The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-13
WlMAN'S TRIAL BEGUN
ATTORNEY WELLMEN PRESENTS
THE CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION,
m Then Clerks for II. G.. Dun & Co.
and Edward w. BuIIinger, Whose
Name Was Forged, Testify.

III III PACo~ANCa NAO N0SN
for the prosecution at the opening of court.
After detailing the connection of Mr.. Wi
man with R. G. DIN & Co., first as man
ager of the Canadian branch and then of
the local department in this city. Mr.. Well
man went on TO state that Mr.. Wiman, on
Feb. 6, 1893. went to bookzeeper Wheeler,
of r. G. Dun & Co., asked him for a check
for 5000 payable to E. w. Bullinger; that
Bullinger never got the check. but that Wi
NAN deposited 1t in his own bank to his
own private account. 18th question in the
minds of the jurymen will be, did Mr.. Wi
man know that the signature of E. w.
B%ullinger was forged when he uttered the
check?" said Mr.. Wellman. I'VE can show
that he did. for the law allows US to show
that Mr.. Wiman uttered forged checks dur
ing the year previous. A year before he
uttered another Bulinger check Then he
uttered checks drawn TO the order of j.. NJ.
Fairbanks TO the amount of $4,000 and Sl6,-
OOO."
General Tracy interrupted at this point,
and requested that the court order the dis
trict attorney to confine himself to the case
In question. And as to that said the
General, 1--WE concede that Mr.. Wiman
wrote the name of Bullinger on the back of
this check and deposited 1T to his own ac-
count. Commercial law JUSTIFIED him in so
doing"
Justice Ingraham allowed General Tracy
to continue, cautioning the jury that they
must not consider VIA Mr.. Wellman said
to be evidence unless these facts should be
subsequently brougl forward as testimony.
Mr.. Wellman then went ON to explain
what motive Mr.. Wiman had in obtaining
such comparatively small amounts as
1000 by forgery, when he was receiving
from Dun & CO. $4,000 a year. 1t was
because, said Mr.. Wellman. he was at.
that time in arrears to r. G. Dun & Co.
TO the extent of $500 This was shown
by the investigation of the books for sew
eral years back. Then it was learned that
during these years Mr.. Wiman had been
in the habit of coming to the office before
anyone else, taking checks which arrived
by mall, indorsing them and putting them
In the bank to his personal account. When
at the close Of a year the bookkeeper told
him that he could not make the accounts
Of the business balance by S135,O0 Mr..
Wiman gave him a personal check for that
amount on a bank where he had money
mani told. him to do so. and thus 1t went
on for fourteen months. Mr.. Wiman's
worthless check covering on the books his
shortage of $135,O0.
TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES.
The first witness was James Harral,J
cashier for r. G.. Dun & Co. He identi--
fled the check in question and said that he,
made it under orders from Mr.. Wiman.
who had come to him and said that they
owed Bullinger some money and that he
had better draw a check for 5000. which
nc VIZ. ~ oASO iNCsitiiC NHC Sl6idlulC
on the back of the Bullinger checks as
that of Mr.. Wiman ~
On cross-examination General Tracy
tried to show that Mr.. Wiman had been in
the habit of drawing nearly all the checks
for the concern.
The next witness was Edward w. Bull
linger, the publisher of a railway guide.
relations with r. G. Dun & Co. had been
through Erastus Wiman. At the period
under consideration Mr.. Bullinger said the
G--,- ID ~ 1Ax- d 800 H. - nA
Mr.. Wellman handed Mr.. Bullinger the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. check and asked If the
signature. "W. w. B~ullinger," was his.
was not at all like his own. In answer to
Mr.. Wellman's questions the witness said
that he never authorized Mr.. Wiman to
use his name to any instrument.
Augustus II. Wheeler, a public account
ant, said that for seven years prior to Feb
ruary, 1893, he had beer bGokkeeper for
to know how Wiman's account with r. G..
Dun & Co. had stood on Dec. 81, 1893. Wit
ness said that there was a balance Of ST.
not found, however. until after Mr.. WI
mar had handed witness his check for
sl%,ON. This check Mr.. Wiman told the
$50. Witness said that according to the
books Mr.. Wiman had drawn the sum of
$l6.So7.6l between Jan. l and Feb. 6. 1893,
600.
General Tracy objected to nearly all the
questions asked DY MT. ellmdn, and asked
that they be stricken out on the ground
that Mr.. Wiman was a partner in the con-
Germ. The court refused.
The prosecution recalled Mr.. Bullinger.
He testified that he had not received the
money for either check drawn to his order
by r. G. Dun & Co. Mr.. Boardman then
read to the jury the letter previously iden-
Mr.. Wiman. 1t is dated July /, 1891, and is
addressed: Dear Mr.. Dun" In it Mr.. Wi
man confessed to feeling somewhat cha
Qrina1 AZ having caused Mr. Dim qru dis
pleasure because of his having overdrawn
his account $4,000 in two months. He de-
fidence. aud closes by saying that he had
already realized some $21.00 on Staten ISL
and real estate. and hopes to pay a large
portion OF the indebtedness before the ex-
piration of the month.
Cord Meyer was called after Mr.. Have
myer finished. He gave the committee lit
with Senator Smith on the subject of sugar,
and perhaps other Senator'S. He was
asked If the Sugar Trust or any of its
agents had employed and Senator or Rep
resentative as an attorney or in any other
capacity during the time the bill was pend
ing in either House, and he answered in
the negative. This question was put in sew.
eral forms. but each time answered the
same way.
him to deposit it. To the witnesses knowl-
edge the check had never been deposited.
Mr.. Wiman was in the firms debt 10 the
extent OF S24290.54. AT this time the Sl35, 900
check was still in the witnesses possession.
WiNnNSo "a hCNOA eOhd any OhC dpOub l4C
check.
General Tracy brought out the fact that
the sl35,00 check had been entered on the
books. The whole transaction. he said.
was perfectly open and above board. Any
one could Ia seen the whole thing by
locking over the books. There had been
absolutely no attempt at concealment made.
The witness said that Mr.. Dun never
looked at the books and Mr.. Wiman al
ways transacted all the business of the
firm When Mr.. Wellman asked witness
about his salary, with a view TO showing
that Wiman had secretly increased il from
$500 to 1850, General Tracy objected. and
was sustained. Witness, however. stated
that he was always under the impression
that IL was the firm that had given him
the increase of salary.
Edward Green, an expert accountant, en-
ployed by r. G.. Dun < CO., testified that
on March /, 1892. he started 10 make an ex-
Wellman wanted witness TO tell the amount
OF money due 10 r.. @. Dun & Co. from
Erastus Wiman and with which the latter
had not charged himself. General Tracy
objected and the court sustained the OBJ
lection, as the question was too general
Mr.. Wellman handed witness a check dated
Feb. 10. 1892. drawn by r. CT. Dun & Co. 10
l.. w. Bullinger. for 5000. and asked if the
same had been charged TO Wiman. Witness
replied in the negative. and gave the same
answer in reply to inquiries concerning
other checks drawn Oct. 6, 1892, by r. G.
Dun & Co. 10 the Campbell Printing Com.
pany for $1,000. and on Jan. 20, 1893, for So
Swifter than fire Is the progress of q
cough. Fight il from the start with Hale's