Evening journal., 1905-05-01
MAE WOOD SUES
PROMINENT MEN
She Seeks $4,000 Damages
From Loeb, Wynne and
Miller
SEIz:O PLAtl'S LOVE LETTERS

Omaha. May l.-Miss Mae C. Wood,
who was a clerk IN the postoffiee de-
partment at Washington, fled in the
district court suit for damages Of
S35.OO0 against William Loeb. secretary
TO President Roosevelt; former POST
master General Wynne, now consul to
London. and J. Martin Miller consul
at AK la Chapelle.
Miss Wood charges that the defend
ants by force and threats" secured
from her love letters, which she alleges
were written to her by Senator Platt,
of New York. These letters. she says
in her charges, formed the basis Of a
book. the manuscript for which she
had completed and for the publication
of which she had contracted with a
publisher. Miss Wood alleges that for
mer Postmaster General Wynne met
her at a hotel in Washington, where he
detained her for two days and by
threats and force took from her the
alleged love letters. She says Mr..
Wynne was accompanied by two men,
one of whom gave his name as Hum
mel.
The petition in part follows: That
beginning about May 1, 1903. plaintiff
had prepared as a literary production
and for publication a manuscript en-
titled, "The Love Letters OF Boss" )"
which manuscript was largely made up
from actual letters received by this
plaintiff from very prominent man in
the United States senate (Senator T..
c. Plato, II years old. and who pre-
tended to be desperately in love with
this plaintiff.
"That for the purpose Of trying to
make an Independent living in liter
airy field. and as compensation for the
peculiar humillations and prosecutions
she had been subject to, she determined
to utilize such unfortunate and dis
agreeable experiences and publish the
said book containing verbatim para
graph after paragraph of the silly love
expressions contained in said letters
which were mixed with political ami
mositles and news.
"That said defendants. obtaining
knowledge Of plaintiffs intention to
get out such book. conspired with each
other and the author Of said original
letters, or with the political enemies
Of the said author of said letters, to
get possession Of the manuscript and
the said original letters by any means
possible, ard by Illegal means if neces-
sary, for the purpose of holding the
same over the author and possibly to
hold for ransom in addition and thus
force said author to do, OF not to do.
certain things"
Miss Wood then states that while on
here way to visit a sick relative she
was decoyed by J. Martin Miller, Of
New York. for the ostensible purpose
of reading proof of the story She al
leses that no proof was. forthcoming
y,nen she arrived. but that Miller. by
intimidation and otherwise threaten
ing, caused her to give up for the time
her pursuit for the proofs She says
that Miller displayed a badge and de-
manded that she turn over the letters
written her by Senator Platt and Lii
liam r. Janeway Fearing disgrace,
she says. both to her family and to
herself she went TO the New York Life
building, accompanied by Miller and
three other men, and delivered the let
ters and other papers to a man who
represented himself to be Abraham n.
Hummel.
For all Of which, Miss Wood says,
she has been damaged to the extent OF
$4,000 and asks the court to render
her a judgment to that amount
The charges do not specify how Sec
retary Loeb and Mr. Wynne are con-
nected with the case. Miss Wood. in
statement given out in connection
with the case, says that she brought
the suit in Omaha, which is the homo
OF her friends, and that she will Sc
cure service on Secretary Loeb when he
/ rpturug from the vast