The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1895-04-01
SAID TO BE A FRAUD.
Exposure of q Mission Collector From
the Far East.

the Far East.
About the first OF the year man
calling himself Constantine aud a
missionary from Turkey was in Homo
lulu. He had letters OF recommen-
dation from United States and Euro
pean consuls all over Asia, and OBJ
tanned one from a very prominent
Honolulu merchant, who is connect
Ell with several missionary families.
He succeeded 10 collecting quite a
large sum OF money iu Honolulu.
The gentleman who gave the letter
headed the list with SO; other men,
bers OF his firm also contributed the
same amount. Having secured the
names Of such gentlemen, it was no
hard matter for Constantine to go
around and secure money from al
most anyone. Constantine was al.
lowed to take part in the services OF
st. Andrews Cathedral on Sunday.
He was tall and angular, with
swarthy features and bushy beard.
People turned to look at the strange
figure as he passed along the street,
with long clothes hanging loosely on
his raw. boned frame. One day
BULLETIN represent alive showed him,
at his request, the place to take a
car to go to the United States L-ga-
ton, but, although a car was in
sight, Constantine started of walk
ing. It would appear by the follow
ing, from late issue OF the San
Francisco Chronicle, that the aw-
fully solemn.looking creature is an
unmitigated fraud and impostor:
For several weeks past an Armen-
ian or Persian giving the name OF
John Constantine has been visiting
the church people Of San Francisco
and Oakland trying to collect money
for the establishment of Christian
church, orpbange and college in his
native land. Letters in his posses.
sion show that he has been in China,
Japan aud the Hawaiian Islands
upon the same mission. Soon after
reaching this coast he began casting
about Tor money, and not few
Christians had their sympathies en-
listed in the project of spreading
gospel truths among the benighted
people OF Turkey who live near the
Persian boundary. Among these
were Rev. Mr.. Merrill and Rev. Mr..
Williams Of Oakland, who desired
the Ministerial Union to introduce
Constantine with the view OF making
opportunities for him to collect
funds. Knowing that Rev. J.E. Scott
OF III Geary street aud his wife
had lived in the section OF the East
from which Constantine hailed, they
sent him to See Mr.. and Mrs. Scott.
Both speak the Persian and Armeu-
ian languages aud are familiar with
Turkey. Mr.. Scott was a mission airy
there and Mrs. Scott is the daughter
OF missionary. She spent about
sixteen years OF her early life with
her father in the Orient.
Mr.. and Mrs. Scott do not hesitate
to pronounce Constantine a fraud.
"When he came to u.s." said Mrs.
Scott, I'VE talked to him in his own
language, and he made SO many con-
tradictions that we are satisfied be
is fraud. His name, in the first
place, is not Constantine but Thin
mon Tamus. He claimed to have
been sent to collect money by the
Christian missionaries, when it is q
fact that the missionaries never send
out natives to collect money because
too many impostors have collected
money in the name OF the church.
recognized the mans language as
that of a HISTORIAN and not OF an
Armenian and he confessed that he
was OF that people. He claimed to
have graduated in 1884 from the
college OF which my father was the
president, and that his diploma was
signed by my father, the Rev. Mr..
Cochrane, and my brother, who was
his teacher. Now, as a fact, my father
died in 1871 aud my brother was a
contractor in Persia, and never
taught in the college. l accused
him Of telling me falsehoods and
denounced him to his face as an i'm
poster. i give these facts so that
the Christians OF this locality may
not be imposed upon by the fellow.
1t has become almost a national
custom among the lower class of his
race to go over the world begging
in the name Of the church. Most
OF the money they convert to their
own use, and some OF it goes to-
ward the support Of their own reli-
gion."