The times., 1899-12-09
MILLER A FIGUREHEAD.
How the eFrHnkIin Syndicate Was
Organized and Carried On.

organized ana carried OHs
NEW YORK, Dec. S.-Nearly everybody
came to the conclusion some time ago. that
William F. Miller was a mere figurehead.
the tool of the real proprietors Of the
Franklin Syndicate" It was learned to-
day that the conclusion was well founded.
Instead OF the men behind Miller being
members of that choice coterie which
swindled under the name of the E. s.
Dean Company" it now appears that all
of the men who divided the profits Of the
concern made their debut as swindlers with
the Franklin Syndicate"
The idea of the Franklin Syndicate"
was conceived by man who conducts d
nominally reputable business in Fulton
Street. Manhattan. This man suggested
the starting of the Franklin Syndicate"
to a man VINO first became known at the
Syndicate" headquarters, IA Floyd Street,
BROOKLYN about ten days before the head
quarters were raided by the police The
man to whom the scheme was suggested
liked it, He sought a friend Of his, and
the two agreed to go into the thing. pro-
viding they could find the proper man to
act as the ostensible proprietor. Miller
was finally hit on and somebody suggested
that a very business-like name could be
supplied BY the use Of Millers middle
name and the word syndicate"
The business WAS 5tdEttu anu IL IAN
along quietly for several months. At first
Miller was able to attend 10 all the money
that came in Later the receipts began TO
increase, and a man, whose regular busi
ness is that of bookmakeT's sheet writer,
WAS sent to Brooklyn 10 look after a GER
tain number OF books which have never yet
been seen by the police or public. The
books seized by the police are now said to
aave been chiefly dummy books.
About October the business OF the con-
Germ began to boom, and large sums OF
money came in. On and after that DAY, It
is said. another employe OF the bookmaker
known on the race track as the outside
man for a bookmaker. carried the bdlk Of
zach dav's receipts 10 the Office of the COM
epirator in Manhattan, from where they
ere taken to a bank and deposited. 1t Is
said that MiIler's share of the receipts was
very small as compared with the amount
divided between the bOokmaker and MS
friend.
In the final division of the profits, the
bookmaker's friend, man who superseded
Miller as the real manager Ci the business.
8ppropriated the largest share He has
disappeared. and he took his money with
him. The police are informed that the
bookmaker sailed for Europe with his wife
on Wednesday, The bookmaker's sheet
writer disappeared about the same time as
he bookmaker's friend The only per-
son left in town, in fact, who knows about
/ the inside transactions of the syndicate Is
| the bookmaker's outside man, who is
| said to have carried away the money from
/ Floyd Street He is Eow under suryeil-
/ lance.
AS for Miller. the tool, the man who
was sent to the front by the principals it
may be stated that he is enjoying the best
| OF health and is as comfortable as he can
| be in the circumstances. He is not in Mon
treal or anywhere else in the Dominion OF
| Canada II it were absolutely necessary for
his family, Tor instance, to see him. they
might meet him at the end Of not more than
a two-hours' journey from the city hall.