New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-11-25

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2 Possessed Unlimited Nerve.
Stranger Lived at Hotel One Week
and Then Came to Grief.
Who is Miller? Outwardly he is a
seedy, uneducated laboring man, but
in reality he seems to be a very smooth
bunco artist. One thing is certain
he is an individual possessing un-
limited nerve, as several merchants in
Lafayette can testify.
AS near as can be learned the much
discussed unknown first appeared in
New >Ulm. About two weeks ago, at
the time the Minneapolis & st. Louis
bridge crew was engaged in removing
the stringers from the Cottonwood fill,
a stranger walked into the St. Louis
depot and inquired for M. M. Cook,
assistant foreman of bridge and build
ing and the man in charge of the work
being done here. The visitor had
dabbled with strong drink and he in
formed Station Agent R. L. English
that a pass from New lin to Winthrop
was due him. -....... -s.,.-
Mr.. English told the man that he
would have to apply to Cook for the
transportation, but the Intoxicated
party replied that he could ride to
Winthrop without pass and Chamber
ed upon freight train waiting in the
yards. Nothing was thought of the
incident. about the local depot but
few. days later Mr.. Cook received
letter from person signing the name
of Miller. The letter was written
on railroad blank and it's tenor was
to the effect that the sender wanted
train-load of stone shipped. to him at
once. Naturally the affair was be-.
You'd the comprehension of the fore
man but it was soon cleared up by re-
ports from Winthrop. g-- -.:-zsz'
It seems that after leaving here
Miller went to Winthrop and boarded
at hotel for couple of days, giving
out the story that he had been sent to
that town by John Hickson, of the.
bridge building department, to super
intend the unloading of a train-load
of stone. When his landlord began
to grow suspicious he hired five
laborers to help him with the work and
then approached the foreman of a
bridge gang at Winthrop and informed
the latter that he had received orders
from Hickson to put all the men
available onto the job. The bridge
builders were in quandary. They
had received instructions to finish the
task upon which they were engaged
and when Miller descended upon them
they were taken aback by his evident
authority.
In the end, however, the foreman
dismissed him with the statement that
if dickson wanted stone unloaded he
could do it himself and then Miller
disappeared leaving the five men he
had hired to cool their heels while
waiting for the rock. But he was not
lost to sight for long, and when next
heard from was at Lafayette.
There, also, he put up at the hotel
and on the strength of his connection
with the St. Louis remained in the
hostelry a week. He told the Lafayette
people of the tabled train which was
headed in their direction and pending
its arrival bought about $45 worth oil
1clothing and other articles from q
merchant and had them charged to his
account. A saloonkeeper with whom
he became intimate was approached
on the subject of loan but just before
the money was advanced it began tc
be rumored that Miller was bogus.
Mr.. Cook was communicated with
and the suspicious confirmed, and
then Miller was given into the hands
of the marshal of Lafayette. A search
of his apartments revealed the articles
he had purchased from the merchant
and when the return of these had beer
secured the storekeeper decided not tc
prosecute, fearing that the stranger
might seek revenge by firing his bust.
ness house or dwelling.
His latest escapade was at KIossner.
He walked into that village last Thurs.
day afternoon but his fame had pre-.
coded him and he found that his jot
with the railroad was no longer good
for drinks and lodging. Thereupor
he departed silently and has not since
been seen, although the people he en-
[countered in his travels are still talk
ling of their experience.
| Miller is man about IS years o
age and has dark moustache. III