The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-08-12
CAREER Of MILLTONAI IRE DE
FAULTER,

About seven years ago Ambrose r.
Woodruff was resident of Lynchburg,
Va, holding a comfortable situation, in
good social standing and an active MEM
Der ofone ofth city churches, protesting
devout piety. Suddenly he fell from the
summit of fictitious grace, and his friends
were mortified and astonished by his de-
lection in deliberate rascality, He was
enabled to escape punishment which his
crime deserved by absconding and for
years after nothing more was heard of
the fellow in Lynchburg except, perhaps,
by his faithful wife, who remained in
that city and became an object of much
wasted sympathy. About the time that
Ambrose R. Woodruff dropped into sea
of obscurity, however, John Miller
emerged upon the surface. Heappeared
at Sacramento, and, in the absence of
letters Of introduction and high testimo-
nials of character, he was compelled to
commence life in his new locality by
engaging in the humble occupation of
driving dray. This was the first scene
in the career of the champion defaulter
in California. The next may be briefly
told. Wearying of the hard features Of
the draynans life, and knowing that his
business capacity fitted him for more
remunerative position, he sat down one
day and wrote letter to the Secretary of
the Union Pacific Railroad Company.
The letter manifested the writer's desires
and his capabilities as well, in language
80 frank and seemingly sincere that
clerKship, for which he prayed, was
forthwith granted. No references were
exchanged, no testimonials of business
integrity were sought. 1t is not neces-
sary to rehearse the same same old story
Of human credulity; but it should be re-
corded that the new clerk grew daily in
the esteem of his associates. Agreeable
in manner, entertaining in speech and
generous to the degrees of extravaganza
he soon surrounded himself with friends
some influential, some rich, but none
venal, as the world goes. Among the
clerks i'll the Office was one tamiliarly
known as Jimmy Moore. In the routine
OF promotion Moore stood on the thresh-
old of the Secretary's office, waiting for a
vacancy which had been promised. In
the confidence of Moore the new clerk
held the first place, and also stood well
in the general esteem of higher officers
The inexorable decree ofdeath removed
Moore hence to another world, leaving
the way open for his new found friends
speedy promotion. The concluding
chapter of the romance is short. The
unknown clerk was in brieftime appoin-
ted to the responsible Office of Secretary
of the corporation latterly known as the
Western Development Company. He
daily grew in popular favor, individual
wealth and official prestige. He ventur-
ed with marvellous success into the dam
gerous whirl of stock speculation, and
was reputed to have amassed large gains.
He permitted none of his associates to
know that he had q wife in the East, t,and
profaned the marriage altar by wedding,
under a false name, a wealthy lady, to
whom he had been introduced by de-
luded friend. He bought magnificent
mansion and therein ministered to the
creature comforts and vulgar vanities of
his companions. So lavish was his dis
play of wealth in household adornments
that director, who was a guest of the
prosperous Secretary, suspected robbery,
and had an investigation OF the company's
books, and theSecretary was arrested as
a fugitive and forced to surrender his
available gains. Investigation has al
ready disclosed the fact that his defalca-
ton approaches 81, 100000. He is reti-
cent as to details, and never acknowledge
es guilty transaction until the experts
detect it. And this is the story of Wood |
ruff, alias John Miller, the millionaire
defaulter. The estimable lady who was
wronged by the unscrupulous wretch
still occupies the noble mansion which is
ornate with the obsolute monogram of
"John Miller" and her solacing compan-
ion is the widow of Jimmy Moore.-San
FrddciSco Bulletin, JIld "a.