The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-06-14
THE TRIAL on WINAN.
Opening of the Defense in the Great
Forgery Trial,
w1MANs INTEREST IN THE FIRM.

]
Alone Was Responsible for the Success
OF the Mercantile Agsncy-The Case
May Reach the Jury Tonight
NEW YORK. June l4-In the third days
trial of Erastus Wiman for alleged forg-
cry several checks drawn by the defen-
! dant were presented in evidence and iden-
tilted by witnesses The letter of Mr. Wi
man ito Mr.. Dun, in which he confesses
that he signed the name of r. w. Bull
lnRer 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 Sl95, 900 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 a partner in the firm of
Dun & Co., and that as such, his actions
were strictly legal, "if at times somewhat
| roundabout"
Then Mr.. Boardman opened in his ad-
| dress to the jury H. prefaced his address
| by saying that it lay with the jury to de-
eide the manner of Mr. Wiman's guilt
| This must be shown beyond all peradven-
| ture, regardless of what views may be re
J tanned by the court or prosecution.
| Call this association what you will,
said Mr.. Boardman, 'it cannot be denied
that Mr. Wiman was the head and front
of the firm of r. G. Dun & Co., so far as
J the control of it's affairs was concerned.
| We concede that Mr.. Wiman signed the
name of Mr.. Bullinger to two checks, We
ooncede that Mr.. Wiman deposited these
checks to his own account in his own
bank. We concede the Indebtedness of
MIR. Wiman to the association.
1.-THE letter of confession" added Mr.,
Boardman, was admitted by us to show
| the relations of Mr.. Wiman toward Mr..
Dun.
"Mr. Wiman was the real power behind
the firm of r. G. Dun 81 Co. You have
seen the smooth and oily Mr.. Douglass on
the stand Gentlemen, / ask 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 $1,000 a 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 a detailed descrip-
tion of Mr. 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 Mr..
Boardman, "to show that Mr. Wiman
kept nothing from Mr.. Dun. That he was
at all times open and frank and truthful. 1"
Then Mr.. Boardman dilated upon what
he called the extraordinary character of
the prosecution in this case. "Would you
take by the hand a man like Mr.. Dun,
who gives to the public authorities a pa
per so sacred and confidential as this let
ter of July l, 1902
"The prosecution of Wiman dates back
to the year 1866, 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.. Wiman'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 apprised of the two Bullinger
checks. He was happy then, happy to
strike down the mainstay of the firm"
In closing Mr.. Boardman said, with
choked utterance: II would rather stand
before this bar charged with all that Mr..
Wiman is charged, with all that it inn
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 1000, then to SlO0OO to $3.50, 900,
and by successive jumps to MALI a 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 5000, 600 worth of real estate on
Staten Island at that time, and that he
regarded that as trust held by him
against any money he might owe r. G.
Dun 81 Co,
At this point General Tracy read let
ter written by Mr., Dun on Jan. 12, 1893, in
which Mr.. Dun states that he has heard
that Mr. Wiman is drawing too heavily
against his account. In this letter Mr.
! Dun restricts Mr. Wiman to $4,000 q
{ month.
After the reading of this letter court
was adjourned until today. The case will
! probably go to the jury tonight.
| urgad 20