The morning times., 1896-02-11
CHARITY GLOAKS | FRAUD
Contribution Boxes Visited by a
Mysterious Woman.
WHERE THE PROCEEDS GO
They Are Inscribed "for the Purchase
of Medicine for the Poor but No
Institution Acknowledges Them.
Detectives Watched the Deposito-
ries, but Failed to Get Clue.

The detectives are looking for woman
in black.
For six months small boxes have been
posted in places OF public resort. Each
of these boxes was inscribed:
Contributions for the purchase of medi-
cines for the poor of Washington
These cash receptacles We're usually placed
near the desk of the cashier, and many
hundreds of dollars in pennies, -niCkels,
dimes, and sometimes quarters have been
deposited in them by tender-hearted peo-
pie intent on helping along the worthy
charity.
The detective office has had these contri-
button boxes under suspicion for one month,
but have as yet made no arrest. The de-
tectives think this charity fund spurious.
and believe the donations go no further than
the pocket OF the proprietor Of the boxes.
The detectives have never been abie 60
identify the charity for which the contri-
buttons were solicited. They have never
been able either TO find the woman who
makes the collections, and none of the
merchants in whose stores these boxes
were placed has very definite idea of the
disposition made of the shekels Clipped in
by their customers.
WOMAN IN BLACK.
They seem only to know that the fund
is designed "for the purchase of medi-
cines for the poor OF Washington" They
do not know the name Of the woman who
visits the boxes at irregular intervals and
draws the cash.
Six months ago an elderly woman, clad
in black, entered an Avenue drug store and
asked permission to erect little contribu-
ton box near the desk of the cashier. She
explained that the proceeds would be ap-
piled TO The purchase of medicines for the
poor. This proposition touched the soft
side of the heart of the pharmacist. Ger
tainly he would permit the box to be put up.
He failed to inquire as to which OF the chari-
table societies of the city would dispense
the proceeds of the collections. He forgot
this.
About once a month the same woman
would visit the store, unlock the box in
busin ess-like fashion and turn the coin
into a bag containing other coin, indicating
that she had visited other boxes. This
looked all right But every now and then
DI SOlllt VI SOLlS
church would put a question as to what be-
came of this fund. A satisfactory answer
was never Forthcoming.
DETECTIVES PUT ON THE CASE.
Then the matter reached the ears OF the
detective bureau and it was thought proper
to investigate it. The woman was de-
scribed as about five feet six inches tail,
weight 100 pounds, dark hair streaked
with gray. sallow complexion, false teeth
and dressed In deepest black. She talked
in low voice when she did talk, which was
seldom.
Several times the druggist sought to get
some information about the charity, but
the lady lodged the issue so skillfully
that though the druggist thought the an
swer sounded satisfactory, yet he never
got down TO the fact as to who dispensed the
money.
One of the detectives OF the centr u office
watched the box in question for about three
weeks but the woman did not showTp. The
box, which was put under surveillance, was
never again collected from. The detective
office learned last night that the woman
! is still operating. and they are anxious that
| she make an explanation of the case.