Omaha daily bee., 1905-05-03
WEBB WORKS ON OLD CASE
Local Federal officer Digs Into Famous
Manhattan Bank Robbery.
FINDS NEPHEW OF MAN ARRESTED
Relieves Cedar Rapids Suspect Inno-
cent-Crfme Psrpetrated Thirty
Years Ago stilI Holds
the Prize,

Captain John Webb has just returned
from Cedar Rapids, Ia, where he has for
several days been investigating the matter
of a $4,000 gold 4 per cent bond that was
stolen from the Manhattan National bank
Of New York over thirty years ago.
The participation Of the Cedar Rapids
party in the affair grows out of the fact
that Samuel Winfield Miller Of that city
is the uncle of Dr. l.. Arville Wilcoxson of
New York, who was arrested in New York,
February ., 1906, at the Waldorf-Astoria
hotel. while attempting to dispose of the
$1,000 bond or to raise money on it,
This was the first of these bonds to APP
pear since the robbery OF thirty years ago,
at which time the Manhattan National
bank was broken into and robbed of $3,OOO-
900. largely of bonds of this denomination.
The robbery was the most famous in the
history OF bank robberies in the United
States and still ranks as the greatest of
them. The recovery of this $4,000 bond
from On Wilcoxson IN February last Is
the first of the bonds TO be recovered.
DIR. wiIcoxsOn's story.
DR.. wilcoxson accounted for his possess
sion of the Oond in that he had bought it
from miner in the Klondike country,
named Sam Warren Miller. He had not
undertaken to dispose of it hitherto be-
cause of its large amount and that he was
awaiting the arrival Of Miller in New York
in order that Miller endorse the bond, or
rather certify to his endorsement made
at Dawson City some time before. The
alleged Miller put in an appearance in New
York in February and proceedings for the
negotiations of the bond begun The al
legged Miller confirmed the sale of the bond
TO wiIcoxson and the money was realized
from It. The bond was subsequently
81. Fw.,.~ H..
Manhattan bank and Wilcoxson's arrest
promptly followed Miller had disappeared
in the meantime. However, Immediately
following wilcoxsons arrest he telegraphed
to his uncle, Sam Winfield Miller. at Cedar
Rapids, to send him $1,000 instanter, as he
was in serious trouble. The telegram was
intercepted by the United States authorities,
and, they believing that Sam Warren Miller
and Sam Winfield Miller were the same
person, had the latter indicted by the fed
eral grand jury in New York, jointly with
Wilcoxson.
miller Thought TO BE Innocent.
The Cedar Rapids Miller claims to be
entirely ignorant of the transaction or any
possible or probable participation in the
bond deal. However, he admits that DIR.
Wilcoxson is his nephew and that he had
received the telegram from him asking for
the $1,000 to help him out of his scrape
pr. Wilooxson is but 81 years of age. He
bears the reputation Of being a high liver
in New York. 1t was conclusively shown
at tho hearing before the federal grand
Jury in New York that the name of Sam
w. Miller had been forged to the bond and
at the same time that Sam Winfield Miller
of Cedar Rapids, answered the description
OF tho man. who passed himself off as Sam
w. Miller at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in
February.
The Cedar Rapids. Sam Winfield Miller,
was taken to New York and his preliminary
hearing is set for today in that city. Mr.,
Miller's, Cedar Rapids friends are standing
by him loyalty and emphatically deny that
he is in any way implicated in the matter
except through his relationship to Wilcox
son. Captain Webb is also of the opinion
that Sam Winfield Miller is an entirely
innocent party in the transaction. Captain
Webb is of the further opinion that DR..
wilcoxson has been employed as a willing
tool by the iI.heritors of the profits of the
Manhattan bank robbery to negotiate the
10000 gold bonds, and that they have now
dropped completely out of sight. and that
the Cedar Rapids Miller is simply the
victim of Wilcoxson's perfidy.