The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-27
ARMITAGE MATHEWS INDICTED
WITH TWO OTHER LAWYERS FOR
LOOTING WEISELL ESTATE.
He's Accused With John W. Wooten. Samuel
I. Ferguson and David ROthschiid OF
Conspiracy and Grand Larceny-I3or.
rowed 81 800 on Estates Securities.


Armitage Mathews. sc cretary OF the
Republican county committee and Abe
GruDer's man in the Twenty-first Assembly
district; John W. Wooten. son-n-law OF
Walther Luttgen, August Belmont's part
ner; Samuel l. Ferguson. and David Roths-
child. wre cker Of the Federal Bank, were
indicted yesterday.
Against the four il blanket indictment
for conspiracy, and against each are three
separate indictments for grand larceny
In the first degree. Against Wooten there
is an additional indictment for larceny
In the second degree. The charges, in
effect, are that they looted an estate out Of
81 500.
The indictments ere the result OF con-
fessions made to District Attorney Jerome
by Rothsohild since he was brought from
Sing Sing supplemented by documentary
evidence found in Rothschid's rooms
when he was arrested after the collapse OF
the Federal Bank
Rothschild, before the Grand Jury, told,
after q good deal OF urging. all he knew.
and will he a witness for the prosecution.
He is now in the Tombs and will remain
there probably until the trials.
When the Grand Jury filed the indict-
ments with Judge Cowing in General
Sessions Rothschild was not in court. The
three other Observation-Disclosures Wooten
and Ferguson-were. They had been noti-
fed by Assistant District Attorney Kresel
that they were wanted. Each was repre-
sented by personal counsel. Mathews was
an assistant under District Attorney Olcott.
Wooten was personal counsel for Rothschild
when ne was running the Federal Bank
and the usury joint, the Globe Security
Company.
First Mathewss lawyer asked that his
client he paroled. Then Ferguson made
the same request. and wooten's lawyer
suggested that as his client was already
under 81 900 bail on another indictment
that ought to be enough to hold him.
Not at ALL" said Krese. There are
number OF indictments against these men.
They are charged with the larceny of over
$4,000. ask that IS 900 bail 90 fixed in
each case to cover all the indictments.
Judge Cowing thought that was rea-
eonable. and Mathews. Wooten and Fer
guson were taken up to Assistant District
Attorney Miners room while bondsmen
we're sent for. Mathews got John p. Win
dolph, the Republican politician. John j.
Harmon, Republican leader Of the Seventh
Assembly district, put UP the surety for
Wooten, and Ferguson got Samuel Mitchell.
None OF the prisoners would make any
statement.
Abe Gruber who la ter said that his firm,
Black. Oloott, Gruber 4 Bonynge, would
represent Mathews, declared that nothing
would ever have happened II Rothschiid,
a perj,lrer and convict. had not tried to
force himself out Of jail
1t was the estate Of William Weisell. who
died on April 7, 1908, from which Mathews
and his associates are charged with getting
money Wesell left some seventeen heirs,
six Of whom he cut OF with 81 apiece. The
estate amounted to over $4,000. The
six who were left with dollar each decided
to fight and hired Ferguson, Pending
the litigation Ferguson made an application
for temporary administrator. Ferguson
sought out Wooten, whom he knew, and the
latter went to Rothschild Then, it is
charged. the conspiracy was formed.
Rothschild agreed to be temporary ad-
ministrator. 1t was stipula ted that Roths-
child was to give to Ferguson all his
fees az admin istrator and that Ferguson
was to turn over, one-qrarter OF them to
Wooten. Under the agreement Roths-
child was to borrow large sums of money
on the securities OF the estate, which CON-
sisted Of bonds and other negotiable &C.
curities, Ferguson and Wooten each to
get per cent. of the money he borrowed.
Wooten, it is alleged was to be employed
as counsel for Rothschild as administrator
But as Wooten was to get from Ferguson
one-ouarter Of the administrators fees,
it was arranged that Ferguson was to come
in for one-uuarter OF Wooten's counsel
fees.
On July 1; the day following this agree
ment, Rothschild was appointed temporary
administrator with a bond for $500 600
u was agreed by the four conspirators, ac-
oording to the indictment, that Rothschild
was to have sole possession Of the estate
and that whatever money he borrowed
on it was to be shared by his three asso-
Ciates.
In the possession OF Mr. Jerome there
Is said TO be evidence that there was a good
deal of trouble in getting surety company
bond. The companies wanted to have
Joint control Of the estate before they GER
tilted for Rothschild.
Mathews was assistant secretary of the
Bankers Surety Company of Cleveland,
He was also counsel for the company in
this city. The indictment says that on the
day Rothschild was appointed temporary
administrator Mathews agreed to Induce
and procure" the Bankers Surety Company
to give the bond, allow Rothschild to have
sole control of the estate. and that Roths-
child should pay Mathews for his 'indi-
vidual profit and gain" per cent. OF all
the money that Rothschild should borrow
from the estate. In addition. he caused
to be sent to the Bankers Surety Company
a letter advising the company to execute
the bond and let Rothschild have control
Of the estate.
The bankers company executed the bond.
In little over month Rothschild began
to hypothecste the securities OF the estate
On Aug 81 he borrowed from the Merchants
Trust Company $24 900; on Oct. ~ he got
from the Title Guarantee and Trust Com
pany So. 500, and again, on Dec. 2, he went
TO the Merchants Trust Company and got
$4,000
Between July q 1909, and March is. 1901,
Rothschild is alleged to have paid his part
ners about $4,000, as follows: Ferguson
A,97o; Mathews, 80, $50: Wooten. 1915. There
ia aaid RI he eyidepce showing that the