The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-24
WOOTEN TELLS ON MATHEWS.
MAKES 4 LONG. SWORN-TO con-
IESSION TO JEROME.

Wooten Again sought by MIR. jerome
h Convicted Lawyer Said to Have TOlt
How the Weisell Estate Was Loot cd
John W. Wooten, who was convicted o
grand larceny for stealing a 81 600 checl
from David Rothschild, the wrecker OF thu
Federal Bank, has made statement t.
D!strict Attorney Jerome OF what he say.
Is the true story Of the looting Of the Wcisel
estate under the management OF Rothschid
1t is understood that Wooten has impli-
Gated Armitage Matthew's secretary OF the
Republican county committee and Abe
Gruber's lieutenant, who lie indicted fol-
conspiracy and larceny with Wooten
Rothschd and Samuel I. Ferguson for
stealing about S175,00O from the Weisell
estate.
Mathews Is in Europe and II Is not known
when he is expected back, although his
trial has been fixed for Sept. II. Mr..
Jerome would give no indication yesterday
OF what Wooten had told, but with Roth
schild and Ferguson eliminated the general
Impression around the District Attorney q
Office was that Mr.. Jerome would not be
concerned in any statement from Wooten
unless he produced evidence that could
be used against Mathews.
The examination of Wooten has been
conducted with some secrecy by Mr.. jerome
In order that 1t might be concluded before
MATHEW s., friends heard Of what was going
on. Wooten was sentenced 10 nine years
and ten months in Sing Sing and he made
q fight for new trial, Gen. Tracy arguing
for him.
When Justice Fitzgerald denied his mo-
ton there was no alternative for Wooten
but to go to Sing Sing pending an appeal.
He was taken to the Tombs couple Of
weeks ago, and then 1t was that he made
oyertures to Mr.. Jerome.
On Monday Wooten was taken from the
Tombs to the library on the top floor OF the
Criminal Courts Building. For two and
half hours he was examined by Assistant
District Attorney Krese, Mr.. Jerome being
present most Of the time. Wooten was
questioned for a few minutes on Tuesday
and yesterday he made another long state
ment to Mr.. Kresel. 1t was taken by
stenographer and sworn to by Wooten.
1t is not known that Mr.. Jerome has
made any promise to Wooten except per-
haps that the District Attorney would SUBJ
scribe to an application to the Governor for
q Communication of his sentence II Wooten
should tell about looting the Meisell estate.
1t is evident, however, that Mr.. Jerome
intends to look carefully into Wooten's
story.
For two days detectives from the District
Attorneys Office have been hunting for
May F. Trimble, stenographer who was
employed in the Federal Bank and who
took dictation from Wooten. She was a
witness for Wooten at his trial. There was
introduced at the trial an agreement which
stated in effect that for $3.50 Mathews, as
secretary of the Bankers Surety Company
Of Cleveland, which gave $500 600 bond for
Rothschild, would see that Rothschild
should continue to have sole control Of the
Weisell estate, a point to which the surety
company was then objecting.
1t was commended by the prosecution that
Wooten had dictated the statement to Miss
Tnmble and before the trial she was sup
posed to have made an affidavit to Mr..
Kresel that she had typewriter the agree
ment. At the trial. however, she declared
that she had been intimidated by Mr.. Kresel
and made to sign a false affidavit. She had
admitted to Mr.. Kresel that she usually
spelled appellate" with one ~ and that is
For time Mr.. Jerome thought of arrest
Ing Miss Trimble for perjury and for two
nights she was guarded by detectives.
Mr.. Jerome thought she had been i'll advised
and told her to go home and consult her
relatives and then come back and tell the
truth. She stuck to her story and was
never prosecuted.
twas learned last night that Miss Trimble |
would be at the District Attorneys Office. |
AS Mr.. Jerome wants to question her, it is
presumed that Wooten has told some thing |
about the $3.50 agreement which MIR. Jerome
wants her to verify.
In charging the Wooten jury Justice
Davy said that il Wooten was guilty !
Mathews was equally guilty in the 81 900
check transaction. Wooten admitted that
he got certain moneys from the Weisell
estate Wooten was counsel for Roth
schild as administrator and Ferguson was
counsel for heirs who were contesting the
Weisell will. 1t is charged that Wooten
and Ferguson were to share the fees for the
administrator and his attorney and that
Mathews was to get per cent. of all the
money borrowed by Rothsohild on the
securities of the Weisell estate. Roth
schisd had sole control of the estate, but he
hypo heo ated the securities.
Rothschild is still in the Tombs and he
wi!l probably be witness against Mathews.
When he was brought from Sing Sing
Mr., jerome made stir about the way
certain statements made by Rothschild
IN Sing Sing got to the office of Black,
oicott, Gruber & Bonynge, counsel for
Mathews 1t is understood that ex-Gov.
Black will defend Mathews.
Mr.. Jerome is said to have some i'm
portant evidence against Mathews, con-
slstng Of letters and papers in Mathews's
handwriting. These documents were
found, ii is said, in Rothschild's house
after his arrest.