News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-12-16
(. GREAT MYSTERY.
THE FAMOUS wILsON-MOEN CASE IN
ELtlg -.15, WORCESTER.
ltiiliosaire Falls Into Trap and IL BIed
..f.r Of Thousands of DoIIa,s

A deeper mystery than that involved
IN the Wilson MOen case, lately on trial
III Boston, has never found its way into
an Amerlcon court. A stranger story
can hardly be found in fiction.
Eleven years ago a young man lust
out of his teens, Levi Wilson by name,
turned up in Worcester, Mass. He had
como from Uxbridge, was illiterate and
poor He made scanty living by work
ing in stables, He concocted and sold
a norSe lniment and was dubbed ''Doc"
Wil2ou. Suddenly he appeared to be
the pOSsessOI of no little wealth. He
spent money freely, lived in luxury, kept
fast horses, wore costly jewelry. Where
this money came from no one knew or
could find out. Wilson was even shad-
owed by detectives as suspected bank
burglar or a couuterfeiter
his was several years ago. Wilson's
name and that of Phillip L. Moen were
then often connected. Moen was one
Of the wealthiest and most influential
citizens of WOTcester-a man of family,
the head of the barbed wire monopoly,
deacon in the Congregational 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 a SUIT brought by Wilson 10
recover a hundred and thirteen thou
sand dollars. 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 in
fn1 hy-t no Of of IL
The damages were laid at fifty thousand
dollars in each case. Wilson further al
legged that Moen had agreed to give him
hundred tn usand dollars to settle
these suits. Moen gave Wilson twenty
thousand dollars, but refused to paw
more. Wilson sued for the balance.
with interest. The case was tried in the
United States Court in Boston last De-
ccmber aud resulted in a disagreement
OF the jury.
Moehn admitted that he had agreed
to pay the money, but put in a general
denial of liability The trial disclosed
the source of Wilson's suddenly acquir-
ell wealth. He had received at various
times enormous sums from the great
Manufacturer. But just what for was-a
mystery. There was involved some pro-
jound secret which neither the plaintiff
nos the defendant disclosed secret
unknown TO judge or jury and appar-
entity not revealed even to the LAWYERS
in the case. Evidently the Worcester
millionaire had been in the power of the
UXbridge hostler-had paid extrava-
santly for his silence. Why2 That was
mystery that long baffled solution.
The second trial of the case began last
Wednesday. Up to that time both Will
son and Moen had been silent as the
grave about the secret. The fact W
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 a
quarter of a million dollars Why had
this enormous sum been paid for silence7
What was the skeleton in the closet? 1t
was not till the defense was outlined
that the door of the closet was partly
opened Here is what is disclosed by
Moons counsel in his opening speech -
Tie defence is blackmaiI pure and simple. 1t
Is a story Of blackmail successfully carried out
until the victim refused TO go any further In
November, 1875, Mr.. Moen met a stripDling
youth, stranger, in his stable. 1t was Levi
Wilson, who said he was out of money and
work. 81 have no friends" said he. g have
been the witness of an act which l will make
the subject of criminal prosecution unless
you give me one hundred dollars" The details
of that act were disgraceful and false. Al
though these de. ais were untrue. rather than
have them placed on the court records and
Haunted before the public, Moen, in a moment
of weakness, promised to pay the one hundred
dollars and laid the superstructure of this
case.
This throws flood of light on the
mystery. But what the alleged "crim-
lnal act" was, where, when and by whom
1t was committed, is as profound mys
terry as the whole affair has been for
years. And it is likely to remain so as
the evidence on the trial closed =
AeU York Herald.