The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-11
F. F. CONDUCT0Rs' CLUB sHOWN UP.
Charity Organization Society Finds Its
 Doings Very Suspicious.

DoiHSs very SuSptClOuSs
 (From the New York Sun.)
 The Charity Organization Society has been Investigating the affairs of the Railway Conductors Club of North America. The club was organized in 1896, and was incorporated the same year. Its first home was 120 Liberty St., but this location was not deemed suit able, and good-sized house at 115 East Thtrty-fourth street was purchased for use as a club house some time ago. Last month the club moved It's effects from the Thirty-fourth street quarters. The place is advertised for sale by A. J. Hall, room S1, 25 Third avenue. Mean while the club has rented a hall over the Chimney Corner" saloon at Sixth avenue and Twenty-fifth street. The principal charges which the Charity Or ganization Society brings against the Conductors Club is that it has used the names of many prominent citizens of New York as honorary members who knew nothing about the club and has no connection with it; that it has solic- ted subscriptions by means of forged signatures, and that the actual and ac- tive membership has always been so small as to warrant the suspicion that the promoters of the organization were not acting in good faith. A list of 617 honorary members was published by the club. Secretary Edward T. Devinne of the organization society addressed letters of inquiry to each one of these alleged members, and he classifes the 40 replies as follows:
 Positive that they never heard of the club ..................... 4I Doubtful about membership or know nothing about the club or are un-
 able to reply at once to inquiries. 66 Have been solicited to contribute and have done so.................. S6 Have been solicited to contribute
 and have not done so.............. 70 Have been solicited to contribute but have forgotten whether they did so or not. ........-............. IS Have not been asked to contribute or do not remember whether they | have been asked or nOt............ 123 None of these gentlemen; who includ- ed cabinet officers, senators, congress | men, officials of the prominent railroads | of America, bankers, clergymen, and | business men, knew anything what 1 ever of the government of the club or of | the manner in which it's alleged objects
 were being carried out The usual method of obtaining honorary members was simply to send them a postal card announcing the fact Of their election. Later on they received notice that the ] board of governors had made an assess { ment of S5 on each member and that ! they would oblige greatly by remitting l at once.
 | The Charity Organization society
 knows of several large donations to l the club-some to the amount of $500. l On one occasion the president of a prominent railroad was asked for a 1 large gift, and signed subscription for | $1 ,OOO from another railroad president | was shown to him. Inquiry developed the fact that this signature was a for gery, and that, moreover, the president
 whose name was forged had been soic- l tied to contribute, and that a similar l forged subscription from the f1rstmen- toned official had been shown to him. l The leading spirit in the club Is un- l doubtedly Charles E. Weisz, who bears 1 the title of Managing Governor" All of the documents sent by the club bear 1 his name and that of c. D. Cramer, l secretary and treasurer. It is alleged l that these men, together with a small
 circle of followers, have been the only active members of the club, and the
 Charity Organization society is inclined
 to believe that the organization is mere
 ly a money-making scheme for a few | men.
 The alleged objects of the club are to "bring the conductors of North America
 together on a social basis for the dis l cussion of interest to the conductor,
 railway and business interests in gen. 1 eral, to promote arbitration, to educate
 the conductor to the requirements of
 the various business interests, and to bring together employer and employe
 so that they may better understand l each other"
 Weisz has an office at 25 Third ave-
 nue. but was said to be in Middletown, | N. Y, yesterday. Cramer is a switch- man and lives at 233 Adelphi street, l Brooklyn. He was also absent when