising position, and for the sake of appearances, make some broad hints about his outraged feelings as a husband. It very soon develops that these outraged feelings can be assuaged by the payment of money, and the sum mentioned is always a large one.

SCARE MONEY OUT OF VICTIM.

The victim is thrown into a state of fright by threats of exposure liberally made by the conspirators, and freely "gives up" in order to put a stop to the matter. He gets a considerable reduction upon the original sum demanded by paying down the cash.

Now, while this game is nearly always successful, it requires but a moment's reflection on the part of any intelligent man to see that it is a swindle, pure and simple, the exposure of which would put a stop to it. The payment of the money is compelled by displaying a photograph, with threats of sending it to the victim's wife.

Anybody who knows anything about photography will see at once that such a photograph must be fraudulent. It is impossible to take an instantaneous photograph in a room without a flashlight. It is likewise impossible to photograph the interior of a room lighted by gas without a very long exposure, and generally extending over hours. No court of law would place any reliance upon an alleged instantaneous photograph, of the inside of a house professing to show people who were unconscious that they were being photographed. If any such picture were to be used as a means of establishing evidence in court it is not unlikely that the person so producing it would get into prison as an impudent impostor.

The photograph which is used by the gang working this new panel game is, of course, a fraud made up by the conspirators. It is an easy enough thing for them to secure a picture of the interior of the room, showing another person. But in order to get the victim into the picture it is necessary that a photograph be taken of him elsewhere; probably in the street.

Then his features are pasted on the photograph of the room, which is again placed before the camera and reproduced complete. No matter how skillfully such piecing is done, it always shows to the practiced eye, and any professional photographer can detect the fraud.

With the guilty knowledge of such swindling in mind, the conspirators who impudently produce such pictures can easily be "turned down" by a brief explanation of their criminal proceedings and a threat to turn them over to the police. They confine their operations to gentlemen who have been indiscreet and who can be easily frightened into paying money to prevent a scandal.

BLACKMAIL THE WIFE AS WELL.

Blackmailing the wives of business men is carried on to quite an extent, and it is astonishing how many of them will pay blackmailers to hush up something that really amounts to nothing if the game were exposed. If you refuse to pay blackmail, that usually ends it. They want money, and when they fail to get it, the matter drops.

The blackmailer operates on women in this manner: A man has an accomplice, a woman who passes as, and probably is, his wife. She is well educated, of refined appearance, and dresses fashionably and well. The two work together. As the summer season comes on the wives of business men, who cannot leave business themselves, start for eastern resorts and watering places, the woman blackmailer joins the exodus. She knows the people who are wealthy, and these she spots. She watches their every movement, and if the slightest indiscretion is committed it does not escape her eye. She knows the names, business, and homes of all the gentlemen they meet, and when and where they meet them.

The season ended, the facts she has obtained are in the hands of the male partner, and he studies them. Selecting his victim, he arranges to meet her, as if by chance, usually in one of the leading retail establishments of the city where she resides. He approaches and addresses her with the greatest cordiality, expressing surprise at the unexpected meeting. She is generally surprised, and, of course, fails to recognize him. Then he uses the name of one of the gentlemen she has met in the east, recalls who introduced them, where the meeting occurred, and, in fact, all about it. Then she recalls it, or thinks she does, and it ends in her inviting him to call at her home. Here is the web quite complete.

He calls, and, of course, when her husband is out, and may repeat the call several times. Then he springs the trap. During one of his visits a note arrives for the lady threatening disclosures unless paid, say, $100. Even if innocent of any wrong, the woman is alarmed and shows the blackmailer the note. He appears greatly alarmed also, declares that he is a married man, and that to have his visits known would ruin him. He argues that the money would better be paid. He has only $40 about him, but if the hostess will advance the balance of course she shall lose nothing. She does it, and is thereafter in the power of the blackmailer.

"BOGUS DETECTIVE" GAME.

A scamp, claiming to be a detective, often visits a reputable business man, having gained knowledge of indiscretion early in life. To hush it up they will demand from time to time money, under threats of exposure, thus causing the person to commit crime after crime to satisfy the heartless leech, who never stops until his victim is ruined.

In a similar manner does the alleged detective blackmail a man who has committed a crime and who has been imprisoned for it. Upon his release the man may feel like reforming and becoming a good citizen if given the chance, but this the detective will not permit, for as soon as he notices the ex-convict he will say, "Look here, young fellow, you know my name and address, and when I am in of an evening I want you to come and see me or I'll have you run in." The fear of being "run in" forces the man who has a desire to do right to steal to satisfy the blackmailing demands of this corrupt class of people. If the ex-convict obtains employment he is worked in a similar manner, under threats of exposure to his employer, and so forced to steal, and then the smart detective will exclaim, "There is no reformation in that fellow; I knew he would steal. He will never stop."

STOREKEEPER SCAMPS.

One of the most contemptible of creatures is the storekeeper who has caught some one (who has the appearance of having money), stealing some trifling article, and will exclaim, "Here, here! I have had stolen three hundred dollars' worth of goods by some one, and if you will settle for all I have had stolen, I will let up on you, and not prosecute."

These cowardly methods are simply mentioned to show to what depths of meanness some men will descend, and are not to be classed with the professional thief, with whom stealing is a trade. As to how the female blackmailer can be foiled, the remedy is obvious, and no man who possesses proper self-respect will ever become a victim.

HOW FAKE "JOURNALISTS" WORK.

The blackmailer first obtains some information about the early life of the person he intends to approach, and there are very few men who have not, in their youthful days, committed some indiscretion which might be brought against them after reaching maturer years. An escapade with a woman, or a mischievous boyish prank which proved more serious than was intended, are the usual indiscretions selected, and there can always be found plenty of gossips who are only too willing to relate full particulars. The information thus obtained is written up in a sensational style, and is taken to a cheap printing office, where it is put in type for a trifling cost.