Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-10-30
Mrs. HOWe's scheme 10 Enrlen
Her Boston FellOW'Clt-
liens.

N. Y. Times.l
The Roston newspapers furnish a
number of interesting details oil tue
ladies deposit" sYindle IN Boston
and If the so-called president, Mrs
Sarah Z. Howe, that have been pub
lished in the Times specials, She
and her agents have repeatedly de-
clared that their bank was no ex-
neriment; that it had been in opera
tion for over forty years at Alexan,,
dria. Va. where it had been founded
by capital furnished from time to
time by benevolent QuakeIs anx
ious to aid virtuOus and unprotected
women. The object OF the deposit
was never to accumulate money, but
to benefit humanity, especially ITS
feminine portion. Consequently 1t
was as willing to pay n~inety-slx per
cent per annum as half a quarter OF
fiat rate. At least three-fOdrths OF
the depositors are asserted to live out
of Boston, and never to have drawn
their interest when it had fallen due,
which has materially helped the
bank" to pay off city creditors. The
fact has been revealed that a large
number of Boston business men have,
singularly enough, raised every dollar
thew could by selling securities, house
hold furniture and personal prop
erty. in order to put it in the de-
posit. While they had no faith
in its management or ultimate sol
yency, they were willing to incur the
risk. reasoning Il at, il the establish
ment should last only u year, they
would nearly double their capital, and
then draw out their whole amount
Then opinion that most ofthe deposits
have been from the middle and lower
classes is entirely erroneous. Many
of the first families in that city are de-
elared to have intrusted Mrs. Howe
with the care Of their funds to the eX
tent of from $1,000 to $4,000 each,
and TO have sustained, as well as the
business men. very helyy losses. The
house in east Brooklin; street., where
the bank was situated, was most ex
pensiye. though tawdrily, furnished.
50 many costly articles were
bought and carried there last sprire
at the time of irs removal from hum
bier quarters, that the whole neigh
borhood wondered at such luxury.
There are doubtless. various branches
of the deposit, and not a few Of the
depositors are reported to be residents
of this city. Mrs. Howe's record
which has been industriously traced
shows to extreme disadvantage. n,l
mother was Nancy Birr, daughter o.
John Birr, once a prosperous auction
eer at Providence, II. l.. Her father
never married to her mother-wa'
named Case, and at the time OF hci
birth was deputy sheriff at Swasea,
Mass. She was taken into the house 0.
Birr aud reared as his legitimate grand.
daughter, though be was so ineen'ed
at Cases seduction OF Nancy that h'
would never consent to the union u
the lovers. The girl Sarah appelrs Il
have been from the start totally IN
balanced and INSCRIPTIONS. She ha,
been, it is said, the mistress OF severaI
men, and the wife Of various Others
once of Mr. Solomon, the Indian doc.
tor, Of Providence. She is accused q
having been at different times a THE
a procuress. a s%windler, a lunatlc, and
always a desperate adventures. HeI
age is given at sixty, and she is de-
scribed as short, fat, very ugly, and Sc
illiterate as to be unable to write an
English sentence, or to speak without
making shameful bluTders. How such
a woman could have been so success
full a swindler defes conjecture.