Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-03-03
A Swindle In New YOrk-DOings of a
Reverend ScOundrel.

The New York Sun of the 9th, says:
"There came to this city from Philadel-
phia, about two Years ago, a reverend chap
named @. @. Townsend, who found the
former place of not sufficient area for his
philanthropic enterprises. After looking
around here q few months he opened a
''soup house" at 1877 Greenwich street, and
made pretence of feeding and caring for
homeless boys. He saw n cottage on Staten
Island which he thought might be made q
home preparatory to sending the boys to
school of industry, which he has OF had
opened near Iowa City, Iowa,
His cottage and the grounds adjoining
cost him $500, which he paid by mortgage
ing it for nearly double that sum. The
adventurer's next move was to fit up the
''Home, gather in boys, and secure teach
ers and assistants to carry on his work. He
hired Mr.. and Mrs. Norris to assist him,
at a salary of 81, 200 year, small part Of
which only has been paid. Miss Maynard,
a teacher, was to get $15 month; she got
only $40 during one year and half Miss
Anna Smith and Eliza McDermott were also
in his employ, but found it impossible to
get any money out of him. He owed Miss
Smith 5000 and Eliza $108, $50 of which
he borrowed These employees sued him
some time ago and recovered judgment.
The Sheriff went to Greenwich street and
to Staten Island to levy, but found no pro-
perty in either place that could be seized.
Townsend was then cited before the court
of Common Pleas to give an account of his
collections and disbursepents, and the
general operations of hls work. The case
was tried before Mr.. F. V. Kennedy, referee,
on Saturday and yesterday, and isy yet incom-
plete. In his sworn testimony, Townsend
disclosed the facts above mentioned, and
added that the expense of his "soup house"
in Greenwich street and his Home" on Sta
ten Island was about $50 outside tho sala-
ries, but including salaries and rents, he
thought it might be $50 a week. He COL
lects annually, according to his own testi-
mony, between $8, 600 and $4,000. His
''Home" an Staten Island had 26 children
last year, and his Iowa home "a, as noted in
the annual reporter 1868; in his testimo-
ny he said that his Iowa school had expired
some time last summer, and that there
were but eight or ten pupils in it, and that
he had added but two 10 IL during year
and q half One of these was from Rich
mond, Va, and one from Sandusky, Ohio,
but not one from this city OF state, in which
he was collecting such heavy sums of money
and such vast quantities of clothing,
provisions and fuel. Townsend feeds and
teaches 25 persons daily at 1877 Greenwich
street, and the detailedexpenseshe he gives as
follows, no salaries being paid; Rent $15
aweek; flour, SO; coal, 81; milk, so cents
and bread $50 loaves, on$28; total, $48. so
n week, or $2,522 a year. Receipts, $8,-
900; difference, S5,476 When asked to ac-
count for this difference, Townsend said
that he had sent it to his Western Home,
but on being pressed, he swore that he
had not sent more than 800 O month to
that almost mythical institution. He
also swore that between Oct /, 1867, and
Jan. l, 1868, he had collected 81 ,784, and
about the same amount from that last date
to April L. 1868. His property here and
in Iowa is mortgaged in excess of it's
worth; he pays no salaries, and yet
he has been collecting $4,000 or $4,000
year, and including free passes Of goods,
&c, his income last year was SIG, 706.--