It has been an open secret since St. Valentine's day that many members of fashionable society in the Nineteenth Ward are very much agitated over communications received from anonymous sources by occupants of palatial brown stone residences. An effort was made at first to keep the matter a secret, but the authors provided against a possible effort in that direction by mailing scandalous attacks upon one family to another. It was asserted by several parties well posted on society events in the ward that skeletons were in this way ruthlessly dragged from closets and real or concocted secrets affecting ladies were disclosed. The writers apparently well knew the families to whom they addressed the letters, for the recipients were at enmity with each other and from the general wording of each epistle it was supposed that one young lady had sent it or caused it to be sent to the other.

The breach between such families was naturally widened. In one case, however, an explanation was sought and the result was that the accuser was in turn accused. More than six instances of this kind are now known to have occurred and it is said that there were many more.

"I know," said one well known society man residing on Bedford avenue, "several young ladies moving in the upper circles of society to whom letters were addressed about gentlemen with whom they are keeping company and about each other. The ladies very properly showed the communications to their parents. Some of the servants overheard the comments and their beaus were of course informed of the spicy morsel of gossip. So the matter became town talk and the infamous allegations made against several ladies are on many tongues now. It is supposed that the letters were in most cases instigated by ladies, although the handwriting generally was that of a man. While in two cases a different writer was used, probably to prevent a possibility of the hand writing being discovered. The authors have been pretty well traced up, but evidence can not be produced against them, or at least, enough to warrant their prosecution criminally. Some persons were used as tools in the matter, and it is hoped that they can be induced to inform on the principals. There are four young ladies that I know in tears over the scandal, which seems to have shaken society almost to its foundation. People are talking so much about the alleged disclosures that the ladies feel while walking on the avenue that all the ladies residing on it are at their windows pointing at them and talking about them. One of the letters nearly broke off, it has not practically done so, an engagement of marriage. It was sent to the family of a young gentleman and seriously reflected on the character of his betrothed.

The man had to promise his mother that he would not visit the lady until she had made an investigation. The old lady is yet investigating and the vigorous way in which she is prosecuting her inquiries is not calculated to improve the standing of her prospective daughter in law in public estimation. The young lady is highly indignant as well as mortified over the affair, and has dismissed, it is said, her lover. The old lady is bound to fight the matter to the bottom, though, regardless of who the author is.

As a result of all this gossip and letter writing the following advertisement was inserted in a local newspaper. "$1,000 will be paid for information identifying the author of certain anonymous letters mailed to residents of the Nineteenth Ward during the last two weeks. Address H.X., Times Office.

An Eagle reporter asked Police Captain John Brennan, of the Clymer street Station, about the matter, but the captain guardedly stated that he had not been officially consulted about it, but had heard gossip concerning it. "I mentioned to some parties," said the captain, "that it was only St. Valentine annoyance, and that it would all blow over in a few days if no notice was taken of it, but if it was agitated like a mud puddle more mud would come to the surface. The author or authors of the letters deserve the severest punishment for their wanton attacks on reputable citizens and their families. The whole matter will quietly blow over, very likely."

An officer of Captain Brennan's command was willing to talk on condition that his name should not be published. He said: "I was off duty a few nights ago and took a stroll along the avenue. I know a few of the handsome young servant girls employed in dwellings there, and accidentally, I assure you, I met one at the area gate. At her invitation I went inside. "I have a great secret to tell you." said she, 'and I hope you can keep it.' Young mistress is crying her eyes out all the time for the past week on account of a letter which was sent to that old maid, Miss____, about her. The old thing showed the letter to every person in the neighborhood and afterward gave it to my mistress, telling her that she felt sorry that she had been so indiscreet, but she hoped she had seen the folly of her ways and would become a more devout Christian. It was awful!"

The girl told me all that she had heard, and from the fund of information she furnished I guess bon ton society in the ward is at present at swords' points over the letters unless they have made up friends in the last day or two."

It seems to be the general belief that it is not likely that the $1,000 reward will be sufficient to induce any person concerned in the writing of the letters to inform on the others.