The Seattle Post Intelligencer

YOUNG'S BAD RECORD.
The Would-Be Blackmailer
Social Outcast
Lawyer Will Defend Him

The course taken by Police Commissioner W. S. Relf in causing the arrest of Joe Young and his so-called wife for their attempt to extort money from him by the blackmailer's methods was heartily commended in the city yesterday. Some went so far as to express a regret that Mr. Relf had not been armed with a gun and killed the couple. There was no attempt yesterday to get the loving couple, who value honor in dollars, out of the county jail and it is practically settled that Justice Caldwell will not reduce the bail, $5,000 each, one cent before the preliminary hearing, and in case they are bound over to the superior court, as the testimony known to be in the hands of the prosecution will surely demand, it is doubtful if any influence strong enough to secure a reduction of the amount can be brought to bear in their favor.

Judging from the talk among the legal fraternity, the blackmailers will have a difficult time in obtaining counsel. Before the case came to a head Young went to several reputable lawyers with a view of obtaining a divorce from his wife, naming Mr. Relf as co-respondent. In every case when the facts were made known even from his side of the fence, the men into whose ears he poured his story told him to seek other quarters. Now that the whole story has become public the attitude of the legal fraternity explains itself.

Joe Young, or "French Joe," as he is familiarly known, was in the city about four weeks before he hatched the plan which has gotten him into hot water. During all that time he wore a loud check suit of clothes, but, strange as it may seem, when he walked in upon the commissioner and his faithless wife, as he now terms her, he wore the clothes of a laborer. On the street he would have been taken by strangers for a cowboy, were it not for the fact that his countenance is so hard and cruel to look upon that it would be a disgrace to that class of people. His slouch hat, woolen shirt, a red handkerchief around his throat, a sack coat and dark trousers completed his costume of the husband who was looking for a "faithless wife." He had never been in the Russell house, his wife had never been there until she got the room in the morning, and it is positively known that Commissioner Relf never met her there before in his life, yet Young had no trouble in finding the room, and walked in through an unlocked door.

It was not many minutes after the affair was ended that Young and the woman were seen coming down Washington street together. They stopped in front of what used to be the Tycoon saloon, and had talk. There was not a thing in their actions to show that they had quarreled, and when they parted Young walked into the Rookery restaurant, on South Third street, for a lunch. After eating, he went to Commissioner Relf's office and commenced nagging him for money.

The history of Young in the Northwest does not extend back more than six years, yet it would fill a book, and the only silver lining to the cloud would be his devotion to the woman who is in jail with him. There is some doubt as to the marital relations existing between Young and "his woman," but he has always claimed that he married her in a legal manner, and those who know him best think his claim to be true. Her maiden name was Vernia Conard and she lived at Heppner, Or., with her parents before taking up with Young. Her parents now live at Lowell, in this state.

When Young first came to Seattle gambling was running at full blast. He was never known as a thoroughbred, but was termed by the fraternity a tin horn. Once in a while he worked as doortender in some of the rooms, and while in this capacity at the "Never Touched Me," on Jackson street, he had a terrible fight with Knute Williams, better known as "Big Bill," the colored floorman. Young made some remarks to Williams that the latter did not like and a clinch followed. The men hugged each other like bears and rolled about on the floor until the stove was knocked over. Then they got up and went at it again. Williams was pummeling him in a manner thoroughly enjoyed by some of the crowd, but to the dislike of others. In some way the contestants were worked to the head of the stairs and down they went head over heels. Young saw he was getting the worst of it and set his teeth into Williams' shoulder blade. Williams couldn't stand that and yelled out: "He's biting me." They struck the sidewalk, rolled across and were dragged apart under an express wagon. In the confusion that followed Young escaped and Williams was arrested for fighting.

While George C. Munro was chief of police Young served a short time on the force. Then he made himself notorious by assisting in swindling a Swede out of $500 in the Tycoon saloon, and while the case was being investigated skipped out of town. After it was settled by the saloon men he returned.

Of late his headquarters have been in Everett, Snohomish and anywhere along the Great Northern railroad where chance offered for skinning a laborer. It is related that last January he and his wife went to Everett, where he leased a large house from a man named Brookings and opened it as a house of ill-fame. The name chosen was The Birdsnest, and the location on Market street. For three successive months she put the landlord off in the matter of rent and at the end of the fourth month Young met Brookings with a gun and told him he was not going to get any rent as there was no money coming to him. The gun was too much for Brookings and he retired, but got the house back by due process of law. Then Mrs. Snow, alias Young, moved across the street into a crib and Young went to Leavenworth or Icicle. Later his wife came too and they ran a saloon of the lowest and vilest character. In fact it is said they were run out of town.

Young showed up in Everett at the time of the municipal election in April and got some money by claiming to control a large number of votes. He disappeared again to return six weeks ago with his helpmate. They took rooms in the Montilla hotel, and in a short time Young claimed to have had a row with her and moved his trunk. It was noticed at that time that he appeared in a costume almost identical with the one worn when he tried his game on Commissioner Relfe. There is no direct evidence that he worked the blackmailing game in Everett just before coming to Seattle, but whereas he was broke in that city he showed up in Seattle with a good amount of gold.

When Washburn's circus was there Young was engaged in working the shell game. When Young arrived in Seattle with the Washburn circus he was accompanied by his wife. They took a house on Jefferson near Fourth street and lived there until the grand finale came with Commissioner Relfe as the victim.