New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-26
DEFENDING MR.. WIMAN.
A. u. BoARpMAN. HIS COUNSEL, MAKES
4 PUBLIC STATEMENT.
RELATIONS OF THE INDICTED MAN WITH THE
FIRM or r. O. Dun Oo' EAFLAlNED-
AN ARRANGEMENT OF HIS ENEMIES
FOR UNFAIR TREATMENT.


OF Mr.. Wlman's case 10 reporter
"R c. Dun e. Co. employed Mr.. Nco as coun-
sci He prepared careful statement OF the case
for the press / have great respect lot MI '!ool'
and have no doubt he believes his statement 81 lactS
correct. But II was inaccurate IN many Things II
did state and incomplete in that 1t ala not state a
number Of most important ana material lac;s. Inc
fundamental difference between Mr.. Wmans enc
mics and his friends Is that the former take no ac-
count OF the business relations between MI. W imam
on the one hand and the firm ~ Dun u CO., Mt
Dun individually, and the drawees OF these cheeks
the other hand.
ANY one would suppose, on reading Mr.. Nco,'s
statement that Mr. Wimln was cashier or book
keeper Of II q Dun Il CO.. and that ne had no in
dviIua business relations Of any kind. either with
Mr. Dun or with the parties In whose favor the
checks were drawn. The fact IS that for years
Mr.. Wiman has not only been member OF the
firm Of Il. g. Dun & CO., but in the conduct OF the
business he has been the responsible head ~ the
concern do not suppose that Mr.. Dun has spent
rs many hours in his Ncw-Yorh Office during the
last ten years as he has AZ his summer home at
Narraglnsett Pier. suppose I" per cent OF all
the checks drawn by II. q. Dun CO. during that
period have been signed by Mr. Wman. Probably
Mr. Wiman has made the same percentage OF
all Of the firms important contracts
Again. No reference is made in Mr.. NlcolIs
statement regarding the business relations between
have for many years acted rs Mr.. Wiman's private
counsel. and am familiar VISA al mis- importan.
outside business ventures. | cannot recall single
one in which Mr. Dun WIS not interested ana IN
some Of them his Interests we're larger than that
OF Mr.. Wman. Mr.. Dun LEFT the management of
everything in his hands and their relations in these
outside matters have been fast and loose as such
relations are between brothers or persons VINO
have the utmost confidence in each other.
Again. ~ reference Is made In Mr. NicoFs state
ment to Mr. Wman's intimate personal ami bust
ness relations with the drIwees az the checks de-
scrbel in the indictments nor - the admitted fAc'
that TIE Endorsement Of tho drawegs names bears
no resemblance q, an to their genuine signatures
nor t, the admitted fact tlr tie intorsem 'ntS IN
question wrrc not used - Obtain credit from any
th.ri party. but simply for the purpore Of trans
fcrrlng credits in bank from an account against
which Mr W.n1u hid a perfect right - draw
- another account against which he had perfect
right to draw do not care - discuss TINS case
further in iue twspap. Is. but the above state
mcr.s VIII suffice 30 cli attention 10 Nh" obvious
on e,!ons and lnlccuric.es IN ;he statement pre-
pared by Mr Ncol AMI puh.tel boy the firm for
the apparent purp,.e ~ preiui.cng Mr.. Nman
Gao with tho pubic before he had an opp riuniiy
10 be- hcarl.
The anmus Of the firm and possibly the reason
Of the employment - Mr. N!coll. Is also made APP
parant by tho circumstances connected with Mr.
There was no pressing necessity 90 hasten an arrcs,
which had boon delayed for e year. but Nj. WHan
was arrested on the afternoon bcfor" a National
holiday bail offered hy five men ~ established
reputation IN the financial world. ihre" OF th'W
members Of ~" Ncw-Nork Stock E~ehanec Who
foroihcr were prepared 20 Justify Ina S-'-t"l WAS
refused The check 81 the cashier ~ the Bank ~
ihc Republic was also refused. In this case B,
seemed as II Tho only thing that would satisfy III"
Assistant plstrict-Ati0rn,y was cash. and TINS
after the banks had an closed Tn" prctcnce that
there IL any law which restricts h'nIsm'n 10 th"s"
Who can Justify on NrN-Nork Ciiy real esi"t" Is
known hy every wcl-informei man 20 Doc absurd.
