The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-05-05
A MYSTERIOUS LIFE.
A VERY RICH MAN DIES AND LEAVES
AN ENIGMA.

What Caused Phillip Louis Moon to Give
DOB Levi Wilson Three Hundred Thou
sand Dollars is q Mystery That Will
Never BE Solved.
AUGUSTA, GA, April 3O.-The
announcement comes from Wor-
cester Of the death of Philip Louis
Moen, president of the Washburn and
Moen Manufacturing company, which
controls valuable barbed wire pat
tablishments in this country, in that
city on the 23d inst.
The readers of The Chronicle will
probably remember that this wealth
gentleman, in company with his wife
and daughter, spent short while out
at the Bon-Air about two months ago.
In conversation he related to a Chron-
icle reporter curious coincidence
which had just occurred,
While his son was studying In Stock
holm, about ten years ago, he was met
by an American gentleman one day
who was in considerable embarrass-
ment from his inability to speak the
language of the country.
Young Moen spoke Swedish yery
well and was able to render the gentle
man some valuable assistance.
When Mr. Moen and family arrived
at the Bon-Air this same gentleman,
who was also stopping theIe, recog-
Li2ed the name, and upon inquiry
found Mr.. MOen to be the father OF his
Stockh ohm friend indeed, and the
daughter who accompanied him was
the same who was with her brother in
Sweden.
1t was a pleasant and peculiar meet
ing.
Mr.. u. L. Moons life was an interest
ing one, and the mill which he owned
employs $500 men.
Over MIR. Moen's private life there
was the shadow of a great mystery,
because Of his relations with the noto.
rious doc" Levi Wilson, which nine
years ago was the topic of discussion in
the newspapers Of the country. The
two men differed widely in their per-
sonal habits and tastes.
Mr.. Moen was aristocratic in taste,
kindly In manner, noted for phil an
thropy, apparently consistent Chris
tianand business man eff great wealth.
Wilson was illiterate, profane and vul-
gar. Y ct for no known cause Mr.. Moen
paid over to this man between 100000
and 100000, in the space Of five or six
years, without consideration.
friends never knew the secret of his re-
lations with Wilson. Wilson used to
make frequent trips to Worcester, and
Mr.. Moen always obeyed his summons.
AT times he showed bank books with
sums to his credit ranging from $4O.-
600 to 100000. He spent money like a
prince. He kept fine stable, bought
such horses as pleased him, and If they
did not suit gave them away.
Wilson's private life was succession
OF scandals. Four young women are
known to have sued him for breach of
promise.
Speculation exhausted itself many
years ago as to the secret of the rela-
tionS between Moen and thi, spend
thrift, and it was hinted that the case
was one Of blackmail, but Mr.. NIoen
denied this as empha'ically rs Wilson.
a favorite theory WAS that the pay
ments had something 10 do with the
way in which the Washburn and Moen
company obtained the barbed wire
patents, but this was emphatically de-
MED by Mr.. DIoen and his associates in
the corporation. The latter denies that
any money had ever had been paid to
Wilson from the funds of the company.
The advances were Mr.. Moen's own.
In 1885 Wilson entered suit against
Mr. Moen for $4,000 in an action of
OF contract. The result was disagree.
ment, ten jurymen favoring Mr.. Moen
and two holding out for Wilson. In
this trial Wilson claimed that Mr..
Moen promised to settle all his scrapes,
hnt that he received no money after
1882.
After the trial Wilson declared that
he was Mr.. Moens illegitimate son,
and that the latter had paid him to
keep the secret. This story was accep-
ted by many as the explanation OF the
mysterious hold he exercised over Mr..
Moen, but others, who pretended to
know the story of Wilson's birth, said
there was no truth in the statement
Augusta Chronicle.