St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-11
CALLED AN EMBEZZLEP
Peter Wiilwerth Accused of Mis-
appropriating Nearly $1,000.

The central police station held pris-
oner well known in business circles
yesterday. in the person of Peter Will
werth. Mr.. Willwerth has been known
in Minneapolis for good many years
as an extensive dealer in coopers' sup
plies. Still later he became secretary
and general manager of the Minneapo-
lis Blank Book and Paper Box Man u
featuring company. 1t is in connection
with the affairs of this company that
Willwerth is now In trouble.
The blank book company made an s.
signment the first of the month to John
II. Steele, of Steele Il Rees, attorneys.
1t is alleged that Mr.. Steele found some
thing suspicious about the books of the
concern. Anyhow, careful eXamina-
ton of them was begun. This eXamina-
ton eliminated yesterday in the arrest
of Willwerth on the charge of embeZzle-
ment from the Minneapolis Blank Book
and Paper Box Manufacturing COM
pany. +
1t is alleged that he took $1,000 at one
time and 1880 at another. Thomas c.
Cunningham is the other man inter
eSted most in the affairs of the company;
and he is the man who set on foot the
Investigation into the financial opera
tiOns of the concern. Horace Inman,
president of the American Box Machine
company, of New York. is among the
mourners by reason. of the difficulties in
which Willwerth's company has become
involved. His company sold the ma
chinery for the plant of Willwerth's
concern. That machine has been mort
gagged, it is said, for $500. That ex-
plains where that sum went to. Cum
ningham, Willwerth's partner, says that
Willwcrth told him that the money had
to be raised to pay off pressing claim
held by the Washington bank. 1t is
now said that there was no such claim,
at least that it was never paid.
There is another peculiar story told
in connection With tine affair. 1t may
be true and it may not. Cunningha m
says that Wiilwerth asked him to go
down cellar about month or SO ago
and shut of the water. AS he went
down he noticed that the door of the safe
was open, and that fur coat hung bv
the door. He closed the door and locked
it. When he came back few minutes
later man in fur coat stood in the
office. Cunningham asked what he
wanted. and the man replied by asking
il that was the store of Witte Bros :?
de was givetf the proper direction and
left. A few minutes later WillWerth
came IN and asked what mad become of
his fur coat. Cunningham told about
the man who had been in the Office. and
suggested that perhaps the fellow had
stolen it. Wiliwerth did not seem very
sorry. and declined TO report the loss to
the police. Cunningham did, and the
coat was recovered. The man who had
it, one John Davis was arrested and has
been sent to the penitentiary. Some
time afterwerd Willwerth mentioned
that there was Il good deal of money in
the safe and wondered if the man who
took the coat had also robbed the safe.
Cunningham told him that the safe had
been closed. 1t is said that Davis told
his attorney, G. A Duby, that he was
hired to rob the safe and that he was to
get the coat for his trouble. Cunning
ham has since discovered, so it is
claimed, that there was but little
money in the safe at the time and he is
now said to believe that the scheme was
to rob the safe and hide the books.
Willwerth was arraigned yesterday
afternoon. The examination was post
pOned for ten days. His bail was
placed at $1,000 and he found it in a
short time. He denies everything con-
nected with the charge. He says he
cannot conceive what the people who
swore out the warrant are driving at.