SENSATIONAL ENDING OF AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE ONE OF FURLONG'S OPERATIVES IN
THE NOTED MILES WILL CASE. HOW THE CONSPIRACY WAS EXPOSED.
In the latter part of the '90s, Stephen B. Miles, a wealthy resident of
Nebraska, died, leaving an estate consisting of lands in Nebraska and
Kansas, bank stocks and bonds, and other property valued at several
millions of dollars. He was survived by a wife, from whom he had been
divorced, two sons, Joseph H. and Samuel, and a daughter, a number of
nieces and nephews and several grand-children. One of the sons, Joseph
H., was a prominent banker and business man of Falls City, Nebraska, and
also had large interests in other towns in that state. He had been a
telegraph operator in his younger days, and was highly esteemed by all
who knew him, not only as a good citizen, but a wide-awake, clean
business man.
The other son, Samuel, was about forty years of age, and resided with
his family on one of his father's ranches over the Nebraska line in
Kansas. He had been rather wild in his younger days and had caused his
father much trouble because of his dissolute habits.
Shortly after the death of the elder Miles, a will was found in an old
suit case, the provisions of which made Joseph H. Miles executor and
trustee of the estate, and the chief beneficiary, Samuel being left,
besides some money, a life interest in the ranch on which he and his
family were living. At the death of him and his wife the ranch was to be
deeded to Samuel's children. The will also plainly provided that Samuel
could not either entail or dispose of the land.
The provisions of the will were very unsatisfactory, of course, to
Samuel Miles, and, at the suggestion of his counsel, he began court
proceedings to prevent the probating of it, and, not succeeding in this,
later brought suit to have the will set aside.
In 1900 I had in my employ an operative by the name of D. F. Harbaugh.
This man had become well known and had obtained considerable newspaper
notoriety in and about Kansas City through cases he had worked on under
my instructions. One day Harbaugh was approached in Kansas City by one
of the lawyers employed to break the will, and asked if he (Harbaugh)
could find a man whose former reputation had been good, who would go on
the witness stand and testify to having drawn up and witnessed a will
made by the elder Miles, while on one of his numerous trips to St. Louis
during his life time. During the talk the lawyer told Harbaugh all about
the conspiracy that had been formed to break the will--by "finding" a
later will, and gave the names of all connected with the scheme. One of
these men was a prominent lawyer in Falls City, Nebraska, another a man
of great prominence at Omaha, and who had a big political pull
throughout the state, while another was in good standing at the bar in
St. Louis at that time. Harbaugh was further told that he would be paid
a fee of $10,000 for his part when the will was broken, and as a further
compensation the lawyer would send him to the Paris Exposition and
back, paying all expenses up to the sum of $5,000. Harbaugh agreed to
give the lawyer an answer in a few days, and left that evening for St.
Louis.
The next morning Harbaugh told me all about the proposition that had
been made to him, and asked for my opinion as to the best thing to do. I
at once said, "There seems to be but two things to do in this case. One
is, for you to completely ignore the proposition, as there can be no
doubt as to the rascality of all the parties who are in any way
connected with the scheme. The other, and in my opinion, the right thing
to do, is for us to try and locate this man Joseph H. Miles, and
appraise him of the conspiracy that is being worked up by these lawyers
and his own brother against him. For, if we keep quiet and ignore the
matter, they will, in all probability secure a man who will accept the
proposition and we would be parties to this conspiracy for not having
exposed it."
"Well," replied Harbaugh, "you are the boss, and it is up to you. I have
told you all I know about the matter. I told this lawyer that his
proposition was very important, and coming to me suddenly I would need a
few days to think the matter over, and it would require at least a few
days to select the right kind of a man--one that could be trusted. He
approved of this and expects an answer from me in a week or ten days."
I at once undertook to locate Joseph H. Miles, and succeeded in twelve
hours. I found that he lived at Falls City, Nebraska, that he was
president of the First National Bank of that place, had a bank in
another Nebraska city, and had a large interest in a bank in York, Pa.,
that he was a respectable citizen and prominent business man, and very
well known. After locating him I wrote him a letter, which read about as
follows:
Mr. Joseph H. Miles, Falls City, Nebraska.
Dear Sir:
If you are the son of the late Stephen B. Miles, and have a brother
by the name of Samuel Miles, and a number of nephews and nieces who
reside in Kansas and Nebraska, I have important information for
you, and will impart it personally if you will come to St. Louis.
I would suggest that you bring your lawyer, as I believe my
information important enough to justify you in so doing.
On receipt of this I wish that you would telegraph me, stating when
you will leave Falls City, and at what time you will arrive at St.
Louis. On arriving at St. Louis, go to the Planters Hotel, look at
the register where you will find my name, and you can then come
direct to my room, where I will be waiting for you and your
attorney.
I am using a fictitious name, for reasons that I will explain to
you when I see you.