New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-17
J. HOWARD WELLES LETTERS


when j. Howard Wees, under arrest as the black
mailer OF Jay Gould, taken into the court
| room. The prisoner was accompanied by his coun-
| sci, AlgerDOn ). Sullivan, and his nephew, Judge
Ambrose Mcneil He appeared to be greatly de-
jected and his face showed the marks of long mental
suffering He took notice of any of the
sons present, and with his head bowed down and
his face partially hidden by his hat, answering the
whispered communications of his counsel with
slight nod. Occasionally the muscles of his lips
and eyelids were to culver, and once or twice
tear tricked down his cheek
As soon as Justice Bixby had taken his seat, Mr..
Sullivan arose and said that he had examined the
papers in the case and that he clearly of the
| opinion that no charge could be maintained
against his client, under the revised statutes, for
sending threatening letters Tor the purpose of ex-
torting money. But he recognized that a complaint
might be fairly made under the statute of 1880. AL
though he did not recognize that his client
was guilty. still he would not offer any technical
| objections to rhe charge, and would make no other
application respecting the charge than that the
! prisoner be remanded to await the action of the
Grand Jury. The waiver of the examinations which
was signed by Mr.. Sullivan for his client, and an
| additional affidavit by Inspector Byrnes further
specifying the offence charged against the prisoner,
were placed in the hands of Justice BXby.
Mr. Sullivan. who had short interview with his
client before lac taken into court. stated that
he found him in dazed condition. and when
questioned matters relating to his private business
MIR Welles could give no rational answers. saying
| that he could think of or remember no.
thing outside of his present troubles.
| He anxious TO get his liberty,
| but only that he might kill himself:
His friends Mr.. Sullivan said, would not
make application for bail under these circumstances,
! although tins would not be difficult to obtain. lie
would undoubtedly commit suicide If he given
the opportunity do 50 in his present frame of mind
Mr. Sullivan and Mr.. Mcneil denied strenuously the
story that Wees had been deiaulter while
said that ne had received high COM
mcndaton from the Secretary of the Treasury when
his accounts were presented, and his bonismen, OF
! whom General RoOme was one, We're discharged.
He occupied the position Of COmmlssary-G neral at
| Baltimore during the latter part of the civil War;
! and was promoted to that position from Quarter
master of the 9TH Duryea ZOuayes for good services
| rendered to the Government
Warden Finn, when questioned YESTERDAY ln re-
! gard to his prisoner, said he had spent an ex-
cclent night, and for the first time since hls arrest
had partaken of a cd breakfast with apparent
| relish. His condition also appeared 10 be better,
| only two visitors in the course of the day, Judge
Mcneil and son Of General 10 me; neither meth of
| whom spent more than hve minutes with him.
WcIes refused to any other visitors and his re-
| sci should he admitted was observed by the
Warden. His spirits however, see ned to decline as
the time for his appearance in court drew near, as
he seemed to have the greatest dread OF beng seen
| by the public.
twenty five letters written by Weles to Mr. Gould
| to Mr.. Sullivan and to Justice BIXby. Some
| OF them have already been published, incud-
ing the one first sent by the bIackTaIler,
letter postnarled October IL addressed TO the
| EDITOR OF The van Street NeTs lnclOSlng the first
letter TO Mr. Gould "a copy Of which, II was stated,
was also mailed 10 Mr. Could, gave the editor per-
mission t. publish it If he saw III but advised that
il should not be done lest the pnbc should mistake
the writer's motive. Tie two succeeding letters.
| one of which was dated October D. both signed
! Your Nictu,' were very similar To tn first, as
they merely repeated threats OF shooting,
Ing the writer's ruin. III the following letters the
backinailcr began u disclose his real puip Sc I'm
der the date October 10Th states tha, satisfaction
can be given by putting the stock market lower "n
! the following Monday. In the Ihcanilmc TWO Othet
| letters were written. dated October 20 ana 80, In
winch the Victim complains that he Is not under.
! stood and shows his appreciation If the danger OF
! his position if detected. In the latter he as,
and has been familiar with the Of 4 pistol rom
| his bOyhOod. adding tnat he intends 10 ,ho5t MT.
| Gould in public place surrounded Dy ms iflehds
and the dettcvcs. Tie also gives INSTRUCTIONS rs TO
| the terms mp town and down town T. be- used
in the "PersoualS,' indicating the buying or SeIhng
| of stock. -,
nrobably be his lat, thanks Mr. Gould for depress-
| ing the market, the fall IN which ne
| insiders TO be owing entirely to Nr. Gould':
| iniueuce in answer to his request and not 10 the
| Newark emJezzlemont, as he says. lie urges the
| necessity OF keeping the prices IoWh az isast Gntt
| Ln shall have made good loss Of 100000, which
! he CLAIMS that he had recently sustained, the re-
nurst being coupled with the usual threat of assasSi
nation If the advice Is not heeded III" SIX l0ilow
! inc letters. the last beng dated November - con
! tain little of fresh interest The wIltcr complains
| of DELAY in granting his demand for points i0l
which he Is cIamoronS anu seems inclined 10 uhhs M
that he is being riiled with. The request III the
Personals for personal inerylow he says u ao'
surd and ne will never meet Mr. GOuld lace Ia Iace
until he does 50 for the purpose of ending MS llfe'
In one OF the letters ne protests against NE ihsuu'
alton of contpracy and declares that no one is ln-
crested but himself, and that rs soon as ms losses
are made good he will gIye NJ lurther annoyance
| letter dated November Is rs follows:
m-Nov 9 lsslL have g,t T%eGt'SI ed ZOO
M now got IT, for that does not concern YOU;
Inn ba doc, and very greatly too Is that do not loose
ir Ifntortunatey should DO so, one OF ne sredtesi
yposures of the day would come out, and with II would
be known deaths az the same time therefore De
careful very careful OF the information you ylIe me
will follow il the bitter end. Hope you
will be equally careful ana ,sHpiclt IN u GIlnS
help Yourself you make the ' personal suh"enty
plain II you viii that - do 1t viii be 10 your in
out of s,or,s; at least | believe 80. Cannot YOU
nov, mo-" ' Mil follow yoa however though would Ike to
remain short II proper thing TO do no siSna'nfeI
The answer 10 thls rcqueStwas evidently uniayor-
able for on the following day long ietfer was
written in which charges OF trliug were
made and entreatIes t'r some mtImdtioh OF pr.
Goulds real intentions IN 0rder lIat Ihe "ii.et it
he has made himself liable to the law by the letters
| alrrady written; but gives as an excuse tDat he
yyas ..crazel by his terrible financial necessity
| T., thc letter OF November hc states that
he needs TO make $4,000 OF $4,000 10 save
himself from exposure and rum adding ttat be mas
nnt hon Inf 700 shares OF salvation" (Manhat.
y"nl which was further increased by 800 shares OF
the same stock on the following day, as the next
letter, states. although the purchase was made
ag1inst the advice OF his broker lie also advises
caufIon i'm the uso of the terms My Friend and
Correspondent from Texas" IN tue per.
- Hin
attract attention. Both of these letters eA
press great gratitude for the vauPPppTteu snPPpCsen
iavors of Mir Gould. The decline III Manhattan
tToni 56l, 10 55I, on November 10 brought out the
following Oh the same day