The sun., 1905-12-05
LEWIS JARVIS TRIAL STARTS.
DEFENCE TO BE THAT NO STATED
SUM WAS DEMANDED.

Hence Wlckes's Counsel VIII Argue There
Can BE No Blackmail-Weston on the
stand-Prosecutien May Get Its Case
In To-day-Nrs. Wickes n Factor in Case.
The trial Of Thomas Parmalee wickes
on the charge Of blackmail In writing let
ters signed Lewis Jarvis to Commodore
Edward Weston Of Newark was begun
yesterday in the Supreme Court, Criminal
Branch. Justice Watson NJ Rogers Of
Watertown is the Judge, and 1t Is the first
criminal trial that he has had here.
Considerable progress was made yester-
day After the jury had been drawn which
took an Unexpectedly short time, Commo-
dore Weston was examined. He will be
oross-examined to-day. 1t Is probable
that the prosecution may get It's case in
to-day.
It is not known how long the defence
will take but an effort will be made to con-
vince the jury on the law that as no specific
sum Of money was named in any Of the
Lewis Jarvis" letters-four Of them were
introduced yesterday-Commodore Weston
couldn't have been blackmailed.
Wickes's wife, a good looking young
woman, sat next to him all day. She was
dressed in black and wore a black veil.
Wickes wore a neat business suit and his
hair and beard were as neatly trimmed as
ever While the talesmen were being ex-
amined Mrs. Wickes showed her approval
or dsproval of some of the talesmen, and
her likes and dislikes were respected.
Delos McCurdy and Job Hedges repre-
sented Wickes. Assistant District httor-
ney Rand, assisted by Mr.. Vandiver, prose-
cuted. The court room was crowded most
of the day. Wickes seemed amused
good part Of the time. He has been in
sanatorium in the Adirondac ks rec emily
but his lawyers said yesterday that his
sanity would not enter into the defence.
In his opening Mr.. Rand rehearsed the
case as it has been printed, and read the
letters which we're made public at the time
the Commodore might be prosecuted for
perjury as the result of the suit of ID. A. z.
Grinnell against him.
MIR. Rand said he would prove that WiCkes
was Jarvis and Jarvis Wickes. Counsel
for the defendant admitted that Wickes
wrote the letters At some of theFeferences
in the letters to james W. Osborne's law
firm, which represented Commodore Weston
In the suit for $50 900 brought by DR.. Grinnell
after his arrest on the identifC alton of
Commodore Weston, there was a laugh.
Mr.. Osborne sat in court and thought it
was a good joke.
Wickes was counsel for DR.. Grinnell in
the suit. He is said to be distantly related
to Dr. Grinnell, and Lewis Jarvis advised
Commodore Weston to settle the suit
when it came up for trial fourth time,
after one jury had awarded DR.. Grinnell
was reduced to siO 600 by the Judge ''N
Commodore Weston was the first wit
pess. He is an inventor. Commodore
Weston said he was a doctor of science and
once a commodore, Mr.; Rand wanted
or commodore. "Oh, l guess we'll just
call you plain mister" decided Mr.. Rand.
All the letters were read to Commodore
Weston and he identified them, Then he
said he wrote a letter from Palm Beach,
Fla, to Lewis Jarvis suggesting an
appointment. He said he got reply to
the letter, but it wasn't signed Lewis
Jarvis" There was a postscript to the
letter. signed Charles Dawson, and which
said that "Mr. Jarvis was busy and had
to skip away.