Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-10-01
Capture Of a Dofaultlng Bank President.


Silas M. Waite, defaulting President !
of the First National Bank Of Brattle-
boro, Vt, was arrested here to-day. by
w. II. II. Llewellyn and w. II. Shields,
special agents of the Department OF
Justice. Waite absconded about the
10th Of June last, and it was for some
time supposed that he had succeeded
in getting out of the country, and was
a fugitive in Europe. He had, 1t Is
claimed, uttered forged paper amount
ing to upward of S600,0O the result
being a flood of suits against the direct
ors, brought by stockholders. and ruin
to many poor people. 1t was believed
by many and by the directors that he
had taken large sum Of money with
him, how much could only be deter
mined by searching Investigation. The
forged paper included the Connecticut
River Railroad Company for about
$50, 900; Frederick Billings, 500, 900;
Trenor w. Park, S20,OOOi Lyon &
Healy, of Chicago, S20,0 900; Taunton
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, about $4,000; c. j.
Amidon, Hinsdale, $4,000; Vermilye
g. Co., New York, some $4,000, and
others.
How much of the paper was used by
Waite as collateral upon which he may
have raised large amounts for individu-
al use the directors were unable to say,
but Springfield and Boston banks were
victimized in this way. On June II the
directors of the bank offered a reward
of So, 1000 Tor the capture of the fugitive,
and in addition to the incentive thus
offered, the offense having been against
the United States as well as others, At
| torney- General Devens took active
measures for the detection of the alb
sconding banker, and has left no stone
unturned to effect his capture. 1t be-
| came known that he was still in the
United States. He fled by way Of Du-
luth TO the Winnipeg country, and at
one time the officers were only thirteen
miles behind him, and knew they were
on his track. He travelled under sever
al aliases, one of which was Knight, an
other Estelle, the latter being his wife's
maiden name. From Winnipeg he went
to Wyoming, and, it is said, was en-
gagged in locating large cattle ranch
there, which he had already began to
stock with fine cattle. A few weeks
AGO officers were hot on his trail at Ms
marck, and followed him up until Sum
day last, when he was definitely To-
Gated in this city, where he was stop
ping at the house Of a well-known citi-
zen, whose wife and his own are sisters.
Mr.. Shields had been for several days
stopping at the Canfeld House, and
his character and business here
were unknown to all. A days
delay was made to get the pa
pers all in shape, and this morning the
officers, after waiting until ten o'clock,
when his brother-in-law, Mr.. Truman
Buck, and family had gone to the fair,
proceeded to the residence of the latter
TO arrest their man. They took with
them Charles Sweezey, and posted him
at the alley at the rear, while they went
in the front way. Waite saw them
coming and ran out the back way and
down cellar, but, seeing that he was
discovered by Sweezey, who jumped
over the fence after him, he ran out
again and around to the front door,
where he brought up in the arms of the
officers. He made no further resist
ance, and was at once taken to the
County Jail He entreated the officers
to allow him to commit suicide, but
they were inexorable, and took from
him ANYTHING that could be used to
take his life, a knife and button-hook
, being all he had on his person. The
officers at once telegraphed the news
/ of their capture East, with information
, that large sum of money in bonds
4 and stocks was also recovered, or
would be, and asking what disposal
{ should be made of them. 1t is said
that 800, 900, telegraphed him within
, the past few days, are now lying in one
! of the banks in this city.
/, Shields left this evening with Waite
, for the East, via the Chicago q Rock
{ Island Road. This officer has had q
, long chase after the prisoner, and has
} done good work. Waite acknowledges
t his guilt, and says he will plead guilty
II to everything. In his flight he went tC
! Toronto, June 16; had his hair cu
/, there, thence to Detroit, Chicago, st
: Paul, Duluth, Brainard, Fargo, Yank
I ton, Omaha, thence 10 La Crosse
a Glendon, the Winnipeg co untry, ant
/, back to Omaha, and then back ant
II forth among Western cattle ranches
81 The cattle ranch which he now virtu
Il ally owns is located on the Niobrari
Z River, in northern Nebraska, and wa
bought in the name of another man ant
his own son, young Waite ODidh'
= (Sept. 2I) Special 10 Chicago Times.