New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-13
WEEkS'o ARREST DESIRED.
TRUST FUNDS IN Ills CARE MISSING.
HE Is THOUGHT TO DE IN oANADA-nE OWES
ABOUT A MILLION.

president, secretary and treasurer Of the West
superior Land and Improvement Company; the
head OF the West Superior Steel Company, the
West Superior Woollcn Company and the trustee
OF several estates. is wanted badly by number
| OF people. lie has not been seen since the day
he made personal assignment to X. W. g..
yelling, the lawyer. Of No. Wall-st., and was
derosed from the various positions that he held
| in connection with the Land and Improvement
Company. IL was said yesterday that he was
in Cuba, but some who pretended TO know best
where hc was declared that he was in Canada. A
Wall Street man who has been in correspondence
with him is reported as receiving a letter from
him dated few days ago at Plattsburg. This
would indicate that he was on his way to Canada
II is probable that il Mr.. Weeks were within the
jurisdiction OF the United States, and not hidden,
he would now be under arrest for misappropriating
the funds Of the West Superior Land and Improve
ment Company, and Of at least one estate of
which he was the trustee. District-Attorney
Nicol announced last night that he expected a
formal complaint against Weeks soon.
Mr. Weeks made personal assignment on
Monday May |. The assignment came at the
time when the new dire, of the Land and I'm
rrovement Company were holding "a meeting to re-
move him from the three Offices that he held and
panv. II three years since the stockholders
had seen statement of the cOmpdny's affai.s, and
they had begun to suspect that all was yot right
Previous to the time when Weeks ss3ared control
Of the majority of the stock, which he had
through the stock hell by himself and his friends,
the stockholders received dividends from the COM
pany. These ceased. however. soon after Weeks
and his friends began to manage things
To th,m ont of the way and turn tho fr,ira
Of the company over TO Others required an amend
ment 70 the act of Incorporation. The company
was chartered under the laws Of New-Jerspy. The
act of Incorporation provided for five directors
only. Mr.. Weeks controlled the Board of
Directors ard had himself elected TO the three
Offices ne held. William Nelson Cromwell, of
the law firm OF Sullivan * Cromwell. was on
ployed by tho stockholders 70 relieve the com
rany Of the head of il. To do this it was hcces-
sary that majority Of the directors should vote
to throw Weeks ont. Mr.. Cromwell went 10
Trenton and secured an amendment to the in
cooperating increasing the number Of direc tors
from five TO eleven
At the meeting Of the stockholders held on
May | an entirely new Board OF Directors was
chosen. The board Immediately met and selected
a new set of officers to take the places that
Weeks had filled Then examination Of the
books Of the West Superior Land and Improve
ment Company WAS begun II was conducted In
the office Of s. F.. Kilner, of the new directors,
in tho Equitable Building. The examination had
not gone far when il was found that Weeks was
behind IN his personal accounts with the company
to tn. sum Of 81 $4,000. little further along
il was discovered that "A president. secretary and
treasurer of the West Superior Land and lmpro'e-
ment Company he had loaned to tho West
NJ,
securities or collateral OF any sort could b. found
on which this large loan had been made.
Mr.. Cromwell, the attorney, did not wait for
any further disclosure but took the first train for
Wisconsin. On reaching West Superior. he filed
two attachments the property of the West
Superior Iron and Steel Company. The attach
mcnts cover the amount Of Weeks's obligations
TO the Land and Improvement Company the funds
of which he is now charged with having misap-
piled These two amounts make total OF Sjj0,-
900 that he il known 10 have taken without the
authority of the company. 1t is not expected
that there will be total loss. unless il is found
that he owes heavily on the properties which he
owns in West Superior. His interests there have
been reported as being worth from 100000 to
$4,000
Mr.. Cromwell returned from Wisconsin late on
Thursday night Yesterday il was difficult TO
get anything from him for publication in relation
70 his trip beyond the statement that as the at
torncy for tho company he had found II to be ab-
solntcly Necessary to take out the attachments.
When Mr. Cromwell was asked if criminal pro-
cecdinzs would he brought against Weeks, he hest
tated before replying. and then he merely sad
that il was question that he could not answW
II is known, however, that the present directors
of the West Superior Lend and Improvement Com
pany look upon the taking Of the funds OF the
company and the using Of them himself, or loaning
them to another company. az nothing short OF
cmbezzlemcnt They will insist upon the indlct-
ment and prosecution of Weeks on this ground in
case he can he captured.
The first legal proceedings against Weeks began
Yesterday. but they were of "A civil nature only.
They were brought in the Supreme Court -
have him removed as the trustee of one of the
estates that he has been managing. Upon the
petition of Mrs Cecc b Grifliths, Justice Patter
son, in the Supreme Court removed him from his
position as trustee of the estate of John Jacob
Astor Rristed. Weeks is charged with having
embezzcd so 900 from this estate. Mr.. Bristed
died in 1882 and by his viii directed that three
sevcnths Of the residue OF his estate shoul be held
in trust for Mrs. Grtths. the principal TO go TO
her issue at her death William Elcry Sedgwick
and Weeks were appointed executors and trustees
under the will Mr. Sedgwick died and Weeks
was left sole trustee. The share OF Mrs. Griffith
amounted TO 1925, 900. and Weeks was 10 pay her
the income regularly But Weeks had cveF
thing his own way, and Mrs. Grifith- says that
as she trusted ,him and did not know much about
business affairs she took what lie gave her ana
believed it to be all there was for her About
April 2s, Weeks suddenly disappeared. and she
has not seen him since that time MIS- Oriiliths
,ays that she does not know exactly how much OF
the estate Weeks ha- taken, az she Is ignorant OF
the exact income from it. but she Is sure that he
must have taken at least $4,000
Not satisfied with retaining this much OF her
money, Weeks, Mrs Griliths declares, on October
8, 1901, represented to her that she was indebted
10 him in the sum of $4,000. lie sent her
written statement TO that effect believing him
again she sold a house which she owned, on Octo-
Der /. 1892. and paid the sum TO him
The attachment was secured by Mr.. Beaman OF