The morning news., 1899-03-30
swINDLED IN THE KINGS NAME.
Charitable People Imposed Upon by
a Shgevvd schemer.

The merchants and professional men OF
Savannah, whose hearts throb and whose
purse string loosen at the appeal of the
destitute have been the victims during
the past year Of the arts and practices Of
a shrewd female schemer. She represents
herself as a soliciting and collecting agent
for all the charities conducted by the
Kings Daughters, In general, and Of the
creche OF day nursery, in particular, ana
her frequent and pitiful requests Tor DO
nations of money and merchandise nave
met with few refusals.
The woman gives her name as MIS-.
Wheiby, and is described by those from
whom she has received contributions, os-
tensibly for the Kings Daughters, but
really for herself, as being young, pretty
and attractive She is about Is years old,
has dark hair and brown eyes, and Is
dressed in mourning. This latter she mas
of late somewhat modified, as her sorrow
for the dear departed decreased IN IN
tensity. She is given TO describing the
misery and needs of the children In sucn
feeling and pathetic tones and with such
apparent truth and candor, that one OF
her victims declares he found 1t impossl-
Bile to refuse her request.
She has been operating the same game
since last April and has reaped bounti-
full harvest of success. She uses the name
of some lady, who is well known and
charitably disposed, to give color to her
tales, changing the name of her pretended
patroness as often as it becomes thread
bare or she deems change advantageous.
Among those who have given her contri-
buttons are B. II. Levy & Bro, A. Ehrlich,
Charles E. Stults & Co., Rhodes & Walker,
w. II. Hoffman and DR.. F. c. Wilson.
There are a great many others, a large
number of whom, doubtless have never
been known.
That the woman should have so long
continued her operations without detec-
ton is a matter Of wonder, and the mar
vel is enhanced by the fact that her de-
ception has been several times discovered
and her victims warned through the pub
lie prints 1t is in some degree explained
by her plausible manner and the abso-
Lutte impossibinty Of catching her in a
verbal trap or rendering her confused.
She is supplied with full informal ton as
TO the working plans of the charities she
defrauds and the names and personalities
of the leading and more enthusiastic mem
bers of the Kings Daughters. This she
retails to those she solicits for contribu-
tions with glib tongue and an una dashed
air After hearing her plausible tale and
having II reinforced by the use of names
of well-known charitable women, those
whom she approaches usually make a do
nation
The matter has been several times re-
ported TO the police and the superintend-
ent promised to detail detective on the
case. The detective was detailed and
presumably made an investigation, but the
arrest of the shrewd schemer has not fol
lowed She still pursues the business of
wheeling the charitable, and within the
bae baa -f,I,.
cess. Some OF the merchants have con-
trlbuted several times TO her fund.
me Kings Daughters have been so an
noyed by her operations that they have
been compelled 10 designate one of their
number to receive subscriptions and TO
advertise that this designated agent and
no other is authorized to collect money in
their name. They appointed Miss Viola
Kennedy, who has been most active and
successful in this charitable work OF
late, however, she has encountered a com
petitor In the person of Mrs. Whelby.
whom she frequently found had preceded
her and collected the subscriptions before
she could get around.
Recently the Kings Daughters have had
in preparation an entertainment to D.,
given at the theater for their benefit. and
have been soliciting advertisements for tne
programme When Miss Kennedy wen,
:" ~ Pe''iN Nti9 " OollSct lor tHe aQVeruSe-
meuts she discovered that ia one instance,
at least, the money had already been paid
TO Mrs Whelby. When the advertiser
would say that he understood Miss Ken
nedy was the only one authorized 10 col
lect for the Kings Daughters. his visitor
would glibly answer that Miss KENNEDY
was collecting in one part Of town and
she in the other. Then the merchant would
shell out.
The Savannah Union of Kings Daugh.
tiers held a meeting yesterday afternoon.
II was called for the purpose of discuss
ing the entertainment, but the discussion
was confined entirely to Mrs. Whelby.
and her fraudulent practices. There
We're many suggestions, but no or
derby plan of campaign against the won,s.
was Improved or adopted and the meat-
ing adjourned without accomplishing anv
faDPihla racuIt e'-'s