Again simultaneous with the announcement mat
Nr Wimau bad been indicted and railfoaI'i INTO
IN. Tofnbs carefully prepared statements appeared
covering not only the matters referred Ia the IN
ilc'mcnts but also charging other OFFENCES. Even
Nh Dun who is now conveniently absent IN can
fornia. has hts interview ready Tor prompt pp''"'
lion But apparently AN this WAS not enough. 80
called friends II Mr. W.man make statements that
he viii probably plead guilty and throw himself
on the mercy 81 the Court. or that bis counsel VIII
intcrposc the defence OF insanity.
III 1t Is possible IN this country 10 condemn
man without a trla! by creating An atmosphere
around him 50 charged with the miasina OF guilt
that the public will nud him guilty AT one" ana
dismiss the matter from further considerations
the enemies OF Mr. Wiman ought To succeed for
they hay. ccrtainy tried hard enough To accom-
r,sh this result. but they won sHCr'''i h'
nrrss Of New-York is too fair and sir. Wiman has
too many friends. TO make success III su'h d" -"
FOR fifteen or twenty years he has practically
r,anagcd MIR buns business lie has handled mill
ions OF dollars belonging 10 tn" iirm al Il. 60 Dum
& Co lie has probably signed ~ per cent OF az
tho checks drawn during that period he has bought
hundreds Of thousands OF dollars worth Oh ma
,rrlaI and supplics made ~ per cent Of the irnl
mnortant contracts and been In every sense 81 the
phrase up to the actual division OF IN" @, WolWir
Inn Imam
making little nothing out Of the business. n1s
steadily Increased. until NJ. buns share amounted
TO $4,000 or ti50.1p per annum ,,, ,,l,,.
MIR Wmans friends and the pHhlic gsn'ertdm nSi
Including any falrmnd'd jury. VIII tnmh' il t
Il hard to believe that while Mr. man va ~
90 ,,er annIim ana for MIR DUN SJo0c) to 5000"
he WAS scheninG To defraud his hrh "i apoul 'i,
through the forgery Of names In no way rrSthpunb
the genuine signatures Of the parties ana "hcrr
the only purpose and effect OF me transav,'oS ~
which ne had the absolute right 10 draw, 10 an
other account against which he also had the an
s" rue ' fsct is adml,tei that Mr.. Wiman has
always been foremost IN every soI ruh hH, baths
to the city OF Toronto his birIhpl@cr' , %N
pended at least &o"n in the un asriiia IN an
procfy With the United states for the land Of his
birth: built up ne : r smith b n rc and r moncy
most unsehshly to secure legislation ahohsmlns I'M
his accord and without any lrEnl 'e r,r.
FOR don@ 50 respgnsinintN , r2r 4 ARG loci IN
pf all
ventures which they have gone into on his advice,
supported 50 many poor families that MS fanure
vas almost a public ca.amity, Of his own accord
as soon as II became evident that he was nsolVcnt
he transferred all OF his properly 70 Mr.: l'un as
security for any sum which might finally ~ an
iulgcd due upon the settlement OF the accounts
between them including $1,000 OF property which
had belonged to Mrs. Wlman for ten or nfeen years
and which Mr. Dun. upon reflection. was too murh
of y man TO keep, and reconvcyed 10 her az
OF these faces viii tend ~ make tn" probability
Of his being "A forgor remote To the vanishing point
"If these cases are ever brought To trial the pub
Tic will have a chance to ascertain the motive which
has prompted this prosecution and shall he much
surprised II at that time there are not a number
OF very estlmablc gentlemen who. like MACBETH, VIII
tremble In their we-apponied dining -halls' ana
saw with quIvering lips: shake not thy CORY locks
al me: thou canst not say did It, As matter or
fact I notice some OF them are already doing So
AT THE BEDSIDE OF HIS SICK son.
HRAsTt's wIMAN SPENT SUNDAY With HIS FAM
lily AND FRIENDs-A PLAN TO BrY HIS
STATEN ISLAND ELECTRIC COM
PANY STOCK
Erastus Wlman spent the greater part OF yes
I.Ief Ia Of btg sou,