The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-06-16
wIcKEs CASE PULLING.
The Facts in Strange New York Tan
ole

New York, June 16.--In the puzzling
case Of Thomas Parmalee Wickes, prom
inent lawyer, former assistant corpora
tion counsel and member of the Uni
yersity, Lawyers, Yale, Psi Epsilon and
Mendeissohn Glee clubs and the Bar
Association, who was on Tuesday in
dicted for attempting to blackmail Com
modore Edward Weston Of Newark, lit
tie could be learned yesterday TO throw
light on the accused lawyers side of
the affair. District Attorney Jerome
saws that Wickes is the mysterious
Lewis Jarvis Of Lock Box 1904 in the
general postoffice, who wrote letters to
Mr. Weston, one of which contained a
threat. Wickes was reported as having
admitted to the grand Jury which in
dicted him that he wrote the Jarvis
letters. When asked if he had made
this admission, he said he could neither
deny nor affirm the story that he had.
The Jarvis" letters which had been
written to Mr.. Weston referred to the
ease that had been brought against him
for false arrest BY Ashbell Parmelee
GrinnelI, former dean of the medical
department of the University of Yer
the victim of a confidence man, and the
detective assigned to the case had mis-
taken DR.. Grinnell for the man wanted
and arrested him. In the damage case
former State Senator L. G. 0'Sulliyan
vas the attorney for DIR. Grinnell, and
Wickes was associated with him. The
case came to trial four times The first
jury gave DR.. Grinnell $12,500 damages.
This verdict was set aside because of
a fault in the pleadings The second
trial before Justice Dugro ended with
verdict for DIR. Grinnel of $4,000.
The attorneys for Mr.. Weston fought
this verdict. While the motions and
appeals were being prepared, Mr.. Wes-
ton, who was i'll at Palm Beach and
had not been able to attend the last
trial. received a Lewis Jarvis" letter.
1t was written on heavy Tiffany letter
paper with Lewis Jarvis, Lock Box
1904, New York. heavily embossed.
It advised Mr.. Weston to settle the
case out Of court, SO as to avoid further
publicity.
Commodore Weston made no reply to
this letter, but sent the communication
to his attorneys, notifying them not to
compromise under any circumstances.
Then came another letter dated Feb.
rs. This letter informed the commo-
dore that his lawyers had blundered all
along. The $4,000 verdict was set
aside and new trial was ended by the
illness of a Juror. On the last day
before the fourth trial began Lewis
Jarvis wrote his last letter to Mr..
Weston, and it is on this letter the
Indictment of Wiekes IL based. This
letter contained the yelled threats on
which the charge Of blackmail is based.
L. C. O'ulliyan, who was Lawyer
Wicke's associate in the suite of DR..
Grinnel against Commodore Weston, said
last night that it wasn't until last Sum
day that DIR. Grinnei knew what Wickes|
had been doing, and then he told Wickes
that he would have nothing more to
peated attempts to get Mr. Wickes to-
discuss the case" said Mr.. O'Sullivan,
"he was finally induced to come to my
house, and Mr.. Wickes, DR.. Grinnell and
myself talked it over. DR.. Grinnell
Went away completely undone. ] re-
quested Mr.. Wickes not to appear again
and he accepted the suggestion. Wheth-
er the charges were true or not | felt
/ could not remain III the case, ana
so did DIR. Grinnell / cannot account
for Mr. Wickes' conduct except on the
theory of mental arrangement. Among
other things which he confided to me on
Sunday was the apparently sincere
statement that in writing the letters
he had no intention of doing wrong.
There had been a Lewis Jarvis in his
family some time back, and he told
me that in conducting an investigation
some years ago he had taken that name
for the purpose and had used it again
in this instance. If he had an exact APP
probation of what he was doing he
would have realized that it was abso
lutely discoverable, and that he might
az well have signed his own name.
know he resents the idea that he is
wrong mentally, however.