The record-union., 1894-02-22
ERASTUS WIMAN CHARGED WITH
NUMEROUS FORGBRIES
The Escape of Lion From His Cage
in Dime Museum at Chicago Gre
ates a Panic Among the Audience
Fortunately No One Was Seriously
Injured-A Dynamite Factory in
Pennsylvania Blown Up, With Fa-
faI Results.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.

serious charge fell like a thunderbolt on
the ears OF a multitude Of people who
heard the story tonight and no one was
more surprised than Wiman himself
Since severing his connection with the
r. 6. Dun agency Wiman has occupied d
pleasantly furnished Office in the Field
! building. is Broadway He was engaged
at his desk this afternoon when Detectives
/ Phil Reilly and on Gerichten walked
in. They had bench warrant for his
arrest already prepared, when tie Grand
Jury an hour earlier had found indict-
ments against the exking OF Staten
Island for forgery.
| Detective Reilly approached Wiman's
| desk and said: you are under arrest"
Winlan scarcely even glanced up. lie
turned very pale and motioned the de-
tactives not to alarm the clerks. This
was about o'clock. Nlman " AS asked
/ to accompany the detectives to the Dis
trict Attorneys office. lie put on his
coat without word and went with them.
No sooner were they beyond the eyes OF
the clerks than Wlman anXiOusly m
quired the specifications against him and
the nature OF tEe punishment attached to
each. Don't let this be made public"
q.
forgery?'
He was put in a cell in one of the regu-
lar sections Of the prison, and later posi-
lively refused to see newspaper men.
General Tracy, his counsel, called at the
Tombs about o'clock and was IN con-
sultatiOn with his client nearly an hour.
Later in the evening General Tracy, when
seen at his residence. said: II haven't
much to say about Wiman's arrest. DO
| l., Il tAI U
against him, and have decided not to begin
Investigations until tomorrow. l want
to see these charges, that they say are so
numerous"
When asked about the possibility of
Wiman's securing bail, Tracy replied:
'He will have to stay in the IombS until
Friday. Tomorrow will be holiday,
and | don't think we can procure bonds
until the following day"
one OF the charges against Wiman is
! forgery, the Endorsement Of =. W. Bull
hnger to a check lOr 5000 drawn TO Bul-
liuger's order by Z. O.. Dun x Co. The
other charge is forging the Endorsement
OF ogden Brewer to a check, also drawn
by K. q. Dun x Co.. for $3.50. The
checks were forged on January 10th ana
February 8, 1893.
Wiman was arrested by detectives from
the District Attorneys oilIce. The war
rants were executed at Wiman's Office.
He was perfectly cool and collected when
| the detectives placed him under arrest,
and at once proceeded with them to the
! District Attorneys Office. From thence
ne was taken before Judge MARITIME, in
the Chamber of General Sessions. He
was accompanied by his son-in-law, Nor
man s. Walker. Wiman said General b.
+. Tracy was his counsel, and he had
been in consultation with him nearly all
the afternoon, He was not prepared TO
give bail at once, and in default was taken
to the TOmDS.
The counts in the indictments relate to
forgery and uttering forged checks drawn
on the Second National Bank, where VII
man had no account. The offenSe is pun
ishable with not more than ten years Tor
each Indictment.
The action of District Attorney Fellows
in bringing the matter before the Grand
Jury was prompted by a letter addressed
to Colonel Fellows, and supposed to have
been written by eXDistrlct Attorney
| Delacey Nicholl. The letter states that
| Wyman was connected with X. G. Dun
| x Co. during the period covering the acts
! complained OF, and for many years prior
had business relations with Dun, but was
not a partner in the usual sense. The
letter saws: "And yet by various acts of
embezZlement through misrepresentation.
concealments, breaches OF agreement,
misuse OF powers contided TO him and
gross usurpaIion of powers with which
he was not trusted, he succeeded from
1855 up to February, 1893, in stealing
from Dun the enormous sum of $685.,
OILS 90'
The letter then details the cases selected
for the prosecution. In February, 1898,
r. @. Dun * Co. owed upwards OF $4,000
to +. W. Bullinger for material pur-
chased. On the 9th of February 1898
Wiman, being in urgent straits for money,
directed Dun's cashier to make out
check to Bullinger's order, and instead of
transmitting it to him in settlement of
the account, deliberately forged Bullin-
gers name on the back of the check and
deposited it to his own credit. 81 need
hardly say the acts of Wiman were
wholly without the knowledge of his as
sociates, and since then they paid TO
Bullinger the sum which Wiman, by
means of forgery, appropriated to his
own use."
The second case cited occurred on jan
uary 20, 1888. Dun q Co. owed the
Campbell Printing Press and Manufact-
uring Company $3.50 for printing
presses. Wiman procured from Dun's
cashier a check to the order of Ogden
Brewer, Treasurer of the Campbell Com
pany. on the preteXt that he desired to
pay the account. Ihereupon he went to
the Campbell Company, and telling them
that Dun y Co. were short of funds,
asked if they would like notes for
the account instead of cash. On \.
Brewers acquiescence, Wiman made two
notes in his own name covering the
amount, and delivered them to Brewer.
He then forged the name of Ogden
Brewer on the back of the check and APP
propriated it to his own use. These acts
were concealed from Dun and his associ-
ates, but on discovering them they paid
the Campbell Company the amount OF
their account, as they did Bullinger.
ON learning that his crimes were de-
tected, Wiman offered to transfer to Dun
certain real estate on Staten Island of
doubtful value, but Dun. learning that
Wiman was insolvent, refused to accept
or receive any preference over other
creditors Wiman thereupon made a
formal assignment but his assets
amounted to almost nothing. Dun did
not Immediately submit the proofs of
Wiman's crimes to the authorities, being
moved by sympathy for the latter's fam
ily, and by piteous appeals for mercy
which Wiman himself made to him.
Moreover, Dun had then no appreciation
of the extent of WIman's embezzlement
or the length of time he had abused the
trust reposed in him. A vast amount OF
labor was required to ascertain all the
irregularities, and the whole account was
not made.up until recently. Dun was led
to believe that it was possible to realize
something substantial for the general
creditors out OF Wiman's Staten Island
interests, but in view of the fraud prac-
ticed upon other creditors, and from