New-York tribune., 1900-04-05
BROOKLYN NEWS.
SAYS AMMON GOT $14,5OO.
CLARKE MAKES MILLER'S LAWYER UN-
COMFORTABLE.
OPENING ADDRESS FOR THE PEoPLE-MAN-
AGER OF SYNDICATE SAID TO HAVE
TAKEN AWAY 100000

District Attorney John F Clarke toward the close
or his opening speech yesterday in the trial Will
lam F. Miller, the manager of the Franklin Syndi-
cate, said he would prove that Robert A. A. Am
mon, one of the lawyers for Miller whose name
was frequently mentioned in connection with the
syndicate at the time it was exposed by the news
papers, had received sl4.5Oo from Miller This
money, Mr. Clarke said. probably given for
legal services; but the way in which the District
Attorney referred TO Mr.. Ammon made him squirm
in his chair and grow red in the face. At one
time he started to take the floor but was held In
his chair by another lawyer for the defence Mr.
Clarke also brought out the financial status of the
syndicate the time Miller disappeared and de-
clared that the latter must have gotten away with
about 100000. Previous to this there had been a
division of the money. and schlessnger. he said,
had received one-third.
The trial promises to be a long one as the Dis
trict Attorney announced that he would call as
many as 125 witnesses. The taking of testimony
will begin with the opening of court to-day when
Mrs Catherine Moeser the complainant In this
case. who is said have 900 in the Franklin
Syndicate, will be called to the stand
THE JURY COMPLETED
1t took about two hours yesterday morning TO get
the two remaining members of the jury. Following
Is list Of the jury, the last two names being
those OF the jurymen chosen yesterday:
Hugh O'Beirne. ice cream inspector of No 5sS
GeoEse r. young clerk No $50
Gert-st Fari-d Frank Maloney, grain dealer No IO1
46l Lexington ave; Harrison C. Fayes. clerk. No
loa oa Berkeley Place Edward TAYLOR bookkeeper No
I246 Myrtle-ave.; George H. Lester. carpenter No
No 6 Albert Paay reai estase No
$52 Hamburg-ave Louis c. Weide, ticket agent
No 20 Stuyvesant-ave.
The District Attorney began his address to this
jury before the nocn recess. He briefly outlined
the workings OF the Franklin Syndicate. and said
that 1t was palpable fraud and that the money
brought in went into Mlers pocket Continuing
Mr.. Clarke said:
a sl9 biII and how that bill grew until it became
hundreds, thousands and finally hundreds of thou
knew nothing of the Franklin Syndicate. and that
Miller never invested large sums of money there.
and that amount ne lost. He claims TO have secrets
of investment which would yield fabulous returns,
secrets which even Russell Sage does not possess
Mr.. Clarke added that he would show that the
scheme was started in company of young people.
members of the Tompkins Avenue Congrega tional
Church, and that once begun Miller could stop
it. Why declared the District Attorney 1.-The de-
positors would not have allowed him to close the
place. Had he shut the doors they would have
broken them down and forced him TO take their
money.
VICTIMS AN ARMY.
In the afternoon Mr.. Clarke said he would not at
tempt TO bring up all those that had invested
money in the syndicate about 12 900 1900 all.
for If he did it would take several years more time
than either the jury the court had to spare but
he would bring enough forward TO show that they
were all dovetailed together far interests
went, the later depositors were paying money
that the earlier depositors might receive their div-
dends
In speaking of Millers declaration that he
trader in Wall Street the District Attorney init
mated that he would bring forward representatives
from the leading firms in Wall Street show that
Miller never had any dealings with them. Miller
had a personal book that found among
his effects with list of the best known Wall
Street firms, including August Belmont & Co. j. P.
went TO show the slipshod fashion in which Mil
Ter conducted his bookkeeping
Miller did not have much OF a record of his
transactions said Mr.. Clarke, "and he has not
left much evidence. but he has left enough
The District Attorney then started in to show
how marvellously the business had increased and
said that he would prove without slightest
when he left Brooklyn The receipts for the last
five weeks prior TO his disappearance were fol-
lows: SIS 40 Sl2S 40 s1603S6 s6S 79 and $4,000 The
last weeks receipts fell off account Of the
printed exposures in the papers, and on the follow
ing week, the last in which business was done,
there records made in the books at all. 1t
approxmated that when the syndicate closed
and S1SS, ,4s4 paid In dividends, that there
mained S434,153 for the proprietors.
On October is Edward Schlessinger appeared. Mr..
Clarke said that he does not know where he came
from and does not but that there is proof in
Miller's handwriting that the newcomer re-
ceived one-third of the profits after that leaving
about s2S9.C00 for Miller