Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-25
ROBBED BY MAN
WHO PRETENDED
TO BE BROTHER
SWINDLER CLAIMS TO BE LONG
MISSING RELATIVE
AGED MAN IN TEXAS SENDS
MONEY 70 lMPosToR
Case Is Placed in Hands of Postal
Authorities and Suspect Arrested
in Los AngeIes-Other VIC
Tins Reported
IF Postoffice Inspector Wilson has

f Postoffice Inspector Wilson has
the correct information he caused
the arrest yesterday of one of the
most heartless criminals who ever
operated in this country. The man
gives the name of Frank Williams, and
it is alleged he has made a good living
in the last few years by answering ad
vertisements for lost persons, posing rs
the persons in question and getting
money from the anxious relatives, for
which they have had no returns.
The most pitiful case reported
against the man is that in which John
Frank of San Antonio, Tex, was the
victim. Several months ago Frank ad
vertised for a brother whom he had
not seen for many years. The man had
come into a small amount of money
and for the first time was able to pay
the expenses of a thorough search for
the prodigal. The old man had loved
the brother dearly, and they had been
great chums until a trifling misunder-
standing in the family had caused the
younger of the two to leave home.
For time he kept in touch with his
brother, but at length suddenly letters
ceased to come. Inquiries, such as his
feeble means enabled him to make,
were fruitless to Mr.. Frank, and he
was so greatly grieved as to be rem
dered almost an invalid.
Prosecutes Search
Recently he was given money enough
by a bequeSt to prosecute the search,
and to that end he inserted in papers
scattered about the country a notice
asking for information about the
brother.
1t is alleged Williams saw this adver-
tisement and answered it, stating ne
was the brother in question, but that
he was then sick and in the hospital.
He thus explained a very feeble hand
writing and expected to avoid detec-
tion. His letter, according to the
charges, went ON to say he was in dire
distress, that luck had always been
against him and that he could not go
home to San Antonio unless money was
forwarded him. He asked for S75 and
railroad ticket.
The venerable brother in Texas was
so overjoyed by the receipt of this
news he could scarcely wait for the
mails. He hastened to send the ticket
and the money, and arranged great
feast for the brother when he should
come, to which would be invited a
great number of friends. The celebra-
tion in honor of the home-coming was
to have been a splendid affair, and the
old man lived the anticipated event
over and over again in his thought by
day and his dreams by night.
Time passed and there came no an
swer to the letter, no telegram saying
the brother was coming, no response
of any sort. Days heightened into
weeks and still no answer. In despair
for fear his letter had miscarried the
old man began a frantic consultation
with the postoffice authorities.
Ticket Sold to scaIper
At the end of period of heart
breaking length the authorities sent
him letter showing the progress of
their search and showing beyond ques-
tion that the letter containing the
money and the ticket had been de-
livered properly. They also discovered
the ticket had been sold to scalper.
Mr.. Frank was so overcome by the
news he took to his bed, and for weeks
his life was despaired of.
In the meantime the postoffice Of
ficials went on the trail of the man
who had received the letter, and al
though they found out at length who
he was he managed to elude them and
to escape. He went east, Postoffice In
spector Wilson says, and there, encour-
aged by the success of his first venture,
began systematic search for adver-
tisements of similar character in other
papers.
He was successful in deceiving sew
eral, the officers say, and was just
working out a fine system for opera
tions when he found officers on his
trail and was forced to make another
hasty removal.
Inspector Wilson says he ran across
traces of the mans work in Los An
geles within the past two weeks and
sent him a decoy letter by means of
which he located him. Williams was
arrested on a United States commits
sioner's warrant and is now in the
county Jail in default of $25OO bail.