The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-25
TRIES HONESTY; FAILS
$50 Per Cent" Miller Forced
to Close Restaurant.
GOT A MILLION FROM PUBLIC
Head OF "FrankIin Syndicate" Re
leased from Sing Sing, opens Small
Eating House, but Guests soon De-
sert Him Aided in COnvicting
Col Robert 4. AmmOn.

New York. Oct @-The latest venture
of Franklin Syndicate" Miller, the youth
who. after advertising himself as wiz
ard of finance" and paying 10 per cent
weekly dividends on money Invested
served a term in Sing Sing prison and was
pardoned by Gov. OdeH because he
"squealed" on Col Bob Ammon and aided
District Attorney Jerome to get convic-
tion in the latter's case. has failed.
This time it was not a wonderful stock
market scheme to pay 10 per cent week.
but was a plain little restaurant at 600
Montague street. Brooklyn. It was called
the Standard Restaurant. and for time
it bid fair to make good, but tonight its
doors were closed.
The restaurant ran only a few weeks.
At first it did good business and wore
prosperous aspect but lately it has been
almost deserted. William f. Miller, the
active partner in the management of the
restaurant finally decided this week that
il was useless 10 continue IN business.
AIiIler's past may have had something 10
do with the business that led to the clos
ing of the restaurant
Miller acted as cashier Of the establish
ment, and stood behind the cigar counter.
which was part of the restaurant People
who had grown familiar with the pictures
of his peculiarly formed face, with the
mashed-in nose. recognized him as the
man who got a million dollars out of a
gullible public
Running get-rich-quick syndicate was
easy compared with running a restaurant
Miller, who used to sit with his feet on
stacks of grcenbac5s while he headed the
Franklin Syndicate, had an empty till
most OF the time he was head Of the res
taurant. The people wouldn't patronize
the former convict's establishment
When Miller appeared as a restaurant
proprietor IL was she first time he had
been heard of for nearly three years.
When he was released from Sing Sing
about three years ago. ne announced thai
he would earn an honest living
Apparently he has been trying hard to
make good his word He got out of Sing
Sing as a reward for his assistance TO
District Attorney Jerome in securing the
conviction Of Robert A Ammon the law
yer, who was one of the real hackers Of
The Franklin syndicate. AmmOn and a
man named Schlesinger had planned the
syndicate and had picked Miller as their
tool
Active i'm sunday school.
He was q very pious member of a Ger
tain church and active in Sunday school
work He found many members of the
church who were willing to make $50
per cent year on the stock market.
He posed as q wizard of Wall street,
and the syndicate grew rapidly from
nothing 10 an enormous business, with
tens of thousands of dollars pouring in
every day.
Miller knew nothing about Wall street
and never risked any of the money there.
He paid the 10 per cent dividends every
week out of the principal that was in
vested by new victims u was a great
scheme and would have lasted as long
as new investors would come in with
money to pay the dividends of the old
investors.
The swinJIa was exposed by the Brook
lyu Eagle. and Miller was indicted. lie
got long term i'm prison, but served only
TWO years of it. At the time of his re-
lease it was said ne was dying Of con-
sumption