Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-13
UNWILLING THE MYSTERY.
A Startling Story of = BlaekmaIl Revealed
In the Wilson MOen Case.

famous case seems in a pretty fair
way to be gratifed. The defense in its
charge tells startling story of blsekmail
which has been praetieed since 1915, and
which has relieved MOen of $3.50, 200. In
his continued crOSs-examinatiOn Wilson
said: AFTER my return from Europe /
loaned MOen at various times SlOO, 900.
l could not write in 15777, when those five
notes were signed. \ great many persons
have pushed my pen. Mr.. Moen has done
it. He might have produced those sigma
tures."
Wilson left the stand and few unim-
pOrtant witnesses were heard. This closed
the case for the plaintiff, and Mr. King
made the opening stOtement for the de-
feDSe.
I'VE base the defense 10 this case" said
he. ''On blaekmail, pure and simple. In
November, 1871. MOen met STRIPPING
youth, stranger, in his stable. 1t was
Levi Wilson, who said he was out of mon
ey and work Il have no friends, said he.
i have been the witness Of diSgracefnl
act, which | will make the subject of a
criminal pr OsecutiOu unless yon give me
500. The details of that act were dirty, dis
graceful and untrue. Although those de-
tails were untrue, rather than have them
placed on the court records and Haunted
before the public, Mr.. MQen, in 4 moment
of weakness, promised to pay the Sl00, and
laid the SuperStructure for this case. The
next day Mr.. MOen paid the money.
Wilson departed, and Mr.. MOen believed
that he was nd OF the unpleaSantDeSS
threatened. In February of the following
year Mr.. MOen received letter. in print,
signed by Levi Wilson, which said:
Why in HI don't Won send me Sl,OOO:
IfyOu don't send it, you and your proper
swear to anything.
''On the 18th of February Mr. Moen paid
10 Wilson the second sum of money. That
letter was followed up in person and by
other letters, and VI. MOen paid Wilson
other sums, small in their amount at first,
but gradually increasing up to thousands
In December, lS1g, Wilson said he would
give no more trouble, and wanted to 90 TO
Europe. On his promise to do So Mr..
Moen paid him $40, 600, and this was fol-
lowed soon after by $40, 900 more. He did
90 to Europe, but returned in a few months
renewed his relations with Mr.. Moen and
received SJO, 900 more, then =. .0UU, S20.-
OOO and s., $40 on the pretenSe that he had
careleSSly told the secret 10 his brothers
and that il WAS necessary 10 have SO, OOO
the amount which they demanded with
which To 90 West. The total paid from
1915 up TO June :, 1SS2, was about $50,
600.
Until June :, 1SS2: Mr.. MOen did not
know that Wilson WAS not married 10
Hattie Engley; did not know the other
Engleys. and did not know Hattie \.
Wetherall. and at that time did not know
of any claim Ofany kind or nature what
ever that they had against him. When
the Engleys heard that Wilson was to
marry a Miss Farnum, they sued him for
seduction and breach Of promise, and he
was put in Jail. Upon his release on bail,
Wilson inquired for Mr.. MOen at the lat
terS office in WOrSter. and WAS told that
he was at MooSehead Lake. Wilson then
appeared at MOOSehead and began ut once
to tell OF his troubles, trying to eNtOTt
800, 900 more.
"'I must. said he, have 800, coo to
settle those suits, and you must beiriend
me and raise the money Mr.. MOen alb
sOlutely declined to do so and sent Wilson
away. Neither at that time, nor at any
other, did Wilson pretend that he had any
defense 10 the Engley suits, or wanted TO
defend them. Afterwards Wilson made
another demand for blood money on MOen
IT the Hotel Brunswick, Boston, and final.
ly Moen went 10 New York to try 10 raise
the cash. He wrote the letter and tele-
grams promising to send the balance, but
did not write or telegraph anything about
its being the sum agreed upon. Finally,
aftera consultation with Mr.. Rice, Mr..
Moen determined that he would pay no
more money to Wilson, and that the con-
nection between them should heneeforth
be at an end.
''He gave him, however, S2O, 90 in bills
in exchange for the check for SlOO,WO he
had sent by mail. Much Of the money
paid to Wilson had been in the form of
loans for which he had given notes. There
are So. 900 of these, and when the notes
were made Wilson expressly agreed that
he would pay them. lie gave 4 patent,
which he had, n collateral. When VIII
son returned from Europe he gave to Mr..
MOen the money he had not expended to
keep for him until he wanted 1t y
Philip L. MOen, the wealthy defendant
in the suit, then took the stand. In the
direct examination he was careful 10 steer
clear of making any statements that would
explain the mysterious cause of his eN-
traOrllinary liberality toward Wilson; but
on other points answered questions freely
and frankly. The first part of his eNamin-
alton brought out no new facts. When
questioned regarding the first payments of
money to Wilson. the witness said
in 1915 Wilson told me in my stable
that he had been the witness Of an un-
cleanly act, and that unless / gave him
800 he would make the matter public. 1t
was not an act committed by myself.
From December, 1870, to August II, lSS2,
gave Wilson S23i, $50 because OF his
threats of exposure. did not employ
Wilson to get the EngleyS out Of the way,
because at that time did not know them.
After Wilson returned from Europe
raised for him $50, 600 TO develOpa patent
for bleaching cotton. took his notes for
the money. neNeA DOiAO"eN any AAo"''
from Wilson"
The third days trial Of the case was re-
sumed to-day, with Mr.. MOen, defendant
on the witness stand. Moen said be loaned
money TO Wilson on account Of his begging
and pursuing him. Ii was the same game
Wilson had been playing for twenty years
He was under great pressure and under a
great deal of excitement, If he testified
last IDecember that he let Wilson have
money from friendship, it was not true.
He couldn't SAY whether he held anything
back at that trial, nor could he remember
what he swore to 4 year ago in regard to
MoOrehead Lake transaction.