The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-11
TURNS BLACKMA|L
|. PLOT into TRAP
springs Il
Mrs. A. L. Booth Gives Phila-
deIphian "Hush Money" at
Peabody Hotel and Watch
Ing Detective Takes Him Y
Iail

Jdtls
wade Wilson, 20. philadelphia. Pa.
win appear in city court Monday an
ernoon to answer to a charge cE
blacknail on Mrs, Alva l. Booth.
sss Edith place, wife Of Alva L.
Booth, member of the North Main
street grocery firm Of Wales q
Booth. An additional charge OF lar
ceny also has been placed against
Wilson, with notation on the po-
lice docket to hold him for the gov
ernment on a misuse OF the mails
charge.
II Is alleged that Wilson attempted
10 blackmail Mrs. Booth Of $500. or
karat and one half blue white diA-
mond eardrop,~a and that he accepted
first payment OF $50 from her in q
Peabody hotel parlor Saturday aft
ernoon. But Mrs. Booth had ar
ranged with police TO have Detective
Sergeant Will Carpenter as q witt
ness to the payment, and 20 minutes
after Wilson accepted the $50 he was
behind the bars OF central police
headquarters.
The federal charge against Wilson
grows out of two letters written by
Wilson, in an effort to further his
alleged blackmail scheme. One let
| ter was written TO Mrs. Booth. while
she was q guest at the Langren ho-
! tel, Asheville, N. c., for two months
| this past summer. The second LETT
! ter was written to MIR. Booth, in
Memphis, and received last Satuf-
day.
Mrs. Booth declared that Wilson
approached her on Sept. IL, the day
she was leaving Asheville for home,
and that in an interview he demand-
ed $500 or one OF her diamond ear
drops 10 keep quietH He told her
that he was Pinkerton detective,
employed by her husband to shadow
her, and she says he endeavored to
make capital out OF a trip she took
Il to Charlotte, N. c.. with an army
officer and his wife. She refused
to pay Wilson anything. and caught
her train for Memphis. He tried
to rush me at the last minute int6
paying him money, when I had done
nothing wrong. and ! just wouldn't
fall for his game" Mrs. Booth de-
clared Monday.
Wilson next turned up with q let-i
ter to Booth. postmarked last Sat
urday. and received by Booth the
same day. The letter requested an
interview at the Peabody. Can you
get in touch with me Saturday? ]
have a matter of personal and cons
fidential nature TO TAX over with yotx
; It will be to your interest to hunf
me up." the letter read. II was
signed Wade Wilson. Room SAT-
and was written on Peabody sta
ttonery
When Mr.. Booth told Mrs. Booth
about the letter, she In turn told him
about the alleged blackmail attempt
and he advised her to consult local
police. With Detective Sergeant
Carpenter Mrs. Booth and Inspector
OF Detectives win Griffin planned the
trap for Wilson.
After his arrest. Wilson hinted at
spicy testimony" which he might
deliver in city court. Detectives say
they expect him to attempt to justify
his blackmail attempt through some
such medium. Mrs. Booth also said
Monday that she wouldn't be sur
prised il Wilson made some such att
tempt. But | have done nothing
wrong. have lived in Memphis all
OF my life, and / am not afraid OF
anything he might say. My reputa-
tion always has been above reproach.
The man merely tried to hold me up.
and wouldn't stand for it."
Tells Her Story.
Mrs. Booth Monday morning related
an account OF the entire affair with
Wilson, beginning at the time she
first saw him at the Langren hotel
| in Asheville.
II recall now that had seen him
about the hotel for some 10 days OF
so before Sept. II, the date on which
was TO leave for home" she said.
Il noticed him, and had classified him
in my mind by the term lounge liz
ard'--a type one frequently finds at
summer resort hotels. will be per-
{ fectly frank in relating all the cir
cumstances in the case to you.
J think l owe it to myself, and to my
friends to give my side of the case
/. in its entirety
Wilson, whom never had met,
S and never had seen becore / saw
7 him at the Asheville hotel. sent a
g bellboy TO me with a message that
G he would like TO meet me. / told
s fContinted on mage O. third column.l