The San Francisco call., 1895-11-17
Money Sunk in the "Worlds
Christian Cooperative
Society"
ARREST OF THE ORIGINATOR.
On Complaint of Some Members of
the Society He Is Charged
With Embezzlement.

Two things happened yesterday that
were not agreeable to George Washington
Wilderman, the originator of the World S
Christian Cooperative Society,"" with a
capital stock of $50,000,Q00. One was the
result of the inquest held by Coroner
Hawkins on the body of Frederick Larsen,
the other was a warrant issued by Police
Judge Campbell for Wilderman's arrest.
On Tuesday morning Larsen's body was
found in his little back bedroom at 279
Jessie street with the throat cut from ear
to ear. The head had been almost severed
by razor Larsen had used. 1t was neces-
sary for Policeman Phillip e. Freher to
break in the door to make this discovery.
Among the dead mans effects were a
receipt from Attorney w. W. Allen for
two bank accounts with the Peoples
Home Savings Bank amounting to total
deposit of about 5000, and there was also a
certificate of deposit for $120 on Wells,
Fargo G. Co.'s Bank.
Investigation developed..th Larsen had
put $350-about all his loose money-into
a communistic scheme known as the
"World's Christian Cooperative Society" +"
of which G. w. Wilderman bad been tine
originator and was until about three
weeks ago the president. Wilderman's s
home is at 1O41 Mission street., with people
of the same religious faith. He is an old
man, with face that resembles somewhat
that of George Washington
Both Wilderman and Secretary Donald
McRae of the society were at the inquest
yesterday and closely questioned by Coro-
ner Hawkins. Their testimony was in
effect that Larsen had put the money into
the society to supply 1t with ready cash,
paying the cash subscriptions of himself
and Directors knutsen and Spencer and
half of another members subscription
amounting to $3.50 in all, and that the fear
of never getting his money back drove him
to insanity and suicide.
He was frugal man, had been ranch
/ laborer, and paid only 81 week for his
room. For six weeks he had been en-
ployed as dishwasher at the society's res
taurant at 917 Mission street, just for his
board, and after that, upon his demand for
wages, he had been allowed a compense-
ton of $3 a week. He had to work from
A. NJ. to P. NJ.
From the evidence given by Mr.. McRae
it was learned that what most worried Lar
sen and conduced to his insanity was his
thinking over Wilderman's big land
scheme in Lower California, by which men
had been induced to join the society. The
organization was based upon two ideas,
one being of a religious nature and the
other apparently practical in its way.
Each member was 10 have a positive belief
in the divinity OF Christ, and each was to
put up 500 cash. According to Wilder
mans representations he and William Nc
Crindle of Oakland had secured title from
the Mexican Government to about $4,000
acres Of land in Lower California, near En-
senada, and 10000 acres of this they had
donated to the society.
Larsen had taken the trouble to consult
Attorney Allen after sinking his money,
and Mr.. Allen had informed him that the
title OF Wilderman was not valid, and that
the society did not own foot of the 90 600
acres of land supposed to have been do
mated to it. McRae and others say that
the title of Wilderman and McCrindle was
based upon no more solid foundation than
the statements of spiritualist medium.
Wilderman, McCrindle and a man
named NJ. E. A. Lassley began their propa-
ganda for the World Christian Cooper
ative Society" last spring. Its first char
ter was granted June 4, but the members
of the society, becoming dissatisfied, re-
organization was effected and a reincor
poration, the date of the second charter
being August 16. Mr.. McRae stated that
$2l0 was all the money paid in up to July
16, and debts amounting to 5000 80 had
Mr.. Wilderman's private bills.
Before the reorganization Wilderman
claimed to have 2S5 members. The society
elected eleven of It's members to reIncor-
porate on July II, as follows: G. w. Will
derman, D. McRae, Louis w. Spencer,
Mrs. r. Kincaid, H. d. Deerbaum, J. d.
Moreland, c., K. Welch, j. Knutsen, Mrs.
A. Anderson, n. Z. Anderson and T. J.
Weaver. These eleven became the new
dent, McRae secretary and Weaver treas
urer. The old secretary, Lassley, diSap-
peared, and is charged by Wilderman with
carrying off SIS of the society's funds. Will
derman remained president until about
three weeks ago, when he was removed
and Weaver elected in his place.
There has been constant fight between
Wilderman and the other ten directors,
Mr.. McRae leading the opposition to him.
McRae did not have any confidence in
him, so ne states, and strenuousy objected
to the society taking his donation of land
instead of the 500 cash subscription. Nc
Rae thinks he ought to have paid.
The eyes of the members of the society
were opened when Rev. Jonas Bushnell, a
Baptist minister of Port Angeles, Wash,
came here last July to lecture for the so.
ciety and began to investigate. Rev. Mr..
Bushnell openly accused Wilderman of
unreliabiity at stormy meeting and
withdrew entirely from the society, chang
ing his programme from Wilderman's
propaganda to temperance work. Since
that time there has not been a meeting of
the directors at which there has not been
one or more turbulent scenes.
Eventually the plans of the society were
modified. The original scheme of Wilder
man was to lave colony in Lower Cali
fornia engaged in the manufacture of
graham -four by means of crude mill,
which was a centrifugal gold-ore crusher
that he and a millwright named Crosby
had adapted, as they thought, to milling
purpose. Altogether $1100 was paid into
the society. and it tried successively a
laundry on Valencia street and the Mission
street restaurant it now runs.
Larsen began showing symptoms of in
sanity about two weeks ago. Before then
he asked Attorney Allen to proceed against
the society and Wilderman for his money
McRae got together $196 so and paid it to
him. Out of this Larsen paid Mr.. Allen
$50 fees and a doctors bill and deposited
the balance with Wells, Fargo & Co.'s
Bank.
The verdict of the Coroner's jury was
that the death of Larsen was due to the
sinking of his money in the society and
the insanity it caused.
Wilderman was arrested for EN- bezzle.
ment last evening, on Secretary McRae's
IL @l-1If L