Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-03-01
WIMAN ARRESTED.
Late Manager of Dun's Agency
Arrested for Forgery.
LARGE SUN OF MONEY INVOLVED.
Two Indictments Against Him Pc rfectIy
Cool when Placed In the Tombs
Ball Not Glvon as

New York, Feb. o2-The news that
Erastus Wiman had been arrested on
serious charge fell like thunderbolt
on the ears of the multitude who heard
the story last night, and no one was
more surprised than Mr. Wiman him
self Since severing his connection
with the II. G. Dun agency, Mr.. Wiman
has occupied pleasantly furnished
office in the Field building at No.
Broadway. He was engaged at mis-
desk when Detective Sergeant Phil
Riley and Won Gerichten walked in.
They had bench warrant for his ar
rest which was already prepared when
the grand jury an hour earlier had
found two indictments against the ex-
king Of Staten Island for forgery.
Detective Riley approached Mr..
Wiman's desk and said: you are un-
der arrest"
Wiman scarcely even glanced up,
turned very pale and motioned the de-
tectives not to alarm the clerks. Mr..
Wiman was asked to accompany the
detectives to the district attorneys
office. He put on his coat without a
were they beyond the ears of the clerks
than Mr.. Wiman anxiously inquired
the specifica tions against him and
the nature OF the punishment attached
to each. Don't let this be made pub
lie, and what is the penalty for for
gery?" lie was put in cell of one of
the regular sections of the prison, and
later positively refused to see newspa-
per men. Gen. Tracey, his counsel,
called at the Tombs about q o'clock
and was in consultation with his client
for nearly an hour
Later in the evening Gen. Tracey,
when seen at his residence, said: II
have not much to say regarding Mr..
Wiman's arrest. | do not know defin-
itely the complaints against him, and
decided not to begin investigations un.
til tomorrow. l want to see these
charges that they say are SO numer-
GUS" When asked about the possibil-
| ity of Mr.. Wiman securing bail, Mr..
Tracey replied "He will have to stay
in the Tombs until Friday. To-mor-
row is a holiday, and don't think we
can get bail until the next day. We
will have 1t Friday though, and Mr.
One of the charges against Wiman Is
for forgery of an Endorsement of 4. w,
Bullinger to check for e., 900, which
was drawn TO Bullinger's order by II.
G. Dun & Co. The other charge is foH
forging the Endorsement of Ogden
Brewer to a check also drawn by r. @.
| Dun & Co. for So, $50. The checks were
forged respectively on January 30, 1893.
and February o, 1893 Wiman was ar
rested by detectives from the district
attorneys office The warrants were
executed at Wiman's office. He was
perfectly cool and collected when the
detectives placed him under arrest and
q he at once proceeded with them to the
district attorneys office, From thence
he was taken before Judge MARITIME in
chambers general sessions lie was
accompanied by his son-in-law, Nor
man S. Walker. Wiman said Gen. b.
/ f. Tracey was his counsel and that he
had been in consultation with him near
| " all afternoon. He was not, he said,
prepared to give bail ut once and in de-
fault he was taken to the Tombs.
The first intimation of the charges
was In the form of letter received at
the district attorneys office on Febru-
airy IA. This letter is said to have come
from Mr.. Dun's attorney, who is sup
posed to be ex-District Attorney De-
lancy Nicholl. The witnesses who
went before the grand jury were R
ID. Douglass, Il. W. Bullinger, Ogden
Brewer and the cashier of II. G. Dun q
Co The counts in the indictments re-
late to forgery, and the uttering of
forged checks, which were drawn on
the Second national bank when Wiman
had no account The offense is punish
able with not more than ten years for
each of the indictments
Investigation in financial circles in
this city by representative of the
press led TO the discovery OF what
might be a clew TO the present prose-
cution of Mr. Wiman One OF the
questions sought to be solved was why
Il whole year should have been allowed
to elapse, it was February, 1898, that
Wiman severed his connection with II.
G. Dun & Co., before the crime alleged
against him-if IL is a crime-was pros.
ecuted. This inquiry created a great
deal of interest. One reason is as fol-
lows:
hbphN "a AAphAi hEp my
cular was printed by some person I'M
known and industriously circulated
among prominent merchants of this
city. In fact everyone who was likely
to make use OF mercantile agencies re-
ceived one OF these circulars, In brief
the circular revealed many hitherto
very dimly understood facts in regard
to mercantile agencies and their
methods of doing business IL was n
revelation not of the most pleasing
character to agencies and created a
good deal of talk and bitter feeling.
Mr.. Wiman was promptly held respon-
sible for its authorship. II was argued
that very few men were so thoroughly
acquainted with the details of mercan-
tile agency business, and of the facts
published in the circular, as was Mr.
Wiman
Now, as a matter OF fact. Mr. WiInan,
his friends say, not ONLY did not write
the circular but was unaware of the
fact that it was published. Although
totally innocent of the authorship, the
credit of IL has ever since been laid
upon his shoulders, and IL is supposed
that X. G.. Dun g. Co. had ever since
felt embittered toward him on this &C