The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-10
THE MYSTERY OF
THOMAS MERITHEW.
toriginal.1

eU large bulnS III cudrlty anu Oh hio |
church. He had never been In busi-
ness, nor had It been necessary for
him to earn money, for he had inher-
tied fortune, which grew steadily
while in his possession. Since he left
no children, his wife inherited all his
property. A few years after his death
the wife died, and the estate passed
into the possession of Merithew lnger-
soil, his nephew.
During Thomas Merithew's life there
were whisperlngs concerning him. 1t
was said that lie did not live happily
with his wife and that he would fire.
quently go away from her; that when
he did so no one knew where he went;
that at such times instead of being
model of probity he led wild life.
But there was II discrepancy in these
reports, for If no one knew where he
went how could it be known that he
lived a wild life?
Ten years after his death his former
friends and acquaintances were aston
lshed to read In a newspaper that
young man living in New York city
had put In claim for the Merlthew
fortune. This person had been brought
up under the name of Edward Coyle,
but claimed the name of Edward Meri-
thew, asserting that he was a leglti-
mate son of Thomas Merithew, that
his mother had been married TO Merl-
thew prior to the latter's marriage TO
his acknowledged wife and that as the
sole surviving heir he was entitled to
all of his fathers property.
| The case proved intensely interesting
| to both those who knew the Merithews
and to the public generally. AS soon
as 1t was begun the rumors that had
| been circulated during Thomas Meri-
thew's life took shape. Leonard Grif-
| fin, Buffalonian, testified that he had
had speaking acquaintance with Meri-
| thew: that on one occasion while visit
ing New York he had met Merthew on
| Wall street, had bowed TO him. and
| Merithew passed on without noticing
him. Wondering II he could be mis-
taken In his man, he followed him and
saw him go into an Office. Merlthew
soon came out, and Griffin, going in,
asked who the man was. He was told
that he was William COyle. ostensibly
Il bond broker. but really a speculative
Investor.
Another witness, Putnam Palmer,
testified that In q restaurant in New
York he had seen Il man he supposed
to be Merithew. Merithew was with a
woman and boy. Palmer looked al
Merithew, who returned his gaze with.
out recognition. Upon inquiry at the
desk he was informed that the man
often dined there with the woman and
the boy, who were understood to be his
wife and son.
Leonard Anderson testified that Meri
thew had told him that there was a
man in New York who so closely re
sembled him that the two men were
often mistaken for each other. Counse
for defendant before the trial came OF
had endeavored to find this double. HC
traced him up to date not far from
that Of Merlthew's death; then the dou
BILE suddenly disappeared. He alsC
searched for the wife and son. bu
/ could find no trace of them. The at
torney made strong point Of the fac
that they had made no claim to Merl
thew's fortune at the time of his de
cease.
Witnesses were produced who knew
Thomas Coyle of New York, and the.
one and all testified that he was not
man of good character 10y any means
: He was known TO have been intereste,
In the organization of spurious corpo
[ rations, from which he invariably re
tired with the money the credulou
investors.
There would have been no case at al
for the claimant had it not been TO
Thomas Merithew's frequent disap
2 pearances. Counsel for the defens
d made every effort to fix the place o
places to which he went during one o
I more of his absences from home. bu
. failed. The moment he left Buffalo h
: seemed to have passed out of exist
ence. IngersOll. the defendant, raj
sacked his aunts letters, hunting fo
one from her husband written durin
= one OF these periods, but found non
I to prove that he was not In New York
w utu lilc lllul WIS NOuCluutl an
the jury returned to the room to nj
D nounce verdict 1t was found tina
$ there was no agreement Six juror
+ were for the plaintiff and six for tn
Q defendant. OF course there was Il ne'
Y trial. New evidence adduced at thl
/ trial was mention by Mrs. Thomu
t Merlthew in letter to her husband c
n former marriage of her husband. br
i when Merlthew had come to Buffal
$ many years before he gave out that b
t had married at nineteen and his VIII
y had died. An acquaintance of Mr.
$ Coyle testified that she was not a
d educated woman and must have bee
J. few years older than her husban,
e The claimant stated that she had die
very soon after the death of Thomu
Merlthew.
The second trial resulted like III
r first. without a verdict. though ten ,
% the twelve jurymen We're in favor {
l. the plaintiff After this second tri,
4. the plaintiff withdrew his claim. II
J. afterward lived in comfort under II
Y. name of C0yle. 1t was supposed thi
l. the case had been settled out of court