Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-09-14

New York. Sept 1O.-Since the
double tragedy i'm which Mrs. Fannie
puIIen was murdered and Henry Town
send Edison. son OI the ex mayor, end
ed his own lie, there have been sew
eraI informal meetings OF the omceIs
If St MiChaei's Episcopal church OF
which the murderer and suicide was
clerk. and Il was virtually decided yes
terfay that III necessary the church
corporation viii go 70 law TO force
some oI the banks ana trust companies
from which Edison fTaudulenuy OBJ
tanned large sums TO stand the loss.
What the amount OF Edson's
thieyery i'm dollars viii finally be can
only be guessed at While It may
reach $4,000, and perhaps exceed
100000, William K. Peters. treasurer
OF ST. AIichaels declared that the loss
OF the church would not exceed $4,000.
For all The sums obtained by Edison
on forged notes and checks the banks
and trust companies which paid the
money are. It is claimed, legally re
spousibIe. There are several items,
however. where the rspOus,5ii-ty or
the loss is open TO question.
IT possible the differences between
the church corporation and the tnan-
ciaI institutions viii be amicably set
tied. but II the banks and the trust
companies should attempt TO force all
the losses up0n the church the officers
OF the latter viii carry tie matter into
the courts.
The deeper the expert accountants
delve into the books and accounts or
the church the more involved they be-
come. That Edison began his fraudu-
lent operations soon alter he received
his position OF trust has been made ap-
parent. He entered the employ OF the
church i'm 1899. The accountants are
now working ON the books for the year
1900. and the records are in fearful
mess.
Erasures. interlineatiOns and
changes OF all kinds were made again
and AGAIN by Edison. How these pc
cuIiarIy kept accounts failed to excite
the suspicion of the officers Of the
church and cause them to make a
thorough investigation of EdsOn's
methods is one OF the mysteries OF the
case. Though EdsOn's salary was
but 81. 900 a year it was known 10 sew
eraI of the church officers that he lived
az the rate of fully $4,000 a year,
keeping an automobile, a TunabOut and
other expensive equipments.
What makes the task OF the expert
accountants unusually difficult is that
Edison from time 10 time made Testitu-
tiOn to the church for money he had
stolen. He was specializing in Wall
street all the time he was in the en-
pI0y OF the church and at times made
heavy winnings.
About three years ago he was worth
I'm the neighb0rhOOd of Sl25,OOO and
at that time told q Wall street broker
that he meant TO quit when he had run
his winnings up to S250,OO0. He was
a uIuuEer i'm his speculative deals and
his ups and downs were rapid. II is
said that he went short Of the market
I'm the early part Of the year, but be
fore the big slump came he closed
out his transactions with fair profit
and got the long side Of the market
The constant sagging away OF values
finally LETT him high and dry. IL Is
alleged that he put out two forged
notes. enc Tor $4,000. the other To-
$4,000. and got the money from a trust
company. A forged note for $500.
which he put through the Hudson
River. viii fan due soon
Tile expert accountants are having
much trouble i'm trying 20. stTaighter
out EIz1u's accounts OF the money Tee
CeivCf for burial plots and graves in
St MiehaeI's Cemetery, at Astoria. L..
l. Inducements on several OF the
checks are said To have been forged.
Tie Rev. Dr. John p. Peters. the
rector oil St. Nichael's. declined yester-
day -D make any statement relative
To Eds1u's sueculati0ns. saying that
until the expert accountants had com
pletgI their work it would be mere
guesswork TO venture any estimate OF
the amount He said he was quite