St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-11-25
A REMARKABLE MYSTERY.
NOrthanlDtOn Gazette.

A deeper mystery than that invOlv
ed in the Wilson Moen case, on trial in
Boston last week has never found it's
way into an American Court. A
stranger story can hardly be found in
fiction.
Eleven years ago, a young man just
out of his teens, Levi Wilson by name,
turned up in Worcester, Mass. He
had come from Uxbride, was illiterate
and poor. He made a scanty living by
working in stables. He cOncOcted and
sold horse liniment and was dubbed
"DOc" Wilson. Suddenly he appear
ed to be the possessOr of no little
wealth. He spent money freely, lived
in luxury, kept fast horses, wore cost
ly jewelry. Where this money came
from no one knew or could find out.
Wilson was even Swallowed by detec-
tives as a suspected bank burglar or
cOunterfeiter.
This was several years ago. Will
sons name and that of Philip l.. MOen
were then often connected. MOeD was
one of the wealthiest and most int1u-
entail citizens of Worcester man of
family, the head of the barbed wire
monopoly, deacon in the COngrega-
tiOnal church, in 1884 an electOr on the
Blaine ticket, now more than sixty
years of age.
Last year, MOen appeared as the de-
PENDANT in suit brought by Wilson to
recover $lI3,00O. Wilson alleged that
in 1882 two suits for breach of promise
had been brought against him by two
young women of Providence, and also
that an action against him had been
instituted by the father of one of them.
The damages were laid at $4,000 in
each case. Wilson further alleged that
Moen had agreed to give him 100000
to settle these suits. They were ac-
cordingly compromised. MOen gave
Wilson $4,000, but refused to pay
more. Wilson sued for the balance,
with interest. The case was tried in
the U. S. court in Boston last Deem
Der and resulted in disagreement of
the jury.
Moen admitted that he had agreed
to pay the money, but put in general
denial of liability. The trial disclosed
the source of Wilson's suddenly ac-
quired wealth. He had received at
various times enormous sums from the
great manufacturer. But just what
for was a mystery. There was invOlv-
ed some profound secret which neither
the plaintiff nor the defendant disclOs-
ed-a secret unknown to judge or jury
and apparently not revealed even to
the lawyers in the case. Evidently the
Worcester millionaire had been in the
power of the Uxbridge hostler-had
paid extravagantly for his silence.
Why? That was the mystery that long
baff1ed solution.
The second trial of the case began
November 10. Up to that time both
Wilson and MOen had been silent as
the grave about the secret. The fact
was brought out that MOen had first
given Wilson money in 1875 and last
in 1882. The various amounts paid
during these seven years aggregated
more than quarter of a million dol
lars. Why had this enormous sum
been paid for silence What was the
skeleton in the closet? 1t was not till
the defence was outlined that the door
of the closet was partly opened. Here
is what is disclosed by MOen's counsel
in his opening speech:-
"The defence is blackmail pure and
simple. 1t is a story of blackmail sue
cessfully carried out until the victim
refused to go any further. In NOvem-
Der, 1875, Mr.. MOen met a STRIPPING
youth, a stranger, in his stable. 1t
was Levi Wilson, who said he was out
of money and work. Il have no
friends said he. Il have been the
witness of an act which will make the
subject of a criminal prosecution unless
you give me one hundred dollars
The details of that act were disgrace
full and false. Although these details
were untrue, rather than have them
placed on the court records and flauut-
ed before the public, MOen, in mo-
ment of weakness, promised to pay the
one hundred dollars, and laid the SUI
of this case"
This throws a food of light on the
mystery. But what the alleged "crim-
inal act'' was, where, when and by !