New-York tribune., 1886-11-15
BLdCKM1IL.


very remarkable case of alleged blackmail
is being tried at Boston. A wealthy manufact-
urer named Philip l.. Moen has. accor ding to
his own statements, paid no less than
| $3.50, 600 as hush money to one Levi Wilson,
VINO has failed to show any valuable consldera-
ton for these payments. Moen's story is one of
the strangest paris of this strange case. He
says that Wilson, several years ago, threatened
| to expose some alleged criminal act, committed
whether by Moen himself or some one con-
| nected with him does not clearly appear from
| his testimony that he gave Wilson $1OO to
keep the secret that Wilson next demanded
81 900 and got it that a sum of $4,000 was
then paid, and that after $3.50, 900 had thus
been extorted, further demand for 100000
so revolted him that he determined NO longer
to submit to the drain. What the matter was
which gave Wilson such a hold upon Moen
remains secret, but that it was of a nature to
constitute the strongest kind of a lien seems an
| inevitable conclusion from the facts. Moen was
plainly afforded ample opportunity to prosecute
| Wilson for blackmailing. The latters letter
demanding $1,000 was strong condemnatory
evidence. The steady growth of Wilson's
greed and audacity must have convinced the
victim that there was no safety in submission.
| Yet it took several years and an expenditure of
a quarter of a million to bring him to the point
| of resistance.
| 1t Is to be noted that in the last trial of this
case-for it has been in the courts some time
under various as pects-Moen permits it TO be
| inferred that the charge preferred by Wilson
was against himself, and not, as formerly
stated against some member of his family.
Moen declares that it was false accusation,
| and it does not follow that it was not false be-
| cause he yielded to the threat. The public are
| not justified 10 jumping at conclusions in such
cases. Not many years ago New York cler-
gyman, being falsely accused. submitted to
blackmail until his resources were exhausted
rather than face the humiliation of connection
with such matter in any shape. His innO-
cence was finally demonstrated, but in the
absence of proof no doubt the fact that he
| paid hush money would have been held by
many as conclusive of his guilt. The truth Is
that backmail is much more common than is
generally supposed. Only the police come into
possession of the facts in many cases, but
| they know that not few persons Of wealth
and standing have from time to time been the
prey of blackmaiers, and that the latter fire.
quently succeed by shrewdly playing upon the
fear Of scandal. which is apt to seem more
dreadful in proportion to the prominence and
reputation of the victim.
Moen appears to have manifested almost an
abnormal helplessness throughout, it must be
admitted. 1t is not credible that successful
man of business did not know from the first
the avenues of escape afforded him by the law,
nor could he have failed to perceive that the
more he yielded the heavier the demands upon
him were certain TO be. But he went on and
on. paving whenever and whatever he was
asked for, until he had been thus Dlundered to
the extent of quarter of a million and then
at last hc screwed his courage TO the sticking
place and gave battle. Another striking
feature in the case is the audacity of Wilson.
Having no legal status whatever. he neverthe-
less goes into court calmly and defes the
obvious charge of blackmail A reasonable
inference from his conduct is that he does not
apprehend any dc.ailed exposure; that in fact
he still believes tho winning cards to bs In his
hand. While therefore it may be said that
nothing in the known facts is incompatible
with the entire innocence Of the backmaiied
party, 1t is equally clear that the extent of the
demands 30 long yielded to, and the continued