The Blackmail Artist of Seattle
A man attempts to extort cash from his former employer by sending letters from behind bars, only to find himself trapped by the very schemes he designed.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Griffith Hunter, who tried to capture cash by instructing the debtor and trusting him with employees and others, by mailing letters in envelopes bearing a deep blue stamp and the legend 'Debt Collecting,' is now in durance vile. He was remanded to jail at the city jail but was unable to furnish bail and remained in custody. When arraigned before the police judge yesterday, on the motion of the second district attorney, his case was continued until important witnesses could appear. After a long stay in the care of the court, the plea was refused to change. Hunter is charged with violating the postal statutes by using the blackmail letters in the mail.
“Griffith Hunter, who tried to capture cash... is now in durance vile.”
This story serves as a reminder that the digital age didn't invent the 'scammer'; it just optimized the delivery. Extortion attempts involving mail fraud were a common plague in turn-of-the-century Seattle, just as digital phishing scams dominate our modern local headlines.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.