The New York herald., 1922-02-18
William Werner, Brooklyn,
Who Exposed Florida Gang,
Hides Himself.
HE HAD BEEN GUARDED
Man and Wife Are Accused in
100000 Fraud to De-
velop Oyster Beds.

Special Dispatch TO THE New YorK HERALD.
JAcKsoNvILLE, Fla, Feb. 17.-Will-
lam Werner. president of the William
Werner Company. 11o Hale avenue.
Brooklyn. builder and contractor,
whose tips to the police resulted in the
arrest of five alleged confidence men
in Panama Park bungalow follow
Ing their attempts to defraud him of
81 600, 900. has left Jacksonville in fear
of his life.
While in the city Mr.. Werner was
furnished with a guard night and day
At the Hotel Seminole. where he was
stopping, Sheriff r. L. Merritt as
signed a man to stand guard at his
testify against the five men he was
guarded. His destination has been
kept secret, and it is not known
whether he has returned to Brooklyn
or gone down the State.
Il fear for my life and I am going
to leave Jacksonville immediately =
Mr.. Werner said after returning to
his hotel from Panama Park. where
the first trial of the confidence men
was held.
Wants to Avoid Pursuit.
II might take a bus. from Jackson
Vile to st. Augustine and by doing this
think I can avoid detection by the
confidence men who am sure are
watching me night and day and will
kill me If they get chance. While 1
was visiting the bungalow at Panama
OF the doors and ] think / saw some
one peeping at me- was alone in the
room at this time
The five alleged confidence men ar
rested last Saturday afternoon at Pana-
ma Park were held in $500 each TODAY
on charges OF being inmates Of gam
bling house. They were first tried Ia g..
Tuesday on the charge of attemptinr q
to defraud Mr. Werner and bond was
fixed at $1,000 each. Richard Stillman
attorney for the five men. announced
tonight that he would obtain writ ~
naDees corpus as his clients are still
kept in Jail.
Benjamin Dyson. United States Mar
shall. after conference with SHERIFF.
Merritt said he would serve warrants on
George Robertson of Columbus. q and
Tom Ochiltree. 72. OF South Jacksonv,Ile
two or the men under arrest. charping o
them with using the mails 10 defraud
when the State authorities are through
The other men are John Marshall 90.
ana William Curtis, fs. Of Newark. N.
j., and Charles Bates. s5 az Ta,nna
Jack O'Brier. alleged conf'dcnca 49,
the first 10 be indicted I'm florida undo,.
the recently enacted law. which is de-
signed 10 aid In the prosecution OF bunco
steerers, failed to appear in the Circui,
Court at Clearwater yesterday and FOR
feited his bond OF 5000
Man and wife Accused.
William Lee Popham. poet and pro.
moter. and his wife, Maude Miller pom
nam. president and Secretary" re-
spectvely or the oysters Growers CO.
operative Association of Apala chicola.
are under bond awaiting trial in ,be
Federal Court ut Pensacola on Tho
charge OF defrauding hundreds of small
investors throughout the country out
of approximately 81 900 900 Tho Pom
hams were indicted by the Fede-a'
Grand Jury Mt Pensacola on the spec,fic
charge of using the mails to defraud
Fred Cubberley. Federal attorney Mt
Pensacola, over the telephone tonight
told THE NEW YORK HERALD that Por-
ham had worked out an exceedingly
elaborate scheme, the principal idea OF
which was the formation of n common
law trust corporation which sold shares
to unit holders by means of extern
sive advertising throughout the United
States. This corporation was TO grow
oysters upon large beds at Apalachl-
cola and sell them under coopera-
tive plan by which all shareholders
would receive large dividends. Although
Continued on Pare Nine.
sr,y,n I,o,, vyvJ,tng panera