Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-04-26
Alas poor soriclx.

1t is with great regret that We announce,
not the fall, but the necessity which led to
the fall Of Tho Grand Presentation Con
cert in aid OF the Southern Orphans Asso-
ciation.' Since the first disclosure, made
some days since relative to asserted illegal
transacti ms on the part of those employed
in its management, we have feared for
the ultimate fate Of the enterprise. This
we regret greatly. Not for those moro i'm
mediately concerned in the organization of
the Association, nor for the end of this one
in particular, but for its eventual effect
upon charitable institutions gotten up
abroad for the benefit OF the Southern
States. 1t is greatly to be wished that the
investigation should have been conducted
more quietly, and should have been kept
out of the newspapers, not from desire to
keep the people in ignorance of til at which
it behooves them to know, but because of
the facility with which human opiri ion
always condemns the many on account of
the derelction of the few. It would be
we'll enough, however, fOr the Southern
A great deal of humbug walks abroad in
this world covered with the stolen mantle
of Charity, and The unwary are often
misled in such things by the evil
designing It would be also we'll to
look always little into facts before invest
ing their earnings therein. For instance,
this association, it is said, paid their ticket
agents fifteen per cent. on all sales, there
by reducing the dollar invested for South
ern charity to eighty-fve cents before that
dollar left the region where it was first in
vested. If, then, one-seventh of the whole
amount was paid for the sale of tickets
alone, how much Of it, after it had passed
through the various other necessary agen-
object for which it was intended-the
Southern children ?
Let it be we'll and distinctly understood
here that we mean not to disparage any
charitable association; we only wish tc
warn our people against those gotten ur
under the auspices of parties of whom they
know nothing. Let the support which
would be rendered them, be transferred tC
those upon whom no shadow of distrust cal
fail, and upon those which, like the Bazaar
at Richmond, are conducted by Southern
ladies, in Southern city, and under the
approval of the hottest and best men of the
Southern land.
The following, from the Baltimore Ga
zeHe of late date, will explain the forego
ing lengthy preamble:
1t will be recollected that short time since
certain parties connected with Grand Charitable
Presentation Concert, in aid of the Southern Or
phans Association were arrested upon warrants
issued by Justice Blake, charging them with OBJ
tanning money under false pretences and with con
spiracy to defraud the public. preliminary e1
animation was waived and the whole matter sem
before the Grand jury, the accused giving the re
quircd bail. An examination into the matter la
boon had by the Grand Inquest, which resulted il
the following parties being presented for viola
ton of the lottery laws of the STATE l.. r. Palmer
; agent Mrs. John L. Hammond, President; Mrs
Z. A. T. Mears, Treasurer and Mr. e. A. F. Mears
J. II. ScbierS. Recording Secretary, and Patricl
Curtis, al employee i'll the agents office. The
case will come up at the May term Of the Crimina
Court. The penalty is fine of 81 600 or impris
onment. in the discretion Of the Court