Edward A. Wickham war contract suit, 1923-4
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Article concerning the war contract suit against
E. A. Wickham
1923-24


Edward A. Wickham was the son of James Wickham and his first wife Mary Lacy. He married Mary C. Farrell of Mason City, Iowa. Like his father and other members of his family, Edward was a very successful businessman in the Council Bluffs, Iowa area, involved in contracting and banking. He suffered a psychological breakdown at some point between these two articles, and committed suicide about two months after the second one in March 1925, leaving behind his 15 year old son. His wife had died on December 26, 1924 from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Related Items:
Pictures of their home at 829 2nd Ave, Council Bluffs.
Articles concerning the car accident which caused his wife's death.
Articles concerning Edward's suicide two months later.
Picture of Edward A. and Mary's tombstone.
Obituary for his son, Bernard J.


Davenport Democrat and Leader (Davenport, Iowa)
Thursday, 11 January 1923, p. 2


SUES CONTRACTORS
FOR THE AVIATION
FIELD FOR BIG SUM
By The Associated Press
      Council Bluffs, Ia., Jan. 11.-- L. W. Drennan, W. D. Jamieson and J. J. Doty, well-known Iowa Democrats, today filed suit in federal district court here for $217,000 1 damages, alleging breach of contract, against Ed. A. Wickham, Council Bluffs contractor, who built the balloon school at Omaha and the Memphis aviation field for the government.
      The petition filed by John Denison of Des Moines recites that the plaintiff's having advance information in the year 1917 of contract to be let by the government notified Wickham and thru their influence aided him in obtaining the contracts on an agreement that he was to give them 50 per cent of the profits.
      J. W. Reynolds, former Democratic state chairman of Iowa, is named in the petition as another who aided Wickham in obtaining the contracts. Jamieson formerly was Democratic national treasurer. He formerly resided in Shenandoah, but in recent years has made his home in Washington.
      The plaintiffs allege that Wickham made a profit of $145,000 in the construction of the $2,000,000 balloon school at Fort Omaha and $216,000 in the building of the plane school at Memphis.
      Wickham denied to newspaper men that he had an agreement with the men bringing the suit. He said that the only one he ever met in Washington was Jamieson and that their meeting was informal.


1 In 1923, $217,000 had about the same "purchasing power" as $2,563,000 does today (2006).



Iowa City Press-Citizen (Iowa City, Iowa)
Tuesday, 30 December 1924, p. 1

SEEK TO HALT
WICKHAM SUIT
Object to Taking Testimony
On War Contracts; Wickham
In Serious State
(By Associated Press)
      COUNCIL BLUFFS Ia, Dec. 30--Objection to the taking of depositions in Des Moines today in connection with the $217,000 war contract suit against E. . Wickham, was filed by the latter's attorneys.
      Not only do they object to the taking of testimony in this manner this term, but also next term, due to the seriousness of Mr. Wickham's condition following the fatal crash which claimed the life of his wife and a nurse.
      In the event the objection is overruled, depositions will be taken from L. W. Drennan of Des Moines, James J. Doty of Shenandoah, who with W. L. Jamieson of Washington, D. C., are suing Wickham for alleged shares in the war work; J. J. Hughes, formerly of this city, and J. W. Reynolds.
      Judge Wheeler recently granted a continuance in the suit because of Mr. Wickham's illness following a mental breakdown.

Transcribed by Erica DeCoursey
2007