The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-24
HARRY MILLER HAD ARTICLES
 CHARGED TO A BANKER.
Mere Child from Atlanta Amazed Montgomery Police by His Knowl- edge of Criminal Methods.
 Belongs to Good Family.

l thin. but manly little voice said:
 They're keeping me here until mothe comes; she'll be here from Atlanta to
 night"
 The little prisoner was Harry Miller
 son of MT. and Mrs. G. B. Miller o
 Atlanta, Ga, who formerly lived in Mont
 gomery The boy says he Is 10 years old
 Montgomery citizen who Identified hin says he Is in the fourteenth year Of hi age.
 | He Is held at police headquarters on charge of false pretenses and the poic say the indications are that he Is tn most hardened criminal for his age tha was ever picked up in Montgomery.
 The youngster was arrested for praotic ing frauds on at least three Montgom cry mercantile establishments. He secured goods amounting to nearly slo( l ant had thom charged to the account of prominent Montgomery banker. His | fine address, innocent face, and well man. nered demeanor caused clerks in the business houses to fall easy prey to the scheme of this youthful swSadier. The naivete of the boy when arrested amazed the police. For his years he is regarded AS a wonder by patrolmen who have grown grey In the service of catch ing criminals. The child told each per son who interviewed him a different story of his career and each story was told In such c bland. but straightforward manner that 1t carried conviction.
 That boy ts as handsome . child as ever saw and the worst liar ever heard talk" declared Police Chief Gerald. after having received positive proof that the youngster had told different stories of his movements.
 Then the veteran police chief relapsed into a reminiscent mood and spoke of other criminals who had puzzled him.
 Information reached police headquarters Monday evening that small boy had been busy all of Monday swindling the big retail houses in the downtown district. In a well known clothing house on Court Square the youth purchased clothing. un- derwear and other articles. Going across the Square to a furnishing house he ss- lected handsome leather satchel, silk suspenders and fancy goods which he bore away. Before nightfall he had pur- chased a fine shot gun, Jswelry and shoes.
 All of these articles were booked against the banker whose name the At lanta boy used freely.
 Just charge them to my father, MT. Blank" he said in one place. Just charge them to my uncle. Mir Blank" he said in another.
 Fhe nonchalance of the boy, his refined
 
 clerks They did net even call to mind that 'Mr. Blank" had no sons. They Raew that MT. Blank was without nepnews. perhaps, but these thoughts did not occur to them. The genteel-appearing youngster had waved his fairy wand and they stood under his spell. They charged thmem to Mir. Blank, and the innocent-faced youngster from Georgta's capital city went away with great joy in his heart and bundles in his small arms
 A suspicious merchant telephoned to MT. Blank" who confirmed the worst fear of the merchant
 Then the search for the bland young man from Atlanta began. He had been at the Windsor Hotel. the police learned. He paid his bill there about Il o'clock Monday night. The clerk did not say he hired wagon to convey his bundles away from the hostelry. The clerk, however. inumated that the little stranger had bun. dles.
 Early yesterday morning a guest of the Exchange Hotel was rudely awakened by Special. Officer Payne. The guest. who weighed about sixty pounds. had regis tered as Hal Oliver. After expressing his disgust at being awakened at an hour so early the hotel guest declared that he was Mir. Oliver. of Atlanta. Ga" The police officer told him he was under arrest and
 MT. Oliver" expressed anxiety lest he miss his morning bath. The officer was memorable and MT. Oliver" missed his matutinal ahlutions.
 The little stranger dressed himself in a natty suit of clothes and put on & jaunty golf cap of grey with an extended visor Over the visor in red silk was embrold- cred the lettering: I'll. '06.''
 Confronted by Police Chief Gerald and with tho articles ha had saOupo ha aad' about him on the floor. the boy said he was Hal Oliver, student of Howard College at East Lake.
 The clothing of the boy was searched and letters from his parents in his pock- cts showed that he was Harry Miller, Q son of MT. and Mrs. G. B. Miller of At lanta, Ga. MT. Miller is a well known travelling salesman for a big tobacco con- cern. Until 1900 the family lived in Mont gomery. They then removed to Birming- ham and from Birmingham went to At lanta. The letters also showed that the boy has close relatives in Birmingham. One letter from his mother was dated December i9 and was addressed to the boy in Bir- mingham, The letters were well written and breathed a spirit of motherly love and motherly anxiety. Mrs. Miller indi- cated that her son had defrauded numer- OuS merchantS or Atlanta ana lmploreu him to return home and undertake a lew life. She said his father had spent a great deal of money in covering up his wrong doing and urged him in the most endearing terms to mend his conduct.
 The boy admitted that he was Harry Miller, but held to his story that he was a student of Howard College, He said his parents were in Jacksonville. Fla, and that he was en route there to join them.
 A telephone message to Police Chief Austin of Birmingham brought the infor- nation that the boy was not student of Howard College. This information did not disconcert young Miller. He said he had been to Howard College once. but he was more recently a student of college near Atlanta. To Police Chief Gerald he said he came to Montgomery Monday morning from Birmingham. To report CT he said he came to Montgomery from Atlanta Monday night.
 Soon after being ushered into the pres ence of Police Chief Gerald, young Mil Ter, with the urbanity of an old school gentleman. requested that some one call at the postoff1ce for his mail.
 'I am expecting important letters" he said.
 An officer who went to the postoffice received at the general delivery window a letter addressed to Harry Miller" It was opened by Police Chief Gerald. The missive was a typical love letter and was signed "N. M. 614 North Hull Street" There is no such number on North Hull Street Chief Gerald says the boy wrote the letter himself