The Indianapolis journal., 1898-10-24
SWINDLER IN ARMY UNIFORM.
An Ingenious Red Cross Worker
Tells of Shameless ImpOstOr.


New York Sun.
An altogether new and original war swim
die reported yesterday to Capt. Writ
Robinson, Quartermaster, Z. s. ", who is
one or the deputy QuartermaSter generals
assistants in the army building. Captain
Robinson has charge of the work of issuing
transportation to the sick. convalescing and
other soldiers who start from here on fur
loughs. The case was brought to his at
tention by young woman connected with
one of the Red Cross auxiliaries
It's disheartening, captain, the young
woman began, the subterfuges resorted TO
by dishonest men since this war began,
and 1t seems as If most OF the swlndIers
are trying to carry out their schemes
through the Red Cross and the poor, sick
soldiers. You know our headquarters are
so located that we meet the men as soon
as they leave the train. We take charge of
them, give them something to eat ana see
that they get to the boats which bring
'Weli, about week ago a man in
colOnel's uniform brought lot or soldiers
to us and asked us to give them I'm s. sometnlng "a.
to eat, saying they were men from his reg
iment. one of the girls noticed that the
men belonged to one of the regular infantry
regiments. The men were fed and sent
away The next day the colonel came
along again, told the same story and made
the same request. The girl ! spoke of was
there and she noticed this time that the
men belonged to a volunteer regiment. She
never said a word then about what she had
noticed, but when she got chance she went
to one of the men on the committee, told
him the story, and asked him to watch the
colonel The man did as he was told and
later he saw the colonel talking to a group
of soldiers. The man went up where he
could listen. and this is what he heard:
Men you've offered your lives for your
country. You deserve the best your fellow
citizeLs can give you. but what is the fact?
Why, as soon as you get furlough and re-
turn home some outfit. the Red Cross or
some other. lies in wait for you, grabs you
up, and leads you to believe you are objects
of charity. when the government is ready
to do everything for you. The government
maintains restaurants and hotels for you,
If you know where to find them, where you
may have meat and drink and lodging for
the asking. If you will follow me, l will
take you TO one of those restaurants now.
And another thing: You are about to go to
you soldiers there If you have any money
with you, and you care to give 1t TO me,
l, as the representative of the government.
Will take it. give you receipts for 1t, and
turn il over to you when you get aboard the
train which will take you home
He said a lot more besides this, but l
can't remember ii all. One man said that.
in few cases, the soldiers turned over
their money to the colonel. and then he
fairly ordered us to give the men some
thing to eat. The man told what he had
heard TO the girl ] spoke Of, and she told
him to report the matter to the police.
Then she told me what she had done. That
was last Saturday morning. j was so in
dignant / went right up to the colonel and
told him | didn't believe he was a color el
at all and that we had sent for the police
to ask him questions.
'I}e just smiled at me and never said a
word until some Of the men started for the