Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-22
WIN IAN IN A CELL
The Staten Island Capitalist Not
Cast Down.
Why HE is In MURDERERS ROW
No Attempt Made Toiay to Get
Bail.
HE HAS NOTHING TO SAY

| NEW YORK. Feb. 22-The arrest Of
/ Erastus Wiman and his Imprisonment last
night, for want of bail, is a subject Of
/ general comment and wonderment today
In the business districts down town it was
| discussed during the early hours of the
| morning, to the exclusion of all other
matters. Few men were better known in
| financial and commercial circles in this
/ city. Indomitable perseverance, his eager
ness for hard work and his accomplish
/ ment of purpose, commendable and ad
mirable in themselves, had for many years
made him prominent figure in New York
state.
The shock of the announcement of his
arrest was, therefore, increased when it be-
/ came known that like common felon, he
had been locked up in cell in murderers'
row in the Tombs prison. This circum-
stance was regarded extraordinary, as
that section of the prison is used almost
! exclusively for condemned felons.
Warden Fallon explained the unusual
happening in this way: by placing MIR.
/ Wiman there l did not intend to subject
him to any indignity. The prison is very
/ much crowded at the present tme par
tieularly on the second and third tiers.
where persons against whom similar
charges are made are usually confined
/ two prisoners occupy the same cell.
! THE reason l placed Mr.. Wiman in No.
was that he would have cell to himself,
and as he came in SO late yesterday even
| ing, it was impossible TO place him else
where. If he remains here for any length
of time. he will be transferred to the first
! cell which becomes vacant on the second or
third tier"
There was early a large deputation of
reporters at the Tombs ready and anxious
| for the record of any expression from Mr..
/ Wiman. They sent note to Mr.. Wiman
asking him for some expression to the
! charges made against him.
| In response the prisoner sent the follow
| ing reply: Il would be very glad to do so,
but under the advice of Gen. Benjamin +.
| Tracy, my counsel. l will make no state
ment until my turn comes. l am sorry to
deny anything to newspaper men, but must
| adhere to that determine ton for the pres
| ent. When the ammunition of the moving
powers against me is exhausted, and their
| hired men are done arraigning and trying
Z me in the newspapers, II Will then be time
| for me to speak"
| Warden John Fallon, who has charge of
the Tombs prison. stated this morning that
| Mr.. Wiman had passed a good night. and
was bearing up bravely under the circum-
| stances
| The Question of BAIL.
About 10 o clock this morning Mr., Wiman
was visited by his son, Henry d. Wiman.
his son-in-law. Norman S. Walker jr. and
another gentleman, who gave his name as
| Mr.. Morrow They remained in consultation
until IL O. clock Mr. Wiman. jr., came out
of the prison and asked at the clerks desk
J for a bunch of keys belonging to his father.
/ AS soon as the bunch was handed to him he
singled out brass key and asked Mr.. Nor
row If that was the one which his father
mentioned
When asked by the reporters if his father
would procure bail today, young Wiman re-
piled:
Il don't think he will You see, this is
holiday, and l don't think that bail can be
=, procured legally
HAS your father engaged counsel, Mr.
Wiman?"
We'll. so far 1 know" replied the
young man, Gen. Tracy will defend him,
but he has not seen him since yesterday
| afternoon. My father seems to be bearing
up very WELL considering everything, and
efforts may be made tomorrow to procure
bail for him."
The three visitors refused to discuss the
case any further and left the prison to-
gether.
stated that none of the assistant district at
| torneys had been down today, but If bail
for Mr. Wiman was offered any judge of
court of record could accept it, 1t was
| thought that bondsman might be brought
by Mr.. Wimans lawyer before Judge Bar
rett, in the court of oyer and terminer. this
| morning, as the judge would be there on
! President Blaut's case, but up to noon
| neither Gen. Tracy or a bondsman put in an
. appearance in that court.
| 1t is said that Mr.. Wiman will find con-
siderable difficulty in procuring the neces-
sary bail. When arrested yesterday af
/ ternoon he took the matter quietly at first.
but then when the charge was explained
to him he took more serious view of it.
He asked the detectives to go with him to
the office of a Mr.. Kimball. on Broad
street, where he said, he might possibly
get bail. The detectives accompanied him
to the Office, where thew were met by
hon hayy Sad II I'M
Mr.. Wiman, as soon as he entered the
room, said: "Well, Joe, I'm arrested"
Arrested" replied Mr.. Kimball, in as
| tonishment.
Yes; I'm arrested" replied Mr.. wiman.
sadly.
Are you arrested for that?'"
"Yes," answered the prisoner; "for that
Can you go bail for me? The amount will
be S25 000.''
Il would gladly do so" replied Mr.. Kim
city or state. My property is all in YER
/ mont"
Astonishment at Toronto.
A Toronto dispatch says: News of Erastus
, Wiman's arrest was surprise to his many
/ friends in this city, and expressions of re-
gret were heard on all sides. Every one
who knows Mr.. Wiman has good word to
| say of him. He was regarded as a man of
great enterprise and was never suspected
of any wrongdoing. People here are conf
dent that any difficulties between him and
Mr. Dun will be satisfactorily adjusted. He
is a native of this city.
A Shock at His Home.
The arrest of Erastus Wiman was re-
! ceived with a shock on Staten Island his
home. The story was at first generally dis
I credited and newsboys who attempted to
sell papers giving accounts of the arrest
were put off the trains and were not al
/ lowed to sell the papers the streets.
| Mr.. Wiman has always been held IN high
esteem by nearly everybody on Staten Is
! land. Mrs. Wiman is nearly heartbroke en-
with grief over her husbands arrest, but
| she believes that he is innocent.
FIRE AT WATERBURY.