The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-09
BLUE PENCIL SWINDLERS.
ONE BILKS CLERGYMEN. PRE-
TENDING TO BE 4 "SJN" MAN.
Only One OF n Committee RaIdIng the
Clergy All Over Town for the Benefit
Of the Clubs Library OF Botties-The
Police Are Invited to Look Them Up.

The attention Of the police Is called TO
a swindler who has been collecting sub
scriptions from clergymen for the last
several weeks TO build up the library of
the Blue Pencil Club" which consists
chiefly of dark bottles on a shelf. Swindlers
ave been collecting money in the name
Of this concern for 80 long hat they seem
10 have acquired an immunity Of toler-
ance. The headquarters OF the club. which
pretends to be made up OF newspaper re-
porters. is in a loft at IS Frankfort street.
Formerly il had n room in Spruce street
where it violated the Excise law, as it does
now. having no club or any other license.
and where il gave entertainments" and
displayed indecent pictures.
The man. who has been swindling the
clergy selected those of the Episcopalian
a reporter for THE sun, which was a lie.
He said that his name was Edward b.
Wheeler and that the Blue Pencil Club"
was at 81 Park row. He was well dressed,
about 2s years old, and voluble.
He tackled the ~clergynen on the day
before New Years. One of the last he
visited was the Rev. DR.. Arthur c. Kimber,
vicar of st. Augustine's, in Fast Houston
street. DR. Kimber said yesterday:
The young man met me az j was coming
down the stairs of the chapel in the after
noon. He said he was a reporter for The
SUN. His manner was so frank and his
appearance so good. that | thought at first
he wa genuine. He spoke as If he had
been long connected with THE Sun, saying
that | would be surprised at the number
of college men on the paper. He was
persuasive and almost convincing. ! told
him | would consider the subject OF sub
scribing and asked him to remind me Of II
later, as | was then very busy. He did
and | decided to send him "a check for S."
or thinking it over DR.. klmber decided
to send the check to THE sun with the
reuuest that it he sent back If Mr.. Wheeler
was not all right. He got the check back
quick. a..
tho names Of other clergymen including
the Rev. DR.. Thomas H.. Sill, vicar Of ST.
Chrysostom's chapel at 1hirty-ninth street
and Seventh VENUE, who was down for
SO, and the Rev. DR.. David II. Greer Of
St. Bartholomew. who subscribed 500.
The total was about 800. The Row. DIR.
sill told a SIN reporter that he had seen
the man calling himself Wheeler ON New
Years eve.
"He was a plausible person." DR.. Sill
said, "and | must say he made a favorable
impression upon me. But DID not give
him SO. wrote 500 which | gave him.
II he showed my name with $40 attached
he probably put in the extra cipher
The Rev. Or. Greer said he was much
impressed. asthc other Clergymen had been,
with the righteousness OF the swindler'
who said he was collecting money for
the blue Pencil Clubs" library. DR..
Greer sent a check for $50 20 Mr.. Wheeler
at 20 Park row. The swindler did not
get it and called again 10 inquire. He got
II eventually. presumably through me
Post Office. Wheeler told Dr. Greer that he
was merely ON" NJ n committee that had
been sent out on the day before New Years
to solicit subscriptions fer the club. "
He was covering only one district and his
corfrercs were attending to the other parts
pf the tity.