The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-17
THE WILS0N-M0EN SECRET.
The Lawyers Talk Freely About Lies and
Perjury, but Fail to Tell What 1t Is About.

BosToN, Nov 16-The usual large crowd was
in attendance this forenoon at the United States
courtroom to listen to the closing arguments in
the celebrated case of Levi Wilson against the
Worcester millionaire Philip Moen. The
opening Of the court was delayed
until 11:30 After the jury had been
polled. r. NJ Morse, jr., began his speech
for the defense. He said: ''You were in
structed at the outset of this that, as far
the plaintiff is concerned, the suit is based en-
tirely upon his own unsupported evidence, and
that there is not a scrap of written testimony to
uphold it. Not only is his evidence unsupport-
ed, but it is full of contradictions and equivo
cations that Wilson is entirely unworthy of be-
lief He has received nearly $500. 900 from Moe n,
but does not say why or what was the consider
alton"
Counsel then told in detail the various sums
paid, all of which went to make up the era nd
total. Wilson's presentations on the witness
stand, in relation to the payments, coun-
sci said, were proofs of his incredi.
he had given Wilson az opportunity to say why
he had received these large sums of
money. but he had steadily refused to
answer. He says he loaned Moen $40, 600,
given him, and was returned to him with interest.
So this is false. He says Moen gave him money
to get the Englees out of the country and his
brothers out West. This counsel claims, was
Moen denies all this He did not know the
Englees, and according to their testimony, there
was no reason why Moen should wish to get
rid of them.
Counsel then took up Moen's testimony. Will
son. he said. had gone to Moen and told him
that if he did not nay 500 he would tell in a
police court of filthy act performed by another
person. Moen would have told the details of
that story, had he been asked. Perhaps, in not
Going into this matter, Wilson had in his mind
money TO black-mailer, the rule
is that he will continue these pay
ments. When Moen paid the first
800. in 1875, he thought he was done with Will
forever Counsel then explained Wilson's
extortion methods. and said that Moen was I'M
der the strange power of a black mailer, and
finally, when ne had paid so much, he paid more
to keep from the public the fact that he had paid
anything Wilson's contradictory testimony was
then reviewed to show that his statements were
worthless, and especially so in the matter of his
handwriting and the letter he alleged he had re-
ceived from Moen
After recess Mr.. Morse resumed his argu-
ment, referring to Wilson's persistent attempts
Wilson bounded him even when he was on his
vacation. Wilson's statement that Moen offered
him $50 600 in bonds Of the Boston 81 ALBANY
and the Norwich g Worcester railroads, was a
lie on the face of it, for Moen never owned stock
or bonds in those roads. Moen did raise 800 900
in New York and sent it to Wilson, and then
decided to pay him more, and for che first
time since December, 1875, Wilson found him
self foied.
Mr.. Morse then reviewed the evidence relative
to the interview between Moen, Wilson and Rice
at the formers house, from which he argued
that Rlce's story was correct and Wilson's false
Threatening letters subsequently written by
Wilson to Moen were not such as one man writes
to another who owes him an honest debt of
800, 900. Wilson's later attempts to extort
money had proved futile he having found his
match in Rice Counsel begged the jury to say
not only that the defendants story was true, but
that he Is entitled to recover at least portion of
the money that has been wrung from him.
George j. West. of Providence then began his
argument for Wilson. After speaking of the
great business abilities of Moen and saying that
up to this time he had never met his master,
West characterized Moen's story Of the alleged
black-mail as unqualified. He charged that the
letter of February 1876, asking for $11. 900, was
fabrication from Moen's brain since the trial
last December. It a forgery, and Wilson
never wrote it. He denied that counsel feared
to ask Wilson what it was he threatened Moen
with, and said they were here ready and anxious
to know all. but Moen had told so many different
stories that they did not know what he might
concoct next. "If." said West, ''you can any
where in the worlds history find single in
stance or cause where the victim of the black
mailer took care of his money and paid inter
est it, will abandon our case; and
yet Moen says he did this very thing
No patent was ever owned or held by
Wilson. Moen had that paper made so that he
could tell the people of Worcester that he had
business with Wilson. It was another piece of
manufactured evidence. Moen did not, he
says tell the whole truth at the previous trial
The man who, under oath, does not tell the
whole truth, is guilty of perjury. Moen
did not tell the secret when he was
on the stand. because if he had
he would have been obliged to give
the name of the third party, and if he had done
so, he knew that he would have had that man
court. That story of what Wilson told Moen is
part of Moens strategy. You may call Wilson
scoundrel and denounce him everywhere, but
he has never imposed upon the court, never has
refused to tell the truth. If Wilson is scoun-
drel. then what is Moen?"
episode from his stand point He claimed that
the contract was fully proven by Moens letter
that he did make a payment of 500, 900 on ac-
knew if Wilson ever sued Moen ne would use it
in evidence. 1t was not Wilson who wanted the
Eng ees si!enced; it was Philip L. Moen, the man
who has testified in two different ways about
this case In eleven months.
The case was at this point adjourned until to-
morrow, when West will conclude his argument
and the case will probably be given to the jury