The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-24
CHEATS WHO POSE AS MINISTERS
Slcn OF Clever Address Who Make Re-
ligion "A Cloak For their Swiudles.

iigion Cloak For their swiudles.
The number of frauds who are travel.
Ing about the country in the guise of
ministers or evangelists is iarye, and a
dozen of them have recently Ueen exposed
by tho Church Economist. The averaf g
minister who Is swindlei by these felloi 5
prefers to keep silent about IL rather than
make a com plant. The Charity Organi-
zation society Keeps "a carefully prepared
list OF those clerical frauds, To wb ich any
reputable minister oan have access.
4 he new frauus were exposed by the
Church Economist recently.
man who gave his name as w. IL.
Long mas been operating in Missouri, ana
was recently arrested in Mexico In that
state. lie went some weeks ago TO St
Charles as the alleged advance agent OF
the Rev. sam Small. de enlisted the in
terest Of the clergy and the meeting
were begun, under tho promise that Mr.
Small would come later de was a good
speaker. seemed spiritually minded, and
was earnest. He boarded at the best
hotel. put the collection money into hi :
own pocket. and started subscription
paper to raise 500. This paper excited
suspicion, and the ministers consulted
him. He professed TO have been insulted,
but the next day he was missing. His
bill at the hotel WAS unpaid, snd So were
some obligations for borrowed money.
Going To Mexico, Mo-. two weeks ago,
be triea the same plan there, Dat 10 did
not work, end Mr.. Long was remanded
to Jail in default of only SO bail. The
specific charge was obtaining board un-
der IA lse pretences. Long has been Cos
pe-meoting worker in St Louis, in
which city he deserted his wife, and, GO
ing 10 Cincinnati, inspired a telegram 20
IA M hnt Ha IL
scribed as man of ~. large, and an
extremely clever talker. OF not too sensa-
tional methods.
The other swindler has been securing
money nom Episcopal clergymen in
Washington and New York. he gave his
name as Prof. William Clark Russell. :"
In lower line of his engraved card
were the words "Organist and Choirmas-
ter" PROF. Russelp' is an English
man, of uncertain age He looks rs if be
might he anywhere from 40 to 20 years
old. Carefully dressed, well educated.
and having persuasive tongue, he has
no trouble in securing sums Of money
from different ieopie.
/. His latest plan is 20 call on the rector of
n prominent Episcopal church, and show
forged letters from a Chicago clergyman
strongly recommending him as musi-
cian aud choirmaster. With tbess to
pave the way, he relates to the clergy
fnan haru-luck story. ana MS straight
forward way of speaking is enough TO
gain an appearance of truth. Very often
the rector becomes interested. As soon as
he perceives this he opens up his plan for
help. he uses two different schemes,
though sometimes, in the case of very
kind-hearted man. he uses both.
one of them is TO get letter from the
clergyman and list Of all his parish
toners VINO have young daughters. He
then takes the list aud goes to all the par
ishiouers and organizes classes in piano
and organ playing ard vocal lessons.
Generally his Trics for thess Iessons ia
very small. and so he often gets large
number of pupils All of these pupils are
taken with the agreement that one-nalf
of the money is 90 be paid in advance. As
soon as Prof Russeil'' gets forty or fifty
pupils and collects ten 10 fifteen dollars
from each he de. arJs, and wien heard
from again. If ut all, is husily engaged
in organizing classes in other cities
Mr.. Doyine of the CbariGy ORGANIZATION
so lety says that typical fraud of this
Kind is IA uIergvman who was discharged
from the pastorate 0t his cIuroh because
of Ir;sanity end intemperance. lie had
a family, anu for that reason much sym,
pathy was felt for him Ife Charity
ORGANIZATION society discovered That he
was receiving hnantiai ala from different
churches, and it exposed him. He is
probably working tho same same in
some otnor city.