Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-27
CARRIES AWAY MILTON
promoter Of the Notorious Franklin
Syndicate Takes Vast Fortune
in His Flight
Said to Have Made Away with Over
q Million Dollars, Deposi-
tors Money.
Has Victims in All Parts Of the
Country Escapes New
York Police :

s
New York, Nov. 27.-William F. Mil
Ter. who has fled with about $1,250000
intrusted to him as manager of the
Franklin Syndicate, has not been
caught. Cecil Leslie. his chief lieuten-
ant, is also fugitive.
rants have been issued, and the men
are being hunted by the police depart
ments of Greater New York and other
cities.
The police allowed Miller to slip
through their fingers, after watching
him for weeks, in q manner that causes
much criticism. 1t is asserted that
many policemen had invested with the
syndicate" and drawn comfortable
sums weekly from the concern.
Miller's dupes number. approximately,
1000 persons, nearly all wage-earners.
Many victims had saved small sums
from meager earnings. and all is lost.
There was little excitement around the
closed syndicate offices at 144 Floyd
street, Brooklyn. The victims hope
that by keeping quiet they will get back
their money. Many still have implicit
faith in Miller. and blame the newspa-
pers and the police for their ruin.
The prosecution of Miller on criminal
charges will fall on the postal authori-
ties. 1t is expected that Miller will be
indicted by the federal grand jury on
charge of using the mails for fraudulent
purposes The limit of the sentence on
one Indictment is eighteen months, but
as he can be indicted on more than one
charge his sentence can be made cumu-
lative.
Investigations made into the meth
DDS of the Franklin Syndicate prove be-
yond doubt that Miller and Leslie
We're the representatives of an organ
ICED band of confidence men, and that
the Franklin Syndicate was only one of
many schemes by which the gang was
robbing the public.
The names of Millers associates and
hackers are known, and they are prac-
tically certain to be implicated when
| the whole truth is known.
| 1t was stated that Miller is an ex-con-
| Wet, and that he is we'll known to the
police of Lynn, Mass, where he former
lily resided. He was arrested there on
Sept. 90. 1896, on the charge of forgery
| ii being claimed that he obtained pos
session of large sum of money from
| a friend. He was tried, convicted and
sentenced to the Concord reformatory.
Millers photograph IS said to adorr
the rogues' gallery at police headquar-
tiers in Lynn. the number being 3ls
i Where he originally came from the au-
j thorities there dc not know but he wal
in that vicinity for several years.
4 Postoffice Inspectors McGinnis ant
Sutton are in pursuit of Miller. Here.
tofore there have been no letters OF
.Icomplaint on which to base an indict-
nent. Inspector McGinnis now has {
pouch full. They We're forwarded from
all parts of the country. The inspector
/ will sort out these letters and go aheat
4 without waiting for any Indictment.
Postmaster Wilson says the fedora
4 authorities have the great advantage o
I being able to follow Miller to any coun
try. They have the only criminal Law
from which he can not escape by quib
bling.
A pile Of kilograms six inches high la.
in front of Postmaster Wilson Saturday
Each one was plea to stop payment oil
a money order or hold up Registered
letter.
All of Miller's mail has been held W
Miller received 500 ordinary and NIT
registered letters daily on an average
His money orders varied from $4,000 7
$4,000 daily Almost every town In TN
United States seems to be represente
] in the list. All of the sums sent will b
: refunded by the postal authorities.
: The money which Miller got ava
with is variously estimated, but tn
q amount must have been enormous. Tn
. estimates vary from $4,000 to 0o
y Estimates based on the postotiice OF
: Ciers cashed by Miller and the cuisines
] done within the last few days indica'
9 that the syndicate's receipts We're abot
e s25. 600 a day. He was depositing in or
n bank as much az $1,000 day.
j. From this data may be estimate
s roughly the scope and progress of II
v syndicate's business in the last year.
his average deposits the last few weei
p ran as high as s15o,O00. 1t may be pr'
/ sumed that ten weeks ago his total boo
: obligations to depositors could not hay
! exceeded 81 100000, because the week
S Interest on that sum would hay
]. amounted to $4,000.
e II must have been Miller's calculate
e that the moment his weekly intere
y outnut exceeded the total redeposits al
new deposits for the same period. h
principal in hand was being encroach'
l. upon. and il was his time FOR disa
3 pearing
n Many of Miller's accounts are pyr
70 mided. the original stalks having be-
i doubled by the depositor as often
At every ten weeks. so that these OFT
"a grew to 81 900 or more. The average
"a depositors' accounts is likely to ha
I'd been about $500
&c 1t is now suggested that there mu
q have been leak somewhere enab
I'd Miller to learn in advance OF the gra
ne iury's action and escape. is oper
10 limited that policemen who had inves
he ed in the Franklin Syndicate had re
ut dered good service for their proh
to The police made sad mess OF It, a
lis Miller, while under their eyes, rad
e. away like an apparition.
ce The indictment against Miller by
m. grand jury was found at 1890 p. m.
ay Thursday Captain Reynolds, chief
or detectives in Brooklyn Borough, sa
D. that he did not receive the warrant
IL the arrest of Miller until p. M
as Meanwhile Detectives Finn and Do
I'd. ovan had been ordered to keep Mil
he under surveillance Miller had left
ay Floyd street place of business WI