New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-21
HER PUBLISHER ARRESTED
Mrs. Meriwether, Aged St.
Louis Author, Loses Civil Action
APPLIES TO POLICE COURT
Walter Neale Sent Her Threat
ening Letter, She Testifies-
He Is Paroled Until To. day.

Walter Neale, president of the Neale
Publishing Company, Union Square, whose
difficulties over book contract with Mrs.
Elizabeth Avery Meriwether we're aired
In the Supreme Court, Brooklyn, on Fri
day. was arrested yesterday, charged with
sending her n threatening letter, in viola
ton of Section 5j1 OF the Penal Code.
The warrant was issued by Magistrate
Barlow, with some reluctance, at the In
stance Of Deputy Assistant Dickinson Of
District Attorney Whitmans office.
Mr.. Neale, who is thirty-nine years old,
makes his home in Bay 2ith street Ben
sonhurst. Mrs. Meriwether, who was
born in 1892, is the widow Of Colonel Miner
Meriwether military aid 10 JEFFERSON
Davis when he was President of the Con-
federate States, and afterward lawyer
in st. Louis, where Mrs. Meriwether has
her home, at No. S7l6 Belmar Boulevard
She was represented in court yesterday
by her son, Lee Meriwether, an attorney
Of ST. Louis.
The letter, according TO the testimony
did not become part OF the evidence In the
Brooklyn trial, but Justice Kelly told the
aged writer she had grounds In 1t for
criminal procedure. II was, In part as
follows:
II. however, / shall find that in the
future you uttered one OFFENSIVE WON
90 ,t,,-N 40 fT1Gf nv V,
mediately, and without further notlnca.
ton to YOU ] shall undertake 10 proteC'
myself and my company against al hu.i
future attacks I'm the following manner
| shall print fifty thousand copies OF
booklet made up Of my letter 10 you OF
January -. 1911, a Photographic reproduG,
ton Of "A page Of your manuscript, sucr
az I enclose, marking the changes mace
such a page showing, as does the spec
men | enclose. ninety-One alterations OF
more. including words and phrases writ
ten in hy as: Photographic reproductions
of parts Of letters that we have received
of your late husband, OF your son anc
OF Yourself, reprints of parts OF the let
Ter that voI addressed TO one Of our au
thors when YOU found that you had peer
caught i'm the act and that you couid no
make a pal Of her; excerpts from the re
views of your book such as the cholc'
selection that / enclose TO you herewith
and also | shall publish other exhibits o.
a kind that | shall not mention now.
All these papers / can issue In DOCK
let at a small cost To my company, ait
these I shall circulate among the mem
bers OF the United Confederate veterans
the Daughters OF the Confederacy, an'
| like organizations, among authors, ant
among persons well known In st. Louis.
II the purpose Of your letters is 10 en-
deavor 20 get me 20 get my house U
relinquish it's rights under the contac
that relates 10 the book. then you fai
dsmally. / assure YOU. We shall no
rclinquish a single right under the con
tract; we shall not terminate that instru
ment until the time that we are required
/ 20 do so under its terms. No form o
backmail. attempted or perpetrated, ha
| ever succeeded In intimidating this com
pany or any Of It's officers.
Magistrate Barlow put the case owe
until this morning at $50 o'clock. tina
Mr.. Dickinson, who was not at cour
yesterday. might be present at the hear
ing. Mr. Ncale was then paroled in thu
custody OF his counsel, Almuth G. Van
diver
Mr. Nealc gave out a statement settini
| forth his side OF the case, which said tn
Neale Publishing Company was founde'
seventeen years ago, that IL was cor
poration consisting OF fifty-fve members
among whom were various persons OF dis
| tlnctiOn. 1t had been sued but once. ant
then by Mrs. Meriwether. and this cas-
was heard By Justice Kelly, in Brook
| Iyn. who dismissed the suit, on the groun'
that not particle Of evidence had beef
| introduced In support OF her allegations
| The book in question was entitled '"Th
| Sowing OF the Swords; or, The Soul o
the Sixties" by Hannah Parting, o
New England, edited by Elizabeth A
| Meriwether, and was a collection o