The evening times., 1899-11-30
HERBERT STILL MISSING.
Enquiries Made by Investors as to
His Whereabouts.

/ We
Enquiries Made by Investors as to
His whereabouts.
c. Herbert, the head OF the firm of C.
| Herbert & Co., the Investment security
brokers" who carried on blind pool
speculative operations in offices in the
| building at the northwest corner of Ninth
and Pennsylvania Avenue. and who disap-
peared last Monday, owing, it is said, a
large sum of money to investors, as told in
The Times this morning. has not yet been
found. Neither the police nor the Postoffice
Department people have as yet taken any
! steps toward his apprehension. though it is
stated at the Postofiice Department that an
examination of his mail or other facts, may
warrant the inspectors in obtaining an in
| dic.ment in the near future and in an at
! tempt to find him. The local police will
wait before taking any stetps for COM
| plant from some investor who has lost his
| money.
There is no let-up in the arrival at the
| postoffice of mail and money orders ad-
| dressed to the firm. This would tend to sub
stantiate the statements made regarding the
enormous business which the company is
said to have conducted. There is also 10
! diminution in matter of enquiries received
concerning the whereabouts of the missing
| Herbert. Many persons have presented
themselves at the company's offices in
search of Herbert, but as yet no one has
made complaint to the local police about
the operations OF the man. The enquirers
at the offices are unable to learn anything
except that Mr.. Herbert has not been seen
since Monday. Where he went or anything
else concerning him, is lot known.
ThA fr,v TinIn Iy
Herberts operations here. They knew OF
the existence of the firm but knew nothing
Of its methods. No complaint was ever
made against Herbert, and though some
Of the detectives have been suspicious OF
the business there was nothing for them to
do but keep their eyes open and wait de-
velopments. Even now that the develop
ments have arrived no action will be taken
toward apprehending the alleged fugitive
unless some formal complaint is lodged
against him. The nearest approach to
complaint and, in fact, the only word re-
ceived by the police concerning Herbert,
arrived last night in the shape of tele-
gram from Cleveland. Ohio 1t was anony-
nous, being signed simply Investor" The
telegram read: Watch c. Herbert In
vestment Company paying large monthly
dividends While it is evident from the
telegram that Investor has either been
victimized or is suspicious of the company
he makes no complaint and requests no ac-
tion on the part Of the police. He simply in
Inmates that the firm would bear watching.
The suggestion however. came too late, as
Herbert had absented himself three days
before il arrived.
Little is known of Herbert in this city
and from present indications little viii be
learned. as the business carried on appears
to have been with persons outside the Iity
exclusively II is possible however, that
there were one or two local investors
These it is expected will not come to the
front, preferring. it is thought. to content
themselves with what knowledge of the
business they have rather than gain the
notoriety which would naturally be con-
sequent upon the lodging of a complaint
against Herbert II was said that the prin
cipal business of Herbert was confined to
Maryland. Virginia, and West Virginia,
but the telegram received by the po.ice
from Cleveland would indicate that the
business extended over territory other than
the States named The police say that it
would not be surprising if numerous other
kilograms from various localities were re-
ceived in the near future. They base that
opinion on statements made to the effect
that $4,000 deposited b. customers with
the company is irretrievably gone and that
the depositors have, it is said, been noti-
fed to that effect. II is generally suppos-
ed that Herbert was conducting a branch
of the Franklin Syndicate and the fact
that the collapse of the business of Her.
bert occurred almost simultaneously with
that of the Franklin Syndicate is said to
be significant.
From what can be learned Herbert & Co.
began business at 900 Ninth Street, in May
last. Circulars were sent out to pTospec-
tive investors and a general campaign be-
gun to solicit business. The enormous
profits to be realized by investors was told
OF in circulars similar to those sent out by
the Franklin Syndicate" The circulars
were elaborate in detail and promised rap
i'd wealth for investors in the stock market.
1t is alleged that the firm paid large divi-
dends every month in the same way that
the Franklin Syndicate did. On several oc-
casCns the monthly payments were il is |
said, as high as % per cent and they were |
never less than IS per cent. Nothing can |
be learned of the methods of the firm or |
Of its investments, if it made any. 1t is |
understood that it had no telegraphic con-
nection with New York. There, was, how
ever. tape" in the Office giving the quo
tatiols on the stocks dealt in on the New |
York Stock Exchange. An employe of the |
firm stated last night, that all the money |
collected was turned over every month to
an unknown man who came to the office
regularly on a certain date. This leads to
the SuppCSltlCn tnat tne concern was Oniy |
a branch office of some outside hacker.
Herbert on last Monday sent out tc all
his investors circular letter making the
short statement that he had lost heavily
in Wall Street, and that he would be oblig-
ed to close up business. He stated in this
letter that he could not pay anything to
investors either on principal or interest ac-
count At the close of business that day
he left sufficient money with Miss Fanny F.
Perry, his private secretary, to pay off all
his clerks and then left the Office, telling
no one where he was going or what his
future plans were. A letter addressed to
The Postmaster Washington was found
on his desk on Tuesday morning, in which
it was requested that all mail received for
the firm should be sent back to the writers.
The clerks all arrived at the Office as usual
on Tuesday and were all paid off and told
that their services would no longer be re-
|