The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-22
P AID S362,000
FOR 'PETT|NG'
WOMAN
ObwubUuU
Boston Merchant, SO, Accuses
Disbarred Lawyer of Extort-
ing Money From Him

CAMBRIDGE, Mass, May o.
Edmund D. Barbour, eighty.three
years old, suffering from heart dis
ease, infirm, and able to see only
a few feet, tottered to the witness
stand Of the Middlesex superior
court here and testified that he had
paid over to Daniel H. Coakley, DIS
barred Boston lawyer, $685., 900 in
cash, bonds and stocks for a pet.
ing" party he had In his office with
Mrs. Daley Barbour, a Boston
china merchant, told the court that
he has never been the same since
the occurrence-that his body be.
came infirm and his mentality was
shaken.
Coakley and William J. CorcOran,
former district attorney of the coun.
ty, are on trial on indictments for
conspiracy to extort money from
Barbour and others by means Of
threats from 1914 to the present.
Coakley Is conducting his own de-
tense.
Describes the Incident.
The incident, according to the wit.
ness, occurred in 1916. Barbour
said that he had known Mrs.
Daley" for ten years previous to
that. On one day In July, 1915. he
testified, she came to his office for
money. while she was there ne
said. II embraced her and we had
a petting party-just a petting
party, your honor, and nothing else. :"
Suddenly, the witness explained,
ne heard a noise over the transom
and saw the head of a man, who
claimed that he was a policeman.
Il was all excited and didn't know
what to do. But while the man was
stu In my office Mrs. Daley made
the suggestion, which I accepted, to
go see Mr.. Coakley, who would be
able. no doubt, to straighten the
matter out"
Barbour testified that when he
reached Coakleys office two hours
later he found not only Coaklev
and Mrs. Daley" there, but a man
who said he was Mrs. Daley's nus.
band. told Mr.. Coakley the whole
story and he said that should re.
turn at a later date and he would
then be able to tell me more def.
nitely what he could do for me-"
the witness added.
$4,000 First Demand.
Barbour said that at the next con.
ference Coakley professed to have
found out through Corcoran. who is
now under q five.year sentence on
otner biackmail charges, that there
was certain man who had a
gruoge against him and had spent
$o.OOU TO get the goods on him.
The witness said that when he of.
fered to reimburse the mysterious
sleuth FOR the money he had laid
out he was told by Coakley that he
would have to pay SIS, 000-not S..
OOO---to appease the unidentified de.
tective.
Barbour testified that he maid
this and thought the matter was
closed, but several days later he
got a bill from Coakley for sos. 900
as counsel fee for Corcoran. who
1t was alleged, had induced the
mysterious man to take the SIS 600
He questioned this bill, he said. hut
paid 1t on Coakley's assurance th0t
1t was "all right
Several months later, according
to the witness, the woman in the
case, whom he referred to as a
Mrs. Daley" said that she wanted
something for her injuries. Bar.
bour testified that he went at once
to Coakley.
when I got through Coaklev
told me that it was a pretty serious
matter and that ] would have to
give the woman money too" he
said.
by the time that he got through
paying "resentful, but unidentified
lawyers" and "the
injured woman" Barbour testified
that he had expended S362 600
This amount, he said. he delivered
to Coakley in cash, stocks and