The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-25
But The BIRDS HAD FLOWN.
Raiders Find $4,000 In the Office Forty
Employees Placed Under Arrest. $4,000
Concealed In an Old Lounge of
Clerks Room Dupes IN
deceived by Crash.

New York, Nov. 24.-William F.
Miller, head Of the Franklin syndicate,
which has accepted the deposits of
thousands of persons in Brooklyn, un-
der promise of paying dividends of 10
per cent week or 500 per cent per
annum, and Cecil Leslie, his secretary,
were indicted by the Kings county
grand jury this afternoon.
Bench warrants were issued for the
arrest of these two men, but up to
quite late hour tonight neither had
been found, the police saying that they
had disappeared in the afternoon. To-
night the police, under the charge of
Capt, Reynolds, chief of detectives in
Brooklyn, Inspector Brennan and
Police Capt. Lee, raided the premises
occupied by the Franklin syndicate, on
Floyd street, Brooklyn. There was a
crowd of people around the building
Inspector Brennan arrested Louis Mil
Ter, brother of the head of the syndi-
cate and the cashier of the concern, and
took possession Of 900 in cash. There
were 40 employees at work in the
offices and these were allowed to go.
1t was stated by Louis Miller to the
police that the Offices We're then in the
hands of Richmond county parties, to
whom the concern had assigned. The
charge upon which Miller was indict-
ed was that of conspiring to defraud.
The district attorneys office in Brook
Ign has been at work on the case for
some weeks. Miller had been engaged
for the past two years or so, in Offering
ind tn 1a
pie to invest their money for him to
make use of, but it has been only with
in the last month that, by extensive
advertising he has managed to attract
to his office daily hundreds of people
who gathered in a long line or fought
with each other for the opportunity to
hand out their savings Even when
the place was raided tonight by the
police, a number of those around the
offices were waiting to deposit money
with the Franklin syndicate.
The presence of the police caused
great excitement When they entered
the offices, James Daily, ex-sheriff of
Richmond county, to whom it was
claimed the concern had assigned, was
put off the premises Daily has been
in the employ of Miller for some time
past OF the $4,000 taken possession
OF by the police, something more than
$4,000 in cash was found in the syndi-
cate offices.
From the record which the police haG
made of today's deposits, it was evil
dent that a portion of the money had
been removed from the offices, and
Louis Miller was called upon to make
an explanation He at first refused but
on being threatened by the police, said
that MSS Annie Cory, an employee Of
the concern who lived in a house adj
Joining the Offices had been given the
possession of a large sum of money in
the morning by the head of the firm.
The nolice went to the adjoining
house, they placed Miss Cory under ar
rest, and after an extended search they
found nearly $4,000 concealed in an old
lounge in her apartment The woman
then declared that she had this money
in her possession for the purpose of
paying the employees of the syndicate,
The police, however, took possession Of
the money, and gave Miss Cory her
liberty. Then general orders We're sent
out. and a search instituted for william
e. Miller, head of the firm, and his sec
rotary, Cecil Leslie.
William f. Miller located his offices
amongst the poorer classes in Brooklyn,
and made one feature of his business
the acceptance of small sums of money
and the alleged investment of them for
poor people. He claimed that by inside
tips on the stock market he was able
to reap large and quick profits, of which
he was willing to pay a large percent
age to his clients. He seemingly paid
the interest each week. and his business
increased. Within the past few months
he advertised extensively, and in all
parts of Brooklyn could be found peo-
pie who could tell wonderful stories
of the weekly dividends. Then some
of the financial concerns in New York
began TO look into the business of the
Franklin syndicate, and not only did
many Of the prominent financiers de-
nounce as preposterous the offer of 10
per cent interest, but some of the banks
refused to accept Miller's account, or to
do business with him.
1t is claimed that Miller was simpl-
athe representative of a syndicate Of
men who had been engaged in con
Quoting blind pools Cor years The fall
-ure of a blind pool concern in Pittsburg
several years ago caused similar AFFAIRS
to spring up elsewhere.
No syndicate has ever attempted to
pay any such wonderful rates OF IN
.terest as the Franklin syndicate Inc
very fact that the newspapers ana