Evening journal., 1897-06-19
TIE AUTHOR KNOWN.
Identity Of Vulgar Letter Writer
Disclosed by Suit OF Valet.
CASE RECALLS A FORMER SENSATION.
The Servant Complains That He Was
Not Paid For His Services In Ascer-
tanning the Authorship OF the
scurrilous Letters.

New York, June 19.-The writer Of
the scurrilous anonymous letters on
Knickerbocker club paper concerning
the marriage of Miss Grace Wilson 10
Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr., is known.
This fact has just been made public
through a suit brought against the
multimillionaire banker, Richard II.
Wilson. by his former valet, Albert V.
Sugden, for S1OSO $1,000 Of which, he
says, he was promised for discovering
the author Of the letters, and the re-
mainder was promised as increased
salary for two months.
Now he alleges that although he did
secure the desired information he was
never remunerated for so doing.
Sugden is a bright young English
man. He was discharged from Mr..
Wilson's service on Feb. z last, after
the excitement caused by the reception
of the letters had somewhat passed
away. He claims that he has been un-
sble to get another position because of
alleged bad reports Mr.. Wilson has
made as to his character.
In Sugden's petition, which was
drawn by Lawyer Robert r. Noah, he
says that Mr. Wilson engaged him on
Dec IA, 1896 to find out who wrote the
anonymous letters.
He was to secure, according to the
| petition, "evidenoe necessary to deter
mine. ascertain and locate the party or
parties who had circulated certain re-
ports derogatory to and concerning the
plaintiffs daughter, which said reports
derogatory to his said daughter had be-
come public property through the pub
lication and medium of the public
press"
Sugden declares that Banker Wilson
did not keep his promise.
De Lancey Nicoll. as attorney for Mr..
Wilson. has put in an answer to the
suit. He denies that the valet was en-
ployed to do detective work and that
Mr.. Wilson promised to raise his wages
SIS a month. The case is on the calen-
dar of the supreme court.
Compromise Not to BE Considered.
The suit was begun on April IA, but
was held back with the hope that Q
compromise might be effected. Mr.. VIII
son, however, would not consider th'
matter.
The marriage OF young Mr.. Wander
bilt and Miss Wilson took place in July
1886. The groom's family objected L
the alliance, and the wedding resulted
man and his father. The anonymou
persecution Of the young couple begai
before their marriage and was kept ul
for several weeks.
Letters denouncing them both wer
3 sent TO the bride and bridegroom. TIL
0 letters were written upon the paper o
0 the Knickerbocker and metropolitan
. clubs, and they were fastened with tn
G seals OF these clubs. That fact natural
1 ly caused the public To think that IN
: writer was a member of these clubs
? The author. desiring to have the al
tacks printed. sent several letters {
well known newspaper writer's.
The motive of the anonymous perse
!. cution could not be conceived. Their
= was no mention Of money i'm the letters
and the theory Of blackmail was no
y tenabe. Disappointment In love wa
suggested. but those who knew Mrs
Vanderbilt all through her girlhood de
clared that she never had such an en-
J. tanglement The attack was so unex
= pected, so undeserved, that no one coul
u suggest a reasonable motive for II.
Society People at odds.
= The Vanderbilts and Wilson's are a
q Newport They meet nearly every dal
bur they do not speak. A family feu
that may be long continued was cause
= by the marriage Of Mr.. Vanderbilt an
= Miss Wilson.
The wedding of the young couple wa
preceded by several sensations. tn
j. first announcement of the wedding wa
- made by Miss Wilson's father on Jun
y 10. 1896, and the date was fixed at Jur
II Is.
But at that time young Mr.. Wander
a. bilt was confined to his bed with IN
10 hammatory rheumatism, and the wed
l. ding was postponed.
le Then it was rumored that Mr.. Var
It derbit had decided to obey his father
wish and not marry Miss Wilson.
This was followed by the startling ar
nounccment on July 13. that Cornelit
At Vanderbilt, Sr., had been stricken wit
ri apoplexy. This was caused, II was sal
N by his sons determination to wed Mi'
l. Wilson.
N The wedding occurred on Aug.
r. the home of the brides parents. on Fifi
Sc avenue. The ceremony was performe
r. by the Rev. William II. Pott, assistai
~ rector Of ST. Thomas Protestant Epi
copal church. The marriage was wi
messed only by the members Of the WI
son family and Frank J.. Poke. wl
Ip was best man.
,e Cook Burned TO Death.