The morning call., 1893-08-26
One Officer Left in the
Newsboys' Club.
THE REST FEAR MRS. OWEN.
The Lady Says She Will Stay Presi-
dent and Defy SANDER - All
About the Trouble.

was luduc ytSl6IudY.
Mrs. Lillian PIunkett. Mrs. Florence
Percy Matheson and Mrs. NJ. E. Carleton
have resigned from the News and Messen-
ger Boys Club of San Francisco"
The announcement was startling because
the club had only been organized about a
week. and had already seemed to be tax
ing root in popular estimation. Yet here
was a wholesale resignation of its officers,
with the exception of one.
That solitary one is the president. Mrs.
Letitia Owen, the originator of the pro-
ject, and the question would present itself
why was Mrs. Letitia thus abandoned il
her glory.
Mrs. Lillian Plunketr, secretary of the
club, was seen, and disclosed a general
flutter in the new club dovecot. Evidently
the ladies feared they had taken in hawk
unawares.
The truth is,'' said Mrs. Plunkett 'that
there are some very serious rumors afoat
regarding the good faith of our president,
Mrs. Letitia Owen, and as 1 have reason
80 believe the rumors are true we have no
recourse but to resign. AT first we meant
to ask her TO resign and then carry on the
work. but we think the scheme has been
injured so much by her connection with it
selves. By this means we are vindicated
of all completely in any of her actions.
The rumOrs state specifically that Mrs.
Owen has been travelling about the country
for years collecting funds without author
ity, but under the alleged auspices of the
Young WOmen's Christian Association,
the Good Templars and other organtZa-
TONS. She has travelled. say people who
have hunted up her record. In Colorado.
Montana and other States, and has been
warned eff various places. lone, Jack
son, Red Bluff and Tehama are said to
know her, and in the Montana Christian
Advocate OF March 6. 1889, appeared this
warning from S. Z. SnIder. presiding elder
of the Helena (Mont) conferences:
Beware OF a little short-haired woman with
masculine voice. an artificial eye and false
tongue. going about The country pretending to
lecture on temperance. also claiming TO work
in the interest of the Young WOmeD's Christian
Association and representing that L indorsed
her. She is notorious fraud.
Then" continued Mrs. Plunkett, 'her
husband. Edward Owen. is said TO be
well, never mind. She IS repudated by
Mrs. Cotabel Tarr, national secretary of
the Young Women's Christian AsSOcia-
ton, and also by George b. Katzen stein,
superintendent OF the lecture force OF the
/ dependent Order of Good Templars.
odist church at jackson, and Rev. j. W.
Lincoln, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church at lone. are also reported to have
issued warnings against her.
These things are too specific to with
stand We are chagrined. but fear we
have been imposed upon.
MRS. Owen came to me few weeks
ago with letters of recommendation, one
being from Rev. Dr. Williams, pastor of
Plymouth Congregational Church. | was
soon interested in the newsboys' club. and
prevailed on my friend, Mrs. Matheson, to
hafsN nNfa
ton Of two other ladies, including Mrs
Weihe, who has since resigned, perhaps
because her husband had heard these
stories about Mrs. Owen. To-day is the
first occasion they have come To my ears.
Mrs Owen seemed to be very much in
earnest, and no one doubted her. Her
special gilt. she said. was collecting
money. and she undertook to raise all the
funds required for the club by means of
personal solicitation. She Is of the mascu-
line type, careless Of dress and reckless as
TO the way in whIc h she poses and utterly
lacking in that suavity which Is generally
supposed to be characteristic of i'm
posters.
1T IS disappointment to the ladies of
the board, all Of whom are well-known
charitable workers, to have their project
overthrown by such an unexpected stab
in the back; but what can we do?"
Mrs. Lettia Owen, at her residence in
Berkeley. was much moved by the tidings
of the i1r putatiOnS against her.
ut is all spite work, and | won't resign.
I'll fight it out, she said, nervousIy clasp
ing and reclasping her hands.
Size is short and decided in manner. She
wears glasses. one OF which she acknOwl-
edged sheltered an artificial optic, aud evil
IDENTIFY cared nothing for the latest mode in
dress.
IL know where these stories come FROM"
she continued. "aDd who originated them.
That Mr.. Snder was mad because i took
away his crowd at lecture at Boulder,
Mont / never represented l was collect
ing for the Young Women's Christian As
ISOLATION in my life or for the GOOD Temp
lars. My husband was not an ex-convict;
my hus bands name was Edmond not Ed
ward.
He had a cousin Edward, W no served
term in the Colorado penitentiary at Can
Won City for assault to murder. Revs.
Kuykendall and Lincoln can substantiate
nothing against me.
81 am a lecturer and live by lecturing on
temperance. l can hold an audience spell
bound for two hours. No, | have never
turned over any funds to any organization,
because l never collected more than my
bare expenses, and those l was entitled to.
NO, L have no commission to show from
any organization. | had general rowing
commission. l have been all over the
country, having been at one time asso-
W
elocutionist.
Il became interested in the newsboys
from having taught inS the 'Newsboys'
Bethel in Cincinnati at various times.
Three wears ago l worked for the Reform
Club at Boston. | have also worker, Cor
the Women's Christian Temperance Unot.
and the Sons of Temperance
Last fall tried to start a 'Newsboys'
Bethel here, but the name Bethel was dis
pleasing to many. l am n CONGREGATIONAL
ist and member Of DIR. W. D. Williams
church in San Francisco. but was origin
ally Baptist, my father having been an
old Baptist deacon of Baltimore.
well, l went East and when returned
/ started this club. People have been
very kind. and 1 have already received the
following sums in cash: George H.
Saunders So, S. F. Bufford $40, S. S. Smith
81, Fred Houston 50 80. Mr.. Peterson
81 so, &. n. Crittenton So, Adolph Sutro
$40, small sums from people unwilling to
give their names SIS; total, $50
Il can't understand why MIR. Weihe did
not tell me of these charges if he knew of
them. shook hands with him and his
wife yesterday.