The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-06-14
THE TRIAL OF WIMAN.
Opening ofthe Defense in the Great
Forgery Trial.
WIEAN's INTEREST IN THE FIRM.
The Defense Asserts That tho Prisoner
Alone Was Responsible for tho Success
of the Mercantile Agency-The Cnso
May Reach the Jury Tonight.

Ihe Defcnse Asserts That tho Prisoner
Alone Was ErsponsibIe for tho Success
of the Mercantile Ageney-The Cnso
May Reach the Jury Tonight.
New YORK, June 14-In the third days
trial of Erastus Wiman for alleged forg-
cry several checks drawn by the deffeu-
dant were presented in evidence and " IL
titled by witnesses. The letter of Mr.. Wi
man to Mr.. Dun, in which he coufesses
that he signed the name of Il. w. Bull
niger on the back of two checks of Dun's
firm was read. In the letter Mr.. Wiman
pleads for mercy on account of his wife
and children.
Then General Tracy arose and made the
usual motions for dismissal of the case.
This being denied he then moved that all
evidence touching upon the $l35, 600 check
be stricken out and in substance re-
quested the dismissal of the whole of the
first count Indictment. All this being
denied. he then opened by seeking to show
that Wiman was partner in the firm of
Dun g. Co., and that, ms such, his actions
were strictly legal, "if at times somewhat
rounda bout"
Then Mr.. Boardman opened in his ad-
dress to the jury. He prcfaced his address
by saying that it lay with the jury to de-
eide the manner of Mr.. Wimans guilt
This must be shown beyond all peradven-
ture, regardless of what views may be re-
tanned by the court or prosecution.
Call this association what you WILL"
said Mr.. Boardman, "iU cannot be denied
that MIR. Wiman was the head and front
of the firm of r. q. Dun g. Co., so far as
the control of its affairs was concerned.
We concede that MIR. Wiman signed the
name of Mr. Dullinger to two checks. We
concede that Mr.. Wiman deposited these
checks to his own account in his own
bnnk. We concede the Indebtedness of
Mr.. Wiman to the association.
"The letter of confession" added Mr.
Boardman, twas admitted by us to show
the relations of Mr. Wiman toward Mr..
Dun.
'Mr. Wiman was the real power behind
the firm OF II. G. Dun & Co You have
seen the smooth and oily Mr.. Douglass on
the stand. Gentlemen, Task you whether
he would ever be equal to running the af-
fairs of this prosperous concern. l ask
you how long it would take him to bring
the concerns profits up to half million
a year, more than 81 COO day, for Mr.
Dun, who never bothered himself about
the affairs of the concern, but let Mr. WI
man do it ALL"
Mr. Boardman gave detailed descrip-
ton of MIR. Wiman's Staten Island ven
lures, among them the acquisition of the
Staten Island ferries, into which Mr.. Dun
put 100000, 81 say this" went on MIR.
Boardman, ''to show that MIR Wiman
kept nothing from Mr.. Dun. Tint he was
at all times open and frank and truthful"
Then Mr.. Boardman dilated upon what
he called the extraordinary character of
the prosecution in this cnsc. "Would you
take by the hand man like Mr.. Dun,
who gives to the public authorities n pa
per so sacred and confidential as this let
ter of July l, 1902
1.-The prosecution of Wiman dates back
to the year ls66 when Mr.. Wiman came
on here to take the management of the
New York Office at the earnest wish of
Mr.. Dun. In order to make my meaning
clear it should be said that Mr.. Dun is
childless. Following the death of Mr.
Barlow, Mr.. Dun's partner, Mr.. Douglass
whose uncle had been one of the founders
of the commercial agency, thought that
he ought to take the place of his uncle.
Gentlemen, that man Douglass was
Mr.. Niman's arch enemy from the very
beginning. Mr.. Dun stood by Mr.. Wiman
through all at first, but you know CON
stant dripping Will wear away the largest
stone. Douglass' opportunity came when
he was apprsed of the two Bullinger
checks. lie was happy then. happy to
strike down the mainstay of the firm"
In closing Mr. Boardman said, with
choked utterance: ~ would rather stand
before this bar charged with all that Mr.
Wiman is charged, with all that it i'm
plies, than would stand in the shoes of
Mr.. Dun"
General Tracy then called the defendant
to the stand and asked him to tell the
jury in as brief manner as he could the
story of his life up to the present day Mr..
Wiman declared that during his time as
manager of the commercial agency the
firms profits increased from nothing at
first to $4,000, then to Si00,0O0 to $3.50, 900,
and by successive jumps to half n million,
which in round numbers was the net
profit of the agency when he was dropped
out of it.
Speaking to Mr.. Dun of his overdrafts,
witness had told him that he then owned
at least SG0o,000 worth of real estate on
Staten Island at that time and that he
regarded that as a trust held by him
against any money he might owe X. G.
Dun & Co.
AT this point General Tracy read let
ter written by Mr.. Dun on Jan. II, 1893, in
which MIR. Dun states that he has heard
that Mr.. Wiman is drawing too heavily
against his account. In this letter MIR.
Dun restricts Mr.. Wiman to $1,000 a
month,
After the reading of this letter court
was adjourned until today. The case will
probably go to the jury tonight.