The Portland daily press., 1899-11-25

easy to see how, under these oircum-
stances, the franklin syndicate could pay
out ten per cent Of this amount week
and ssiii make money.
The mail delivery daily st Millsr's
offos amounted to about three wagon
loads and most Of the letters contained
monsy.
For several weeks the United States
postal department has had Its trained In
vestigators at work trying to catch Miller
and his associates, but In vain. Rev. DIR.
Meredith Of Brooklyn, former pastor OF
Millsr's, complained to the Brookiyn po-
lics that the man was running half OF
the young men OF his congregation. Miller
was formerly n member of DIR. Mersdith's
church and became acquainted with
many Of the men belonging to the sun
day school and congregation. The police
official to whom DIR. Meredith complained
Is said to have told the reporters invssti-
gatiug Miller and his operators:
''If you can oatch Millsr, you will be
the smoothsst man In this town. never
saw anything like 10. I've investigated
the complaint made By Miller's former
pastor and find his statement that half
Of the young men and half Of the young
women in the congregation are In the
franklin syndicate is true. hut not one
can find who 10 willing to make a CON-
plsint against the man or his methods.
Would you make q complaint yourself IL
you were getting the ten per cent week!
"Befidss," continued the official II
don't know that I would be able TO bring
about the arrest OF the man provided 1
did get complaint. Most Of my patrol
men, my inspectors aud detectives seem
to te In 1t and / am thinking seriously
Of going In Il next week myself" he con-
ciuded with a laugh.
The ten psr cent q week rate Of interest
guaranteed by Miller did not begin In
reality to rep ,esent the obligations In
ourred by the head of the syndicate.
One OF Millsr's patrons who invest,d
sl01 Immediately rsinvssted the ten per
cent allowed him ut the end OF the frat
week, making balance Of $40 to his
cradit. The nAxt week he received interest
on both principal and interest thus
giving him u balance to his credit Of Si21.
At the end of twenty-five weeks he found
himself with q credit 10 the Franklin
syndicate of 1,OG9. As Miller refused TO
osrfy accounts of mors than 1900, this
customer was compelled to reinvest In
the names of other members of his family.
Th's policy OF reinvesting In the name
Of other members Of the family was car
ried to n large extent among the poorer
classes. 1t Is stated that one family con-
sistiug OF sixteen members had Sl0D In
vested for each nem Der of the family and
interest was paid on ali claims each
week.
profits through speculation In Wall
street, but there is no evidence that he
ever epeculstsd in stocks to any extent.
His employees threw out vague hints Of
inside Information which Miller. they al.
legged, possessed.
On Tuesday OF this week, just before
charges Of libel were preferred against
Miller, he Is said to have taken In 5000
nnd paid out s3l, 200. The confidential
representative Of one Of the banks who
visited MilIer's effice about this time said
that be never saw so much money scat
tered around loose In his life.
As an absolute fact Miller did not have
facilities for taking care Of all the gold
and gresnbaoks which poured in upon
him, and empty barrels we're brought up
from the basement OF the building In
which he operated and tens OF Thousands
OF dollars were dumped into these barrels
by Miller's employee One OF Miller's
trusted employees stated that the syndi.
cate had taken in over 100000. 1t Ia
known that. when the banks shut down
on Miller yesterday and refused to accept
his deposits any longer. he withdrew
$3.50, 600 from the Wells. Fargo bank. 1t Is
asserted tonight that Miller deposited
sIOO, 0C0 with the German consul
Miller, who is very young and insignia.
can't looking, possesses two positive char
acte eristics. personal magnetism and
frozen calmness.
During the last two or three days when
his every movement has been watched by
Detectives and reporters, when crowds Of
depositors flooded to his establishment.
he never lost his quiet ways or became
angry.
He spent q few years with Hevsrin s.
Co., Wall street brokers, but nevar
achieved much OF q financial reputation
there. His counsel, Col. Robert Ammon,
claims that Miller In oil of bis methods.
has proceeded along lines strictly legiti-
mats.
4 Tonight even after Miller had been de-
nounced in the most unmeasured terms,
business was carried on for so minutes
and during that time so persons de-
posited money and not one drew out.
Miller had not been found up to n late
hour, and his wife said that she did not
expect him back before Monday at least.
OBITUARY.