The San Francisco call., 1896-10-11
He Embezzled a Million From
the Four Railway Magnates
Years Ago.
BUT ESCAPED SAN QUENTIN
Kept Copies of Tell.Tale Books and
Was Able to Defy His
Employers.

When John Miller, the man who bilked
the big four out of million dollars back
in the hey-days of the seventies, lay
down in the shadow of his vines and fig
trees and put pistol ball through his
brain he did the thing essential to prop.
erly cap most improper but very re-
markable career.
To blk Coils P. Huntington and STAN
ford and Crocker and Mark Hopkins out
OF 81. GOO, 900 ought to be distinction, if not
honor, enough for one man. And so it
seemed to be for John Miller. For after
doing so, and even while they kept him
captive in one of the secret cham bers oi
their own 5astile at Fourth and Townsend
streets, challenging them to do their
worst, and being at last released and told
to go free, and even to take with him a
large part of his plumber, he went
of a brilliant career In the City
to the seclusion of ranch in the Sacra-
mento Valley and there remained, almost
forgotten, until the sounds OF the pistol
shot by which he terminated his career
Thursday morning directed attention to
him again.
Miller came to this coast at the close of
the war, young man under cloud. He
was Virginian and had served in the
Confederate army, brilliantly they said,
earning spurs and shoulder stra ps,
but still having only escaped
disgraceful death as the result
of a sentence OF court martial
through the energetic efforts of influential
friends. That was told concerning him
as fact, but lacking in detail it did not
weigh against him. Besides those were
days when private character was not
much inquired into-people being too
deeply stepped in the fascinating diver
sion of becoming rich.
Sacramento was then the headquarters
of the railroad enterprise which was hold
ing the attention of the world. The pull
sations of the big business that had its
center there were felt through the whole
country.
In the throng of young men they at
tracted came John Miller, and he applied
for work al the Office of the Contract and
Finance Company, building the Central
Pacific Railroad with the money OF the
Government.
He was about 25 years of age, tall. slim,
OF light complexion, quiet, almost reti-
cent, in manner, evioently well bred. but
having that in his blue eye that told of
force.
He was given elerkship, and in few
years bis salary had leaped to $15. 600 per
annum. He had ideas about how things
could be done better than they had been
done before. Still, m ain iaining his modest
demeanor through the whole rapid course
of his DEVELOPMENT, he stepped lightly up
from the desk of $500 a month book
keeper to the rank of the most trusted
employees of the company. He became an
oracle in its councils, and was given direct
ing charge of the whole business.
He came to San Francisco and built for
himself q magnificent residence on Mob
Hill-the residence which is now Fred
Crocker's.
c. P. Huntington had been making his
big fight at Washington against Tom
Scott of the Pennsylvania company ana
his Atlantic and Pacific subsidy scheme.
Mr.. Scott's defeat cost Mr.. Huntington
81, 700, 600 so he said, but still he succeeded,
and in the flush of his triumph, or rather
in the weariness of his spirit as the result
OF his long battle, he came TO San Fran
cisco.
They entertained him well. He was q
bigger man than he had ever been, and
others were eager to show him honor.
Stanford, Crocker, Hopkins, Colton-all
gave him and each other magnificent din
ners, and to them all John Miller was in
yited. Although not one of them, merely