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.