Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-11-12
ASSERT CROKER
HAD CHARGE OF
COMMONWEALTH
Supposed Forgery Comes to
Light in Examination of
Company's Assets.

An attempt to trace the assets of
the Commonwealth Investment Com
pany, of which Roland d. Crocker,
the missing lawyer. was secretary
and treasurer, was made at an exam
ination conducted yesterday by
David Booker, receiver in chancery
for the company. Several directors
and stockholders OF the concern tes-
titled that Crocker had full control
Of the company and ito affairs were
left to his management.
Captain Char'es w. Beardsley, a
real estate dealer, of SIG Clinton ave-
hue, a director of the company, was
one of the witnesses. He testified that
he knew Crocker intimately and that
Crocker proposed forming the COM
pany. It was incorporated on De-
cember 22, 1910, at q meeting he'd IN
Crocker's Office, 776 Broad street.
The object of the concern was TO
deal in second mortgages. Crocker
planned to bring fifteen business men
into the concern and each was to In
vest $500, Captain Beardsley declared
that nothing was said about issuing
stock and he did not remember that
any papers were signed.
although the prospectus of the
company states we were directors, !
understood that we were founders"
said Captain Beardsley. "Crocker
told us we were founders and we
were called founders"
The witness said there was but one
meeting held after the organization
meeting. The typewriter report sub
mitted by Crocker at the second
meeting showed a "verv encouraging
situation" the director testified. He
- .at
get Crocker to call another meeting
OF directors. On numerous occasions
various directors sought to persuade
Crocker to call meetings, but he
failed to do so.
Says No Accounting Was Made.
Captain Beardsiey admitted that he
did not know how Crocker used the
money of the company and that an
accounting was never made.
Ibid You ever indorse the COM
pany's notes?" asked Mr.. Booker.
II sure did," answered the witness
with emphasis.
All rents collected were turned
over to Crocker. The witness admit
ted that he never held any stock
in the company, although It's Dy-iaWs
provided that each director should be
a stockholder. Captain Beardsley
said he never saw the bylaws.
Neither did he know whether Crocker
kept any books of accounts.
Frank Wiegand, treasurer of
Wiegand & Co, jeweiry manufac-
turers at 112 Arlington street. ap-
pears to have been one of the in
corporators of the Commonwealth
Investment Company, although he
says he did not know It. Wiegand
was a witness at the hearing yes
terday and admitted that ne signed
ANYTHING at Crocker's suggestion.
The witness said he knew Crocker
since 1904 and that the lawyer In
duced him to invest $500 in the Com.
nonwealth Company. He declared
that he received a stock certificate,
but did not know what 1t was for
He received dividend checks every
once in long while" These checks
were received about every six months
and were generally for SIS. Wieganc
said he did not know how much the
total investment in the company was
and he had no knowledge Of the
mortgages purchased by Crocker. He
repeated the story of searching
Crocker's effects when it was learned
that the lawyer had left town on
September 13.
Physician Denies signature.
An instance of what is asserted TO
be forgery came to light in the ex-
animation Of DIR. Albert Widman, a
stockholder He was shown O paper
supposed to represent a request to
the company to purchase second
mortgage. The name of Albert Wild
man was on the bottom of the re-
quest.
THAT'S not my signature" said
the witness, 'I never signed such a
paper"
The doctor declared that he sold
second mortgage on property at 127
Sheffield street to the Commonwealth
Investment Company. IIe bought
500 worth of stock in the Common
wealth. The stock purchase was
made by him as means of closing
up the deal for the purchase of the
mortgage, he testified, as he did not
care for the stock itself.