The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-14
PROMINENT LAWYER IS ACCUSED OF BLACENAIL
THOMAS F. WICKEs, GLASS OF TALE "A, ARRESTED IN
 NEW YORK.

District Attorney Jerome Declares the
 Man Has Been Living pr. JeIyI and
 MT. Hyde Life for More Than Three
 Years-Attempt to Extort Money
 from Defendant in s50,O00 Damage
 suit-BeIongs to Many of the Lead-
 ing Metropolitan Clubs.
 New York, June 13-A remarkable case of alleged dual identity came to light to-day with the arrest and indict- ment by the grand jury of Thomas F. Wickes, a prominent lawyer, on a charge of blackmail. According to Dis trict Attorney Jerome. Wickes has been living Jelyl and Hyde life for more than three years. His relatives claim that he had shown evidence of being mentally unbalanced and that they had thought of sending him to a retreat, but that he strenuously insisted that he was all right and informed them that he would resist successfully any such attempt. When he was arraigned to-day Wickes was released on $1,000 bail, pleading on the indictment being deferred until next Monday on request of the district attorney. The prisoner became his own bondsman, depositing $1 1000 in cash to ensure his appearance at the latter day.
 The story which became public with the report of the indictment has many remarkable features. The whole case is based upon a complaint made by Ed ward Weston, head of the Weston Elec- tricals Instrument company, of Newark, IN. J., who alleges that Wickes, under a fictitious name, wrote him annoying letters, criticizing acts of an attorney employed by MT. Weston in a case in which Wickes also was interested, and demanding money. It was through an investigation to ascertain the source of these letters that the developments which eliminated in Wickes arrest, was brought about. MT. Weston was the defendant in a suit for $50,O00 dam ages for false arrest brought against him by .Dr. Ashbell T. Grinnell, former ly dean of the medical school of the
 University of Vermont. Wickes ap- peared as one of Dr. Grinnelrs counsel for Mir. Weston. The case had gone to
 trial four times, the fourth trial being
 abruptly ended testerday by the with
 draWa of Attorney Osborne, who gave as his reason for so doing, the conduct of MT. Wicles, of counsel for the com
 plainant.' It developed to-ay that Wickes sicharged with having written
 letters to MT. Weston pointing out all
 legged errors in papers filed by his coun-
 sel in the case, declaring that his act in signing these papers constituted per-
 jury and made him liable to punish
 n,ent, and demanded immediate pay
 ment of money to guarantee him
 against prosecution and Imprisonment. The letters received by MT. Weston were signed Lewis Jarvis.
 The writer said he was a. lawyer and that the information which the letters contained was given after careful
 study of the case. When MT. Weston attempted to locate Jarvis, whose letter
 gave merely .a post-ofIice box number as an address, he was unable to find any attorney of that name in the city. Advertisements which appeared for several days in some of the local papers inquiring concerning Lewis Jaryis'a brought no responses and finally the matter was placed in the hands of the district attorney. His Investigation developed the fact, it was said in court to-day, that more than three years ago Wickes had an elaborate letter head bearing the name Lewis Jarvis" ea-
 graved and printed by 3 fashionable stationer. It also is alleged that | Wickes called at the postoffice and re- ceived mail from the box indicated in the Jarvis letter which was received by Mir. Weston. To-day, when called be- efore the grand jury he was unable sat- l lisfactorily to explain the matter, and | his indictment and arrest quickly fol- ! lowed.
 Wickes is we'll known as q civil law yer and has Q handsome residence in West Seyentieth street. He was born | in Albany about ffty-fiye years ago. and received his education at Phillips Andover academy and at Yale uniyes- sity, where he was graduated with the class of 1874. He was graduated from I the Columbia Law school in 1875. He is a member of the University Law yers, New York Athletic, Mendelssohn Glee and Psi Upsilon clubs and Associ- ation of the Bar of the City of New York, and was assistant corporation counsel of this city when United States Judge Lacombe was corporation coun- sci.
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