New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-30
A pRETENTIOUS SCHEME.
nENEF1r CONCERT FOR MYTHICAL HOME.
WHAT MR.. YIvER AND MRS. DEvINE HAVE UNDER
r,xpy--NAMEs USED WITH LITTLE AUTHORITY.


A circuIar was issued recently which was headed
IN large type ave trust Charity will begin AZ
homeT Beneath this announcement OF trust III
Charity's place of beginning 1t was stated lnaI
agand benefit concert will be gwen IN t1e Ac 30
1853 under the management OF Thomas II, 2oyGo
and his celebrated military band of the Tlst Regl
ment assisted by and Who haze knd opg list of
we-knOwn and unknown singers, musicians u ISd
humorists, elOcutionists, "solOsts" ana " young
vionist" Theannouncement %s S1 Snt ba name
was not divulged. The circular contained long
appeal entitled "Glad tidings for menMHow 70
sG gDed vsfor T The crying want which waso
he remedied was no less than the want OF nome
for destitute men in ms rdtnSL an
"unsectaran home for destitute men, BeheaiL II
the appeal appeared the names of the Sheriff OF the
County. the Superintendent of Police the president
of the Board of Aldermen, and several members Oh
that body, together with the names OF three WsH-
known business firms, all signed to statement tIat
the concert and its object had the approval, sym
pathv and cooperation of the signers, The whole
circular was signed by A. j. Niver, business man
ager, No, 1S9 and 191 SlXth-aye,-S;M NJ. pevlne,
fOundTess and treasurer Office No. 404 Fourth.aye
TRIBUNE reporter visited Ward, Warren ~ Cog
Of No 6 East Eighteenth-st, whose names appeared
ON the circular to find out who A. j. Niver or 3 NJ
Devne was One Of the firm said that ne knew
nothing Of the circular, the concert, the home"
or the two persons who were managing the .allau.
If the use of the firm name had been authorized IL
was done by the other member of the firm and he
wonld not guarantee that the "benetit" was to be
carried in good faith. Al Lord Taylor ;,
whose name also appeared it was said that tue use
of the firm name was given simply TO indicate thelr
willingness to aid in making the concert success
Nothing was known about the responsibility OF >.
NJ Deyine or A. j. Niver, and the firm would give
no guarantee that the money would be properly
used The main reason for allowing the hrln name
70 be used il was said, was because certain we'll
known singer was to take part in the concert, who
was a friend of a member of the firm. Az the store
of Shepard Knapp d Co., in SXth-ave., member OF
fhp firm sail bp
allowed because A. j. Niver was salesman OF
theirs and they had known him for several years
They did not intend to guarantee that me iuhdS
raised bv the concert would be used for the nome
for destitute men" alone although they believed
that the money would not be mlSappropIated'
A. j. Nivcr himself was next seen. lie was cio-
Oueut in his praises of the fOundreSS and treas,
Ircr" who ne said. was benevolent lady who had
already given money to build the home" and had
worked hard to interest others in her plan. He had
been asked by Mrs. Deyine last spring 10 become
business manager for her and ne Iau oVCli N"Lh-
ing with her since that time Mrs. Deylne had re-
cciycd many private subscriptions already. lie
had been told that she had plans for the nome
but he had never seen them and he UNDERSTOOD tna'
the building would be twelve stores nigh, NIIcil
will be no Siuccure." he remarked. lie acknoWl-
edged that the public had no guarantee That me
money obtained from the concert would he properly
used hut he said that a committee would be APP
pointed by Mrs. Devmc after the concert to take
charge of the funds He casually let fall the re-
mark that he expected TO be business manager OF
the home" always.
Mrs. Devine was busy sending ont invitations and
attending to Other WOIK connected Win lc Co''l y
when the reporter called upon her at her home
and Office No 4j4 FOurth-ave. She had "Tca-
sons " which she begged to be excused" from CIV
ing for not appointing a committee 70 take charge
of the funds before the concert took place she
also begged to be excused from giving the names OF
those who would constitute the committee, and re-
fused to give the names of those who had already
subscribed to the fund. She had given no money
herself After the concert a standing committee"
would be appointed by herself. She would assign
The members to their duties and Mr. Niver should
he buSueSS manager. She expected. as Mr.. NlVer
had done previously, that he wonld always be
business manager" The plans of the " home
which Mr.. Niver had mentioned were not on paper;
they were in her mind" She said.