The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-15

] Frank Wilson Brown, known to all the
old-tmers among the Washington brok-
ers as a ready spender and a good sort
OF fellow, but man who was usually
in hot water with his business affairs.
has been arrested in san Jose. Cal. by
post-ofice inspectors. He is charged,
with three other men. who were taken
into custody. with fraudulent use Of the
mails in engineering bogus sporting
events
Following the capture, he and his COM
panions were formally Identified IN San
Francisco before United States Commits
sloner E. H. Heacock. on October 2 last.
as men who are wanted in Iowa on twen-
ty-one indictments They were photo
graphed by detectives and sent TO the
Alameda County Jail to await arraign-
ment, and remanded TO Iowa to face the
charges there.
Post-ofice inspectors from St. Louis.
no followed the men across the coun-
try. declare that one Of the victims OF
the group was feeced out Of $1,000 BY
betting on a wrestling match that wasn't
/ according to the rules and regulations OF
! the sporting fraternity in particular or
the public in general
Brings Up "Reminiscences
In a number OF Washington brokerage
! Offices the story OF the capture viii bring
/ I'D "reminiscences OF the DAYS, more than
Z ten years ago. when Brown was In busi-
ness in F street, and. among other inter
ests. represented a number Of New York
firms. Even here his path was lined with
d little OF the primrose. He was tne sort
or man everybody liked who liked the
sort Of man he was. He could leave
a business venture between the twin
rocks Of ScylIa and Charybdis. and turn
up few days later IN a winter hotel
/ in the South. and tip the head waiter a
so yellow boy without batting an eyelid.
He was good looking, had a pleasant ad-
/ dress. wore handsome clothes. looked
1 less than his age. and, according 10
many, was always ready 10 dig down into
| his jeans when he heard a hard luck
story
It was twenty-eight or thirty years ago
I that Frank Brown started as a boy in
his teens. chalking up stock quotations
| on a blackboard here in the city OF his
birth. He always stuck with the bust
I ness. There was something about the
/ unexpectedness and uncertainty OF 1t
/ that never let him go. As time vent
/ on he established an Office for himself.
and at various times represented firms OF
! high rating on the New York Stock Ex-
/ change. although other connections IN
/ Gotham were OF the second-rate variety.
/ They say some Of his interests were OF
the bucket-shop order.
Had a Failing Habit.
He had a habit Of failing. leaving town
/ for his health. coming back to interest
other men with him as silent partner.
and starting up another Office. At diff
( ferent times his Offices were located at
1929 1895, and 1881 F street
Z The big failure which ended his last
I business venture in Washington, came in
/ 1895. when he went under for something
like 100000, and took many others with
! him, some Of them so far that they were
financially crippled. That caused q lot
I Of ugly talk. but nothing definite was
/ ever brought 10 light 10 support IL
At another time a story went the rounds
about some trouble at Fort Monroe. IN
which he is said to have been mixed
Consfnuo1 n, p,ra p Coyrv,- a