The Green Forest tribune., 1896-03-26
The CONSCIENCE FUND.
PENITENTs WHO PAY BACK THEIR iLL.GoT-
TEN GAIN TO UNCLE SAM.
Large Sums of Money Received by the Treasury
From this Source.

Inoro are various ana SunUry ways
by which the United States govern
ment has been robbed of sums of
money both large and small, and doubt
less very small per cent OF people,
whose conscience lead them to pay
back their ill-gotten gain. However,
quite significant sums of money are
realized by the Treasury dedartment
from such sources. The following bit
of reading concerning this matter
comes from ''W. B. S." in the Globe
Democrat:
The unknown who sent to the Treas
ury about ten wears ago the halves of
eight $1,000 and then forwarded the
other halves after they had seen the
receipts of the first bach mentioned in
the newspapers no longer holds the
record among contributors to the con-
science fund. His $4,000 put him at
the head of the list for long time.
Now, however. another unknown turns
in $l4, ,225.l5 in the form of bill of
exchange, 2930 pounds sterling. And,
hereafter he will stand first until con-
science gets in its work on still more
important peculator. This last repent
ant lives in London, and he sent in his
contribution in an entirely business
like way, only taking care to conceal
his identity by getting the Rev. Pre-
bendary Barf, vicar of st. Giles, to
act as bis agent in the transaction.
The clergyman communicated with the
Consul General at Lonyon, and the
latter forwarded the bill of exchange
through the Secretary of State, who
turned it over to the Secretary of the
Treasury. BY the latter the bill of
exchange was deposited, and the New
York bank against which it was drawn
honored it The money is now to the
credit of the conscience fund. 1t ism t
often that persons who make restritu-
ton to the Government do it through
the banks. One man sent in roll of
bills amounting to $4995 wrapped in a
piece of paper, on which was written
the single word Conscience Rarely
is anything but cash received. The
anonymous penitents seldom take the
risk of revealing themselves through
drafts. 1t is also the rule in these re-
mittances to omit detailed explanations.
The resident of london who has us t
relieved his mind and lessened the
Treasury deficit did not confide in the
clergyman and the latter intimates
that he did not learn the name of the
person who made the strange request
Of him to forward the bill of exchange.
An exceptional case was that of a
man who sent in a letter post marked
Suspension Bridge, a 81 bill and wrote:
"Since the emancipation of neg roes,
have taken two pairs Of shoes of a
ship that the gunboats captured. l
tuck the shoes while she lay at Key
West"
Long before the United States Su-
1 PiCIAC Coul Y IldN oCClQCO GldO dtl Ill
come tax is unconstitutional, an unre-
vealed capitalist, who had lodged the
former law, remtted $500 in settle
ment of income tax" He explained
that at the time the law was enforced
he was not able to make oath to his
precise income thout damaging his
business. Therefore he lodged. His
remittance was directed to the "Con-
science Burough."
1t isn't often that the pangs over
take woman who has smuggled some
/ thing dutiable past the customs officers
The other day in feminine hand was
received reading:
"Please credit the enclose 25c to c.
F. and obhge."
People who have their own con.
| sciences aroused are frequently disi n
clined to credit others with common
] honesty. One man sent in contri
button of $2500 and he mailed $500 tt
the Secretary, 5000 to the Treasurer
and S4G0 to the Assistant Treasurer,
evidently calculating that one pay
! meni would be check on the Others
and that all would find their way into
the fund more surely than if he sem
the whole amount to one person
Another forwarded $40 bill writing
Pay this money where it belong ant