Grand Rapids herald., 1893-11-02
HE'S A SLEEK THIEF
Francis n. Weeks Who Stole
Over 100000
RETURNS FROM COSTA RIGA
He WIN Plead Guilty 10 the Charge
OF E@bs.ziemsas "a He Lodged
Asstnss Hln-

New osLEAsA Nov. l-Franeis II.
Weeks. the New York embezzler. whose
def4lcation. fight and battle against ex.
tradition have - excited public inter.
est arrived IN this city at o'clock this
morning on the steamer FoxhalI from
Costa Rica Even the crew when dis
embarking were submitted 10 = rivid
examination and were compelled 10
prove identity in order 30 avoid the pos
sioiiity Of Weeks escape. The captain
manifested this caution because Weeks
Was still In his charge. not having been
turned over to Detective Reilly, who &C.
companied him from Port Iimon. II
seems that the government Of Costa
kica. instead Of giving Weeks into the
custody Of Reilly. turned him over to
Capt George Leslie OF the Foxhall. who
gave receipt for him. At 9 o'clock
THIS morning Captain Leslie turned
weeks over 10 Detective Reilly, who win
take him To New York by the evening
train via the Louisville 4 Nashville
road
Weeks Embezzled 81 500. 600.
The embezzlements charged 10 weeks
aggregate tl 10000. He always had a
genius for large operations. and his
downfall has been correspondinrly
welghty and disastrous A land com
pany located at West Superior. Wiscou
sin. and called the West Superior Land
and improvement company, was the
theatre OF his first big operations. When
weeks became president the company,
on capital OF t75000 was developing
rapidly. aud last April its value was esti.
mated at sli,OOo.000. Later Weeks be.
came treasurer OF the company also.
and having thus gained complete con.
V4of its affairs he started the West
superior Iron aud Steel company with
capital OF s3,500000. The iron and
steel company lost money steadily. but
Weeks kept pouring the improvement
companys funds into IL until he had
used up between s5oo000 and s6O0,OO0
Stockholders Suspicious
Last February the stockholders OF the
improvement company became suspic-
ious and asked for lot OF embarrassing
explanations. Those which Weeks OF.
fered were not at all satisfactory. ana
upon investigation they found enough
evidence OF rascality to make them anx-
ious to get rid OF Weeks aud count M
what was left Weeks was deposed and
a reorganization effected. The stock
and plant OF the land and improvement
company and Weeks interest therein
were attached for s55O,OO0. which was
estimated TO be the amount which he
had taken from the treasury OF the Land
and River Improvement company.
New York people with money /.
who had been intrusting IL TO him with
out question. began to keep clear OF him
and toinvestigato 10 on their own accounts.
Weeks. knowing that the full measure
Oh his stealings must soon be disclosed.
took seven trunksand. accompanied by
Mrs. Weeks. disappeared.
Robbed His Clients
The other and most disreputable fea.
fure OF bis crimes. however. was yet to
be revealed. This came out ON Nav IL. |
when on application An order was is- |
'ued removing him as trustee from an /
state In which one OF his wealthiest
'lients. Ceciie Bristed Griffith, had a life /
interest. The lawyers who made tho
APPLICATION SAID they could find no trace
i s3l3Os2 In which their client had
ife interest and that Weeks had appar.
Aoy Act fosd <tf.oSO INTEREST que ana
Ilso cheated her out OF $4,000, alleging
his sum was due himself for legal ser.
ices and disbursements After thor
ugh investigation il was found that the
aggregate OF funds which had been in.
rusted to Weeks which had subse-
uently disappeared reached the extra
rdinary total OF nearly a million and a
Ialf.
Fought His Extradition.
Weeks WAS arrested in San Jose Sep
ember Ia and the legal process neces-
AIRY TO get him back to the United
'tates has been IN operation ever since.
Weeks 10 = man OF great resource and
unning. aud with plenty Of money he
as been able to fight the extradition
roceedings with considerable effect.
nd TO give the authorities of New York.
Iho were after him. great deal Of
rouble. The fact that no eIfradition
reaty exists between this country and
'osta Rica further complicated matters.
nd u was only through the courtesy Of
he Central American republic that the
ificers of this government finally sue
eeded IN getting him away.