In 1908, Mrs. Mira Elizabeth Ingalls, a white woman, discovered that her husband was having a sexual relationship with Dora Jones, their then-17-year-old African-American maid.

After divorcing her husband, Ingalls blackmailed Jones into continuing to work as her maid.

Ernest Tolin, the assistant attorney who prosecuted the case, quoted Mrs. Ingalls telling Jones – "You owe me your life because you have ruined mine.

The abuse spanned a total of 37 years and across different places, including San Diego, Boston, Washington, and Chicago.

Mrs. Ingalls did not serve prison time but was ordered by a judge to pay Jones $6,000 in compensation for lost wages.