“One day some of my old companions who had known me in the Penitentiary came to me while at work and threatened to expose me unless I gave them ten dollars. I refused at first and was willing to fight them to the bitter end. I would not be blackmailed. As they kept it up for several days, I gave them money rather than lose my job. Then they came again, and told others who made the same demand on me. After this I refused every appeal and told them to go and do their worst; as a result I lost my job. I searched the city for honest work for weeks, but could find none. Then I became a gambler. I went to the races all around New York, where I made money easy. I confess as a gambler I have had a checkered career, and even now do not wish to tell all the escapades through which I passed. But they were not of the best quality and many of them were deeds of darkness. “Some months ago I returned to the city. I wanted money badly and resorted to crime, as I did not want to work. This is straight—_I did not want to work_,” and he said it with an emphasis. “I located in the Tenderloin and worked in partnership with a woman of the street. We played the panel game between us and made lots of money. We succeeded in robbing men of means who fell into our net. Every week when I divided the graft, we had a big roll of bills each.” Perhaps I ought to say that panel thievery is the old game of robbery in which injured innocence takes part. It is still practised in many parts of the city—especially the Tenderloin, but not as much as in former years. The three parties in such a crime are (1) a woman—elegantly dressed, with plenty of borrowed jewelry, but dissolute, (2) her so called profligate husband, and (3) her victim. The woman goes to the street—Fifth Avenue—and inveigles some young blood, a banker or rich merchant to her apartments. Then the so-called husband shows up unexpectedly. Then there is trouble but it is averted by a heavy cash payment, after which the victim goes free a wiser man. The same thing is continued night after night for years. Not one victim in a hundred ever squeals—he is willing to pay any amount of money rather than do so. Sometimes the so-called husband shows himself to be an adept in the use of knock-out drops administered in wine. After the victim becomes senseless he is robbed of all he has and left on the premises. After a few days rest in Long Branch or Saratoga they return again to the city where the same thing is carried on nightly. This is what is called the Panel Game. Within recent years the Courts have been very severe with such people and justly so, as they are a most dangerous class. Wilson continued: “After a while I became reckless and careless and got caught red-handed. I have found once more that the way of the transgressor is hard. But now I am done with that life. Ever since my return to the city I have been living in hell. I knew I was doing wrong.