Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-23
NEW RED CROSS.
The Suspended Members
Make Public Their Plans.
The Old Society Has Lost the Public
Confidence.
Claim That Relief Money Was Put to
Other Uses.

most UNANIMOUSLY of the opinion that the
old organization can never regain us
standing before the pubic. because o. tn Ii
ture of money entrusted TO us care, anu
plans are now being considered for the
Organization of a new society on strictly
business principles This project is said
to have the support OF NUMBER OF proml-
nent men in New York, and as soon as
legal complications can be cleared away
movement in this direction will be made.
The suspended members do not expect
the present controlling power OF the Red
Cross to show them any consideration or
to pay any attention to their appeals Tor
reorganization. and some OF them say
they do not believe that any materia good
can be accomplished by reorganization,
as the present society has lost the con-
fidence of the public, and then, too, even
though the suspended members are now
readmitted the feeling that has been
aroused is too strong to permit OF har-
monious working.
1t was explained that the statement to
be given soon is not intended to IN any
way argue the many details of the contro-
versy, but it Is for the purpose of showing
the public Just how and why the members
were suspended.
preparation, because 1t is not the intention
of the committee, composed Of Gen. John
NJ. Wilson, Simon Wolf. Mrs. J. Ellen
Foster and Miss Mabel Il. Boardnan. TO
engender personalities or to reflect per.
sonally upon Miss Barton. At the same
time the suspended members are getting
together Il large lIldSS u ltSllIiOily "
port their repeated decla rations that mon
ey entrusted to the Red Cross for the dis
tribution of relief has not been accounted
for and the public is kept in absolute ig-
norance as to what has been done with
the many thousands of dollars collected
for various relief purposes. That some OF
tended by the contributors is openly
charged by those who have been urging
a thorough auditing of the accounts.
A prominent suspended member said
today:
1.-The members at large of the Red Cross
Society are in ignorance OF the real state
now in control to keep them in the dark
by making it appear that the fight is on
Miss Barton personally, and in this way
cover up what was brought to light by
the Investigations made into the distribu-
ton of relief, which show loOseness that
is almost beyond comprehension. The
principal charge is that money intended
for relief work was diverted to pay sala-
rieS, not to Miss Barton, but in some in
stances to persons who had nothing to do
with the work.
From the Galveston relief fund. in
trusted to the Red Cross, a regular salary
was paid to DIR. Julian B. Hubbell, b
Galveston and did not partieipate e in 10 the Nc
work there; also that Mr.. Ward, the finan-
cial agent employed by Miss Barton, not
only paid himself from the
weeks vacation. In each of the cases
the money was paid out by Mr.. Ward on
his own order; approved by Miss Barton,
whose signature was placed on the papers
with a rubber stamp.
1T has been stated that at the time of
the Galveston disaster the then governing
body, the Board of Control. paid Mrs. |
Ellen S. MusSey about thousand dollars |
for her legal services.
This was not known to those of the now |
suspended members until year after it |
was paid and explanation asked of Mrs. |
I Barton and some s, OF the other officers Of
that Miss Parton had asked her n pyiya |
up to the Red Cross every other day in the |
spring of 1900 just to work for its ihcor. |
other papers. She tet that she could not |
afford to 10 this without some compensa-
ton, which Miss Barton agreed to give |
her and which the board of control later
ratified.
AT that time the private secretary |
E, r. Ridley, Populist member OF the |
and DR.. Hubbell were also being paid by |
Miss Barton. |
,o. This was in the spring and summer, of
services at first. and Miss Sc Barton ordered
Mr.. Ward, the financial agent appointed |
by her at Galveston, to send Mrs. Mussey |
a check for thousand dollars. This Mis-. |
Mussey returned, as she would not accept |
payment for her legal services from Gal
weston relief funds. She was afterwards
paid for the two weeks she worked at Gal
weston, and her legal services were event
ually paid out of another fund.
This Is but one instance of an effort to
use TelleI Iu1OS To pay OtIleT expenses Oh
the society, and there are d dozen others
that might be told of and that will be re-
vealed at the proper time.
Another matter that has never been
cleared up to the satisfaction of members
OF the society relates to the collection in |
New York of about $4,000, also for the
Galveston work. This money was col
lected by a committee consisting of w.
Willard Howard of New York, Samuel M.
Jarvis and Walter Phillips, the two last
mentioned being now members of the eX
ecutive committee appointed by Miss Bar
ton, and which suspended the member
now out. For two years the society has
tried to get report showing what was
done with this fund. Mr.. Howard prom
Used a report the first year, according to
Mr.. Phillips, but it was not forthcoming
again asked for by Miss Boardman and
some of the other members
"a report was again promised, however,
list of the members OF the present society,
now in the possession of the State Depart
ment. does not include the name of Mr..
Howard. 1t was only recently that the
Department of State succeeded in secur-
ing list of the names of the members
of the Red Cross Society, and this shows
a total membership of only about two
hundred persons.
I'VE have already received assurances
from more than this number of their
hearty Endorsement of a project to organ
iZe a new society, and If the plans now
under consideration are carried out Con-
gress will probably be asked at its next |
Cos IN a charter IN O