The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-10-26
Salt Is Brought Against a
Wealthy New York Woman.
TOOK MATTH:I ON TRAVELS.
Later He Committed Suicide, and His Sister
Claims Reward for Giving Up Certain
Alleged Love Notes.

New York, Oct. 26.-Mrs. Anna Gynette
of Scotch Plains. ~ j., has brought suit
ngainst Mrs. Ida Webster. wealthy in
her own right and the wife OF Charles
Il. Webster, formerly a member of a
large department store firm, for $4,000.
The basis of the suit, she alleges. is
promised reward for the delicate services
she rendered Mrs-p% -p%etster in securing
and handing over certain letters. the pub
lcation OF which would have been de-
cidedly compromising
In her statement filed Mrs. Gynette
does not mince matters, and mentions
that the other party 10 the letters was
her brother Louis Matthei. who COM
mtted suicide few years ago
Mrs. Webster is now in Europe, but her
counsel, James a. Deering, denounced the
suit as blackmail. Justice McAdam. In
the Supreme court yesterday, refused TO
place the suit on the preferred calendar.
SHE TOOK MATTHEG TO EUROPE.
Mrs. Gynette. without preliminary. sets
forth in her statement that Mrs Webster
was In the early eighties a widow, when
she married Mr. Webster.
Feeling "A desire To travel abroad ia
1889, she left her husband behind and
sailed. Before going she engaged as
courier and guide Mrs. Gynette's brother,
Louis Matthei"
Matthei accompanied her In a years
wandering the complaint AYERS and dur
ing that time Mrs Webster became more
attached to him than strict conventions
ality requires.
In other words, 1t continues. "she fell
I'm love with him. fascinated him and
held him captive under Ter control" She
did not release him when they returned
in 1890 and made long tours OF this coun-
try.
The following year. continues Mrs
Gynette's affidavit, Matthei fell In love
with young girl and married her. He
tried TO shake Off his ensnarer, but she
would not be forsaken without a struggle
She wrote to him many letters. couched
In endearing terms, referred to episodes
in their Continental tour and made many
alluring promises of the future.
MRS. WEBSTER AS CORRESPONDENT
Unfortunately. as Mrs Gynette saws.
all these letters came into the possession
of young Mrs. Matthei I'm 1898. AS some
OF the dates given were after her mar
riage she created scene, left for home
and instituted suit for absolute di-
vorce. naming Mrs. Webster as core
spondent.
Matthei, foreseelng disgrace all around.
blew out his brains in New Jersey after
first confessing everything.
At this point in the case Mrs. Gynettes
husband is first introduced. His name is
not speCfficuffy- -feFth,-but he is char
acterized as IAN actor" Mrs Matthei
confded the letters and memoranda of
her husband to him. lie took possession
OF them.
Mrs. Gynette does not tell how IL hap
pened, but AYERS that Mrs Webster be-
came aware, on Nov. % 1896, that Gynette
had these compromising documents and
appealed to her TO procure them from
him.
PROMISED $4,000 FOR LETTERS.
Mrs. Gynette consented to do so for
a fee of $4,000. 10 be paid her on the
delivery of the papers, TO say nothing OF
cash for current expenses. II took her.
she says. from November, 1896, until Jan.
2S, 1898, to accomplish this. and during
the time she received several advances
from Mrs. Webster
When she handed over the diary ard
letters she demanded the $50. 0OO but was
put off with the statement that she was
entitled to nothing. She then commenced