The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-05-19
SENSATIONAL SUIT.
DIE REICHS BANK OF GERMANY
BRINGS A SUIT.
RESULT OF AN OLD FORGERY
H, B. Robinst "-arv ruerk,
Are Leading Defendants
in the Action-Large AL-ounts of
Money Are Involved.
H, B. Robinst

Germany, in which Henry b. Robinson,
Mary Erwig, alias Mary Tuerk, Franz
Erwig, alias Frank Tuerk, Rudolph
Erwig, alias Rudolph Steger and the
Illinois Trust and Savings Bank, OF
Chicago, are named as defendants.
The suit is an international one and
is the outgrowth of a crime claimed to
have been committed in Germany
six years ago and involving papers
said to be valued at over $3.50, 900.
The Erwigs now live in this city, hav-
ing come here only short time ago.
The complaint shows that their life
has been a peculiar one and in regard
to the husband crime has not been alb
sent. Years ago the two brothers,
Rudolph and Frank Erwlg, then living
in Germany, forged some valuable
papers, but in some manner they es-
capped and reached the United States
without being arrested, but later they
we're discovered and eXtradition papers
were secured and they were returned
to Germany, where they were tried
and convicted of the crime for which
they were charged.
Die Reichs Bank, who held a portion
of the forged papers, now brings suit
against the above named defendants on
the grounds that they are conspiring to
beat the bank out of some OF the money
called for by papers which have been
given by Edward Bower, Of the firm of
Edward Bower and Company as a
partner of Rudolph Erwig to the trustee
of the Reicbs bank, calling for some
stocks, for which the Illinois Trust and
Savings Bank had been acting as
agents, and they have been paying the
dividends to the German bank.
As soon as the arrest OF Rudolph ErWig
in Chicago the money then in his pos
session according to the complaint was
Immediately turned into American
sureties. A part of this was recovered,
but some 215 shares of stock in the
Chicago Brewing and Mailing Co.,
amounting to something over $1,000,
could rot be found, and although the
most careful search was made Tor the
stock, it seemed that it had dropped
entirely out of existence. Some years
after the arrest and conviction of her
husband Mrs. Mary ErWig came to Ke-
Dosha and took up her abode in very
modest quarters. Having considerable
money, she sought the Merchants and
Savings Bank for exchange and be-
came quite large customer of the
bank.
Some time passed and one day in the
early part of this year she brought to
the bank the long missing securities
and asked the officials Of the bank to
collect the dividends for her. The
stock looked perfectly good and Mr..
Robinson accepted it and in March
made several attempts to secure divi
dends on it or to sell it. According to
the complaint Mr.. Robinson was in
formed that the stock was secured by
fraud and he said that this being the
case he was perfectly willing to turn il
over to the proper authorities, but
later the representatives of the bank
claim that the banker refused to do this
and hence is held as one Of the defend
ants in the action. The stock has
never been disposed of and is still held
in trust by Mr.. Robinson for his GUS
toner Mrs. Erwig, or Tuerk, as she is
known in this city.
From the conditions of the deal the
Kenosha banker has been drawn into
trouble wholly from business stand
point and is entirely Innocent OF any
crime or fraud which may have been
used in the obtaining or attempt to
dispose of the stock.
The charge of conspiracy against the
defendants promises to furnish some
very interesting points of law.
The case will probably come up at
the June term of court and the German
nlaintiff will be represented by the
leading legal lights in Milwaukee.
The defendants, besides Mr.. Robin
son. are not well known in Kenosha, as
Ney have lived here only short time.
: olph Erwig, the defendant, who was
StIo> eeased from a German prison,
ateTYH, here for about month with
las Iiv6GA franz and wife Mary. He
lis broth6FA tie health and his eye
) in very d8lfcA We been lost during
ig1t is said to 30
is itaprisonment. ! an injunction
judge Fish has glSHee> ~om dispos-
the defenGantsa. question
lg of the stock until after tse
it's ownership is settled.
Many People cannot Drink