The San Francisco call., 1899-11-25

NEW YORK. Nov. 24-william F. NIL
Ter head OF the Franklin Syndicate. which
has accepted the deposits OF thousands Of
persons IN Brooklyn under promise Of
paying dividends OF 10 per cent a week. or
a-9 per cent per annum. and Cecil Leslie
ms secretary, were indicted by the Kings
County Grand Jury. Bench warrants
were issued for the arrest OF these two
men, but up TO a late hour tonight nei-
1hor had been found. the police saying
that they had disappeared in the after
noon.
Tonight the police raided the premises
occupied by the Franklin Syndicate on
floyd street There was a great crowd
OF people around the building and the
police surrounded II. Inspector Brennan
arrested Louis Miller. brother Of the head
81 the syndicate, and the cashier OF the
concern, and took possession OF $4,000 in
cash. There were forty employees engaged
al work IN the Offices. and these We're al
lowed 10 go.
The charge upon which Miller was in
oicted was that OF conspiring TO defraud
The District Attorneys Office in Brooklyn
has been at work on the case for some
weeks. 50 prominent have become Miller's
operations IN that time.
Miller had been engaged for tho past
TWO years IN offering his glittering induce
nlents 10 the people 10 invest their money
Tor l4lll TO make use or nlN IL Is only
within the last month. ng extensive ad-
Aertislng IN one way or another, he has
managed 10 attract 10 his office hundreds
OF persons. who gathered in long line
Ct fought with one another for the oppOr-
1unity 10 hand out their savings.
Even when the place was raided to-
night by the police number Of those
around the offices were waiting 10 deposit
money with the Franklin Syndicate. The
presence Of the police caused great excite
rnenL ~ hen they entered the office they
informed h %
the concern had made an assignment in
ne borough ot Manhattan 10 James
Daily, eN-Sherim OF Richmond. Chief Of
Detectives Reynolds said that the police
"a ere the aSSigneeS now and put Daily of
the premises. Daily has been in the en-
pDg pt Miller Tor some time past OF the
&la.rpO taken possession Of by the police
more than S5ol0 in cash was found in the
syndicate Offices
From the. record which the police had
made OF to-1ay's deposits il was evident
that portion Of the money had been re-
moved from the offices. and Louis Miller
The cashier, who was arrested, was called
upon 10 make an explanation. on being
threatened by the police he said that Miss
Annie Cory. an employe OF the concern,
who lived in n house adjoining the ofices
had been given the possession OF large
sum of money In the morning by the head
The police went 70 the adjoining house
whore they placed Mss Cory under ar
rest, and after an extended search they
found nearly 5000 concealed IN an old
lounge in her apartments. The woman
then declared that she had this money IN
Der possession for the purpose OF paying
The employees of the syndicate The po-
lce. however. took possession OF the
money and caa-a Miss Cory her liberty
W. iliam D. Miller began the Franklin
SNnolc1te pa "a very small way. locating
bis Office among the poorer classes in the
borough of Brooklyn. and making one fea-
tGre of his business the acceptance OF
very small sums of money and their al
legged investment Tor the poor people He
claimed that by inside tips on the stock
llat ket ne was able 10 reap large and
quick profits. of which he was willing 10
pay large percentage 10 his clients. He
patQ The interest on the principal each
week and his business increased Within
the past few months he advertised extern
siyely. and In all parts Of Brooklyn could
De- found men who could tell wonderful
stories of the weekly dividends.
The rewSpap pers and financial circles re-
Gently began 10 make Investigations OF the
concern. i is said that within the last
week Miller has received deposits OF hun
dreds of persons. aEgregatiEg a daily
amount of from so 900 10 $4,000. II is easy
30 see. under these circumstances. how
the Franklin Syndicate could readily pay
out % per cent OF this amount a week
and stlll make money.
Not only were people living within the
limits of Greater New York large depos-
it0rs with the Franklin Syndicate but cit
ics all over the country contributed the
earnings Of scores OF their residents TO
swell The wealth of the syndicate. The
mail delivery daily NJ Millers Office
amounted 10 about three wagon loads
and most OF the letters contained money
Miller had "a faculty Of displaying "a large
amount Of his wealth. and the offices on
FLOYD street were piled high with green
backs Of all dc nominations and heaps Of
gold This seemed 20 lend confidence to
those HhO came with their subscriptions
and ia IS Impossible 10 even estimate
where the endless chain would have
ended. The prime pie of the endless chain
as developed by Miller. depended upon
the fact that HIS old customers brought
him additional mcnlbers and We're allowed
"A commission OF > per cent upon all mon