The Portland daily press., 1894-02-22
ERASTUS WYMAN In JAIL.
Accused Of Stealing Over 100000
From R. G. Dunn & Go.
FORGERY AND EMBEZZLEMENT
THE METHOD ALLEGED.


Promoter of Various Enterprises and
An Advocate of the Annexation of
Canada He Was Arrested in New
York Yesterday Afternoon and in
Tombs-Story As Told in the Complaint.
New York, February 21.-Erastus
Wyman, formerly manager for Il. u. Dun
&Co., mercantile agents, the builder OF
the Staten Island Rapid Transit railroad
and prominent advocate OF the annexa-
tion of Canada to the United States, was
arrested today charged with embezzle-
ments and forgeries amounting to 1923,
900. He was arraigned before Judge
Martin in cham bers in general sessions
and comm tilted to the Tombs in default
of $25, 900 bail. The arrest was made in
the afternoon at the office of Mr..
Wyman's son-in-law, Norman S. Weller,
in the Washington building on Broad
way, on warrant issued by Judge
Martin soon after the grand jury handed
down two indictments charging Wyman
with forgery in the second degree. Mr..
Wyman expressed some surprise at the
arrest and asked if there would be an
opportunity TO get bail. He said he
ought to have lawyer and would like
to be represented by counsel. Effort was
made by mis- friends to get bail late in
the afternoon without success. Neither
did Mr.. Wyman have counsel when he
was taken to the general sessions. The
complaint states: 1.-The association
known as r. 6 Dun & Co., with which
the defendant was connected during a
period covering the acts complained OF,
was formed January 1. 1889. Wyman had
lations with Mr.. Dun. Wyman was not
a partner of Mr.. Dun in the usual sense,
under the articles. of association. and he
had no right, title or interest in the
property and good will of the business
or the profits thereof. 1t was agreed that
he should reserve certain per centage
OF the profits, 1t was specially provided
that he should receive only such SUM for
salary for faithful service rendered, and
that the amount of the profit should
be the only basis for determining. the
amount of the salary. 1t was also pro-
vided in the articles of association that
he should not employ the name OF re-.
Dun & Co., except IN the regular ana
proper business of the said mercantile
agency, and he should not use the name
| of the association in issuing, making,
drawing or endorsing note, Dill OF
exchange, draft or other obligation ex-
| cept only in the end orsenlents OF such
| papers for the accounts of the assocla-
| tion. He had the right to sign the firm
| checks for firm purposes only. All Mr.
| Wyman's relations TO Mr.. Dun, who was
| the sole owner of the business were ex-
| pressed in these papers. MI. Wyman was
a salaried manager for Mr.. Dun, with
| such powers only as the contract gave
| him, and with the additional power to
draw checks. By various acts OF en-
| bezzlement, through misrepresentation,
| concealments and breaches of his agree
ment, misuse of the powers confided to
| hin and gross usurpation OF powers he
| succeeded during 1858. 1889, $780, 1891,
| 1892 and up to February 1888, in stealing
| from Mr.. Dun 1929, ,016.S0. That sum he
owes Mr.. Dun today.
| owed upwards of ten thousand dollars to
| E, w. Bullinger of this city Tor materials
| purchased. Wyman, being in urgent
straits for money, directed the cashier OF
| r. G. Dun & Co. to make out check to
| the order of Mr.. Billinger, and insead of
| transmitting it to him in part payment
| of the account, deliberately forged the
name of E. W Bullinger on the back of
the check and deposited it TO his own
! credit in his own bank. The account of
| Bullinger on the books of the firm was
debited with the check and in the usual
course of time, the firm paid Mr.. Bull.
niger the sum Mr.. Wyman appropriated.
Printing Press and Manufa cturing COM
pany $3.50 for printing presses On
January 20, 1898, Mr.. Wyman procured
| from the cashier OF R G. Dun & Co. a
check to the order of Ogden Brewer,
| treasurer of the Campbell company on
| the pretext that ne desired to pay the
account. He went to the Campbell COM
l hat r. N
| were short of funds and asked them
| whether they would like notes for the
\ account instead of cash. On Mr.. Brewer
acuuiescing, he made two notes covering
| the amount in his own name and de-
| livered them. He then forged the name
of Ogden Brewer on the back of the
| check, appropriating it. TIE firm sub
sequently paid the Campbell company
| the amount of the account.
Upon discovering some OF Wyman's
| crimes, Mr.. Dun on the 10th OF February,
| 1898, terminated the contract with Mr..
| Wyman and dismissed him from his
employ. He has never seen him since.
On learning that his crimes were de-
| tected, Wyman offered to transfer to
Mr. Dun certain real estate int erests on
| Staten Island of doubtful value. Mr..
Dun learning that Mr.. Wyman was in
i solvent refused to accept them or receive
any preference over other creditors.
Wyman maze a IOfmal dSSlS nHloHo LoA
| the benefit of his creditors. His assets
amounted to almost nothing. Mr.. Dun
did not submit proof of Wyman's crimes
| to the authorities when he first learned
! of them for several reasons. He was
moved by considerations of sympathy for
Mr.. Wyman's family, with whom he had
| been on terms of friendship for many
years, and the plteous appeals for mercy
| by Wyman made to him in a letter. Mr..
| Dun was led to believe by gross exagger-
| alton by Wyman of the value of Wyman' s
property on Staten island, and thought
to realize some ething for the creditors,
many of whom would suffer more severe
| Iy than Mr. Dun, although not SO large a
| sum. In view of the fraud practiced up
on them as well as upon himself and
| upon the conviction that man of
| Wvman's bad character ought not
| longer to be allowed to masquerade as
An honest man i'll this community, and
| as the adviser and eXhoruer of youth,
| and out of a sense of obligation to the
commercial world, he has decided that
his duty requires him to expose Wyman's
| conduct and hand him over to the
authorities that he may be dealt with as
the law requires.
There is 10 signature to the foregoina
| .,,,,,laint and IFS authOrS hin ic Grad it u