Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-01-10
PRANK r. SHERMIN.
sosne Interesting Inside Facts About
His Meteeric Career-His Relations
to the MAXWELL Grant.
st. Paul Pioneer Press

St Paul Pioneer Press.
Frank f. Sherwin. who mas Just
been sentenced at Albany, n. Y, to
two years imprisonment in the peni-
tertiary, after brilliant but reckless
career, was the predecessor of Col
Hans Mattson. of Minneapolis, as
company. Col. Mattson was seen at
his residence last evening by Pho
neer Press reporter, and in response
to questions gave some details which
have not heretofore been made public
He said he knew Sherwin well, had seen
him frequently, and had had intimate
social as well as business relations
with him, having stayed at his house
six weeks He had been very much
surprised at the news that Sherwin
had been arraigned and sentenced,
and did not know how to account for
it, About three weeks ago Col. Matt
son was in the cast and saw Sherwin,
with a view to getting the matter
Strengthened out. An understanding
was arrived at between himself, Sher-
win and the district attorney, by
which it was agreed that the case
should epostponed until the January
term of court. and that upon the re
funding to the state of the missing
money Sherwin would be let off with
a fine The wherewithal to accom-
plsh this desired end was money due
Sherwin from the Maxwell company,
of which he had been, and Col. Matt
son now is, general manager. Sher-
win played sharp game with the
Maxwell people on severing his con-
nection with them, and placed them
under heavy obligations to him. He
succee ded in getting things pretty
much in his own hands, controlling
the vast interests of the concern, and
he had so aggravated the interested
parties by his course that the directors
were determined to Gust him at any
cost. He took advantage of their
desperation, and made outrageous de
maHdS as the condition of his giving
up the management The company
was TO assume all the debts, which
were not few nor small give him the
use of the Maxwell house, a palatial
residence at Cimarron, free of rent as
long as he wanted 1t, and pay him
quite a large SUM of money. Among
the debts referred to was that to the
state of New York, which is causing
him so much trouble. and has landed
him IN the penitentiary. Some years
ago lac opened a bank in New York
city, and, in course of his career in
this capacity, entered into negotiations
with deputy State Treasurer Phelps,
who furnished funds from the state
treasury, with which Sherwin
speculated and lost. Phelps was
detected, tried, and sentenced for fiji
teen years, but died before his term
expired Sherwin was snbppngd as
a witness in the trial, but failed to APP
pear. He was afterwards arrested IN
Chicago for contempt of court, and
& later in September last, he was con
frOnted in an Albany court by an af-
fidayit from Phelps to the effect that
SherWin received 1920, 600 Of the stol
en- funds He was prosecuted on an
indictment for embezzlemont and by
way of settlement paid half of the
amount and then made the arrange
ment referred to above to have the
d case postpone until he should be able
TO refund the remainder and pay the
fine. Col. mattsOn says he has been
( expecting every day to receive word
from the officers in Europe, giving the
authority to meet this obligation TO
Sherwin, and he was on the point of
starting for Europe in order to ar
range the matter and carry out the
& agreement. Now the news of Sher-
& WINS sudden sentence upsets all their
plans, and he is waiting impatently
81 for news from Albany and Europe
q Sherwin owned three thousand shares
in the Maxwell claim, and his de-
!, mands on retiring amounted to about
4 $500, 600. Upon assuming the man
agement of affairs Col MattsOn saw
Sherwin, talked matters over with
him freely and frankly, and induced
him TO reduce somewhat his eXorbi-
taut demands. The Colonel has al
ways been on good terms with his
predecessor, and wishes il understood
that he has nothing but kind feelings
toward him.
In regard TO Sherwius embezzle-
f ment of 500, 600 of the funds of the
Maxwell company, Col Maxwell de-
elined to speak in detail, simply say
ing that that matter had all been
y Strengthened out aud had nothing to
40 Will Ailt tttcc Ilb GVHSiubtA N0litI~
win siuguiarly brilliant and clever
man, and believes he has the ability
\ TO make him a Gould or Vanderbilt
if he had little more principal and a
y little better luck. One Of his great
faults is extravaganza; he is princely
in all his ideas. If he had only dol
lar in the world and was hungry, he
would not spend the dollar for sub
stantial food but would expend it for
cab to take him to a restaurant, and
go in debt for a sumptuous dinner,
which he would order. He would
never think of taking car, as that
would be too plebeian.
That's the kind Of man he is,
said Col. Mattson. He is now 43
years old has magnificent physique
and a head like Daniel Webster.
When at home he lives in royal elo-
gance. By his arrangement with the
company he occupies the splendid