The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17

Miller, the HandcuG King, in One of
His Acts.
Miller arrived in town yesterday af-
ternOOn. He IS an unaSsuming chap Of
medium height and build and to look
at him one would think that it would be
the easiest kind of a job to keep him
behind the bars or handcuffed. But
locks are ever deceiving. Miller was
prevailed upon to go down to the city
prison yesterday afternoon and show the
Topeka sleuths how easy 1t is for one,
who know how, to free himself from
shaclles- And he certainly opened the
eyes of the policemen who were around
the station.
After being introduced to Chief Good
win and some of the other officers
around Miller said that he would guar
antee to free himself from any hand
CUTS that might be placed on his wrists
His invitation was accepted and then
began a search for handouts. There
was not a single set in the station. De
fectiVe Joe Ross came to the rescue by
running around to his house and get
ting a pair that happened to be there
These proved to be the old Bean style
Of cuffs, which have the reputation of
being as good ''nippers" as have been
made. The cuffs, connected with a
strong chain, were put on Miller
wrists and he retired ITO another room
IN q couple OF minutes ne returned IN
his shirt sleeves with the cuffs still on
his wrists but his coat in his hands.
II surely could not get these cuffs
off until after had removed my coat -
he said.
And there were all sorts of express
sions of CONSERVATION and surprise
from the policemen around. Sergeant
VOiles grabbed MilIer's coat and began
examining the seams in the sleeves
with the evident idea that it was sort
of a trick coat which might be slipped
off in any old way. Il proved to be
an ordinary coat and Miller must have
removed the handouts to have taken
it off and then slipped them on again
He left the room again for a couple of
minutes and when he returned the
handouts We're unlocked and III his
hands All of the policemen We're
anxious to know how the cuffs had
been unlocked and removed, but Mil
Ter had nothing to say ON this sub
jeet.
Another pair Of handouts were Sc
cured from the county Jail. There
We're of the Tower variety and were
Joined together with a short link.
With these On Miller did not have any
play with his hands as he did with the
first pair Joined by the chain. Miller
retired again and returned in four or
I'VE minutes with his hands free and
the cuffs unlocked. There We're no
other cuffs about to try Mtler's skill
he offered to be locked UP in a cell.
and said that he would easily release
himself but the policemen took his
word for it and said that all of the
locks on the cells were simple ones and
It would be merely childs play for
Miller to open them.
Miller has been giving exhibitions of
his skill on the vaudeville stages for the
last four years and during this time he
has been across the continent IA times
but has never visited Topeka before.
His first bid for notoriety as a man i'm
pervious to locks and bars was his es-
cape from the Kings County jail in
Brooklyn, NJ Y He got the permission
Of the warden of the jail to be locked
up as a prisoner merely for the purpos
Of seeing if he could break out. This
Kings County Jail is one OF the model
Institutions Of its kind in the country
and SO safe a place Of incarceration it Is
considered to be that many of the fam
Gus criminals convicted Of crimes
against the United States government
are confined there. Miller was locked
UP in a cell on the fifth tier and nine
cells removed from the lever that locked
ell Of the cells on that tier. It took him
nine days to get out of the cell and over
Ene 20 foot wall surrounding the iaiI.
He says that he could have broken out
sooner i he had cared to take a chance