The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-28
ARREST OF MILLS
DUE. TO [: / P0s'TALs. {: Ms
Anonymous Cards from Jeal
Gus Woman Lead to I'm.
portant Capture.
FRAUD CHARGED
AGAINST SOLICITOR
Alleged to Have Collected Large.
Sum from North Carolina Wo-
man to Pay Insurance for y;
Several Years, and Only
to Have Turned
in Pare.
Especial to The Times. Di,pa,ct.l

Especial to The Times Dispatch.l
~ ALEIGH, N. C., April 27.-Th.,
| arrest of w. j. Mills in Phila-s
delphia, at the instance Of the
Il y North Carolina State Department.
of Insurance., brings to light
what is alleged to have been one of
the most remarkable insurance frauds
perpetrated In North Carolina in a
great while
| According to an official statement BY
\ Insurance Commissioner Young, the
4 circumstances are that more than five
| years ago Mills was representing the
| Mutual Life Insurance Company. at.
| New York. with Charlotte as headquar.
ters, and he went to Laurenburg, Rich
mond county, and collected in one day
5000 in life insurance premiums from
Mrs. Hattie w. Bryant, who is now.
by a subsequent marriage Mrs. Hattie
! w. McLocklin. This amount was In
two checks OF si,6oA5o each, in con-
sideration OF two policies Of $4,000
each and one for $4,000, on the ten
payment gold bond plan. The pay.
ments were represented to her as pay
Ling all premiums on the policies for
| five years. 95f rs
The fve years expired last fall, and
Mrs. McLocklin took steps to make
further payments on the insurance polt.
cies. communicating with the home
| office for that purpose She was In
formed that all the policies. except one,
had already lapsed. Investigation
showed that the agent had only re-
ported to the company one payment
| each on two of the policies. The case
was reported to the State Department
| of Insurance. and Commissioner Young
brought about a settlement by the
Mutual Life OF New York whereby Mrs.
lMcLocklin was given $4,000 in paid-up
policies and $4,000 cash.
Given Money to Deposit.
A further fraud alleged to have been
perpetrated by Mills was that he pros;
cured from Mrs. McLoeklins a check for
3l,4oO. which he promised to deposit
with Charlotte bank, so that a hiEhe1
rate Of interest could be realized.
This was never deposited. and a war.
rant for this offense has been OUT
standing for several years. This could
not, Of course, be included in the set
ltlement procured from the insurance
company by the State Department.. Tho
search for Mills has been in progress
some time. He was first located in
Pittsburg. but he skipped out from
there before the arrest could be made,
Assistant Commiss ioner of Insurance
w. A.. Scott went to Philadelphia last
Friday to locate Mills. who was be-
|.lieyed to be there. The trip was suc-
cessful the arrest being made yester-
day, ana Mrs. McLocklin has gone to
philadelphia to identify Mills, who re-
fuses 70 talk. Commissioner YounS
says he is absolutely sure he has the
right man.. He. is to be brought to
North Carolina for prosecution as soon
as the extradition can be consummated.
Mills. who was formerly engaged In
the insurance business In DanWille,
where he was held In high esteem.
married young Lynchburs woman
member of a. appointment family.
Through Jealous Enmity.
The arrest of Mills, accordingtto tbs
Philadelphia Record Of yesterday, Is
due to the jealous enmity Of q woman
with whom he is said to have been on
friendly terms at one time. The Record
says:
THE insurance officials were highly
Indignant overlthe way he had treated
the company, and also over his action
in regard to one of its policyholders.
and steps were at once taken 70 p4r.S
sue him to the ends OF the earth, II
necessary. Several times the amounl
Of the money taken by the accused
I.vsl3
Up to a few days ago, IT was ba-
lieyed that all this seXpendit ore Y had
been In vain. as 1t would have been
IL 1t had not been for two ANONYMOUS
postal cards semitic William A. Scott.
Assistant Insurance Commissioner el
North Carolina. Both cards We're III
feminine handwriting The first one
receiyed stated that Mills was living
In Pittsburg at an address which was
given correctly. When Conlmis ssloner
Scott and detective visited the ad-
dress they discovered that the fugl-
tive had moved.-- Shortly afterwards
second postal card was received,
which gave Mills,s address as on leI-
ferson Street. Philadelphia,
came on to this rity and called at the
detective bureau. Detective FrahK
iO,Connor was assigned to the case, and
E he and the commissioner Went quletiy
to the Jefferson Street address, aIrlS-sf
ing shortly after midnight me 1ohE
time which had elapsed since Mills lstt
North Carolina had given him conn
be found out Therefore. when Detse-
tive O'Connor told him that he was
wanted for the North Carolina affair
III was as II bolt had fallen from q
clear sky, and he almost coll lapsed.
Put Razor In Packet,
M "According to the detective. he put "a
razor in his pocket and asked to be
permitted to SO into the bathroom TOR
a few seconds. but fearing that the
man. who had become greatly excited
and was very nervous. mi ghtg make an
attempt on his life, admission was re- Il
fused. The detective subsequently found
out that he was wise In not granting
the request, as Mills had whispered g
Me 4wifa tha 4 he would end his life,
Commissioner Scott stated that thera
we're rumors that the prisoner had had
another wife,. hut up to that time he Is
had not been able to confirm the re-
port .., ,sg . . . s
S'5 .sWhat I, do think" he said .is that
q young woman whom he had probahiy3s r.
thrown down sent the postal cards NJ
ibetraying hhs8tat!,et than have him
live In love and happiness with hisls
swife and children. That she did nos
sbetray him for SO long q time may he NJ
accounted for px sssyngs & NAlsh \. sAs y i