The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-30
WANTS HER LETTERS
MISS WOOD AFTER LOVING EPlS-
 TILES FROM PLATT.
Omaha Woman Sues Secretary to Pres 1. fdent Loeb, Former Postmaster- General Wynne and J. Martin
 Miller for Damages.

Omaha, Neb., April 29.-Mae C. Wood. an attorney. who formerly prac- ticed in Omaha, later was connected with the Postoffice Department In Washington and since returned to this city, late today filed in the District Court a suit for damages in the amount Of S35,000 against William Loeb, Secre- tary to President Roosevelt; former Postmaster-General Wynne and J. Martin Miller.
 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 PIatt Of New York. These letters. she says, in her charges, formed the basis for the manuscript of a book, the manuscript for which she had completed and for the publication of which she had con- tracted with a publisher. Miss Wood alleges that former Postmaster-Gen- eral Wynne met her in hotel in Wash ington, where he detained her two days and by threats and force took from her the alleged love letters. She says MT. wynne was accompanied by two gen. tlemen, one of whom gave his name as Hummel.
 The charges filed name first Robert J. Wynne, Consul-G General to London; William Loeb. Secretary to President Roosevelt. and J. Martin Miller, Consul at Al Ia Chapelle, Germany, alleging that the defendants had conspired to obtain possession and did obtain pos session of a book which she was com piling under the title "The Love Let ters of a Boss," which letters, Miss Wood alleges, were written her by United States Senator Thomas c. Platt. The petition in part follows:
 Second-That beginning about May 1, 1908, plaintiff had prepared as literary
 production and for publication man.
 uscript entitled "The Love Letters of
 Boss" which manuscript was largely
 made up from actual letters received
 by this plaintiff from a very prominent man in the United States Senate (Sen- ator T. c. Platt, 71 years of age) and who pretended to be desperately in
 love with this plaintiff
 Third-That plaintiff had been en-
 gagged to marry said prominent elderly
 man and had received attentions from
 him which could only be excused on
 the ground of such engagement; that
 because of the conduct of said suitor
 the said engagement was about to be cancelled on April 15, 1903. That for
 the purpose of trying to make an i'm
 dependent living in literary field and as compensation for her humiliations
 and prosecutions she had been subject
 to, she determined to utilize such un-
 fortunate and disagreeable experiences
 and publish the said book containing
 verbatim paragraph after paragraph of
 the silly love expressions contained in
 said letters which were mixed with po-
 litical animosities and news. Said
 manuscript also be prepared with an
 actual account of the replies thereto
 as near as 1t was possible for this
 plaintiff to remember.
 Fourth-That said defendants ob- taining knowledge of plaintiffs inten- tion to get out such book, conspired with each other and the author of said original letters or with political ene- mics of said author of said letters to get possession of the manuscripts and the said original letters by any means possible and by illegal means if nec- essary. 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 or not to do cer- tain things.
 Fifth-That J. Martin Miller, who in reality was a detective, was engaged by the defendants herein named to rep resent himself to plaintiff as an author and publisher and solicit the manu- script for said book together with contract to publish the same under his own name through publishers or friends in Philadelphia That this plaintiff fin- ally consented to enter into a publl cation contract with the said Miller for the publication of said book The Love Letters of a Boss" and surrendered the manuscript for said purpose of pub lication as aforesaid, and for no other purpose. That the said Miller at the time of procuring said manuscript bor- rowed of this plaintiff $25 for expenses while in Philadelphia to superintend the publication of said book.
 Ak.l vI.E1z her way to visit a sick relative she was decoyed by Miller to New York for the ostensible purpose of reading proofs of the story. She alleges that no proof was forthcoming when she arrived, but that Miller by intimation and otherwise threatening caused her to give up for a time her pursuit for the proofs. She says that Miller dis played a secret badge and demanded that she turn over letters written her by Senator Platt and Lillian T. Jane- way. Fearing disgrace. she says, both to her family and to herself, she went to the New York Life building, ac- by Miller and three other gentlemen, and delivered the letters and other papers to a man who repre- sented himself to be H. M. Hummel.
 Miss Wood recites threats of injunc- tions and other actions against her and the publisher with whom Sno ndu con tracted to print the book and says that she was detained forcibIy at hotel for two days. She says that Miller per- secuted her during the two days and finally forced her to sign papers which ourported to be two receipts for $10,- 100 each and attached to affidaVits re- citing that she would not reveal any thing that transpired and would not in any way communicate with the parties to the transaction.
 For all of which Miss Wood says she had been damaged to the extent of $35, ,O00 and asks the court to render her a Judgment to that amount
 The charges do not say how Secre- tary Loeb and other defendants are with the case. Miss Wood in a statement given out in connection with the case says she brought the suit in omaha, which Is the home of her friends, and that she will secure ser vice on Secretary Loeb when ne re- turns from the West. She also says that if he changes his route she will bring another suit in some other city.