The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-08-06
CoIOred Minister Supposed to Hail
from Milwaukee Secured Money
from Many Ladies.
PROMISED coL0RED SERVANTS.
Women In Their Desire to Secure Some one
to Cook and Take Care of their Homes
Give Up Money Freely.

If there is any degree of punishment
for the unholy in the after world one
Very Reverend George Washington
Edward Rufus, supposed to hail from
Milwaukee, will be assigned to the
highest degree for the way that he
toyed with the confidence of well
known women in Kenosha and man
aged to annex some of their husbands
hard earned money is story of cruelty
almost too terrible to tell.
Rufus struck the ladies at a vulner-
able point and he certainly managed
to make good. The trail of Rufus is
left all over the fashionable districts
Of the city. His reverence was a col
ored man andshad come to kenosha to
solicit funds forj some church either
mythical or so far hidden in the wilds
of the great city that no trace OF It has
been found by any of the ladies. He
came looking for help. Pennies and
nickels were given to him freely but
the money didn't come fast enough to
suit Rufus and he soon managed to
find way to accelerate the flight OF
the eagles to his pocket.
Looking over the Kenosha papers he
discovered that the womensof the city
were in need of house maids and a
brilliant thought struck him. He
seemed to divine that a Xenosha house
wife would give about as much to Sc
cure steady maid as she would for a
house and lot in the center of the city
and playing on this tender confidence
he went to work.
He approached'the ladies IN very
pleasant way-frst he called them on
the telephone and informed them that
he had been informed that they were
looking fora servant. Of course, the
ladies jumped at the chance and "his
graft" had little trouble in securing an
appointment with them. When he
had managed TO pass the threshold of
the house he announced to the ladies
that he had collected together num-
Der of colored girls IN the South and
was planning to parcel them out
among the housewives of Kenosha.
He assured them that they were all
good cooks and they were taken from
such diverse portions Of the Southern
States that not one of them would
have friend in Kenosha. Rufus was
soon doing land Office business and
the number of orders he received
Threatened to open ''darky" colony
in the city.
The scheme worked fine and fully a
score of ladies in Kenosha ordered
largely Of the servants. Some of them
taking it that Rufus wasn't coming
around again thought that it would be
just as we'll to order two of the dusky
bellies but Rufus alleged that these
girls were priceless and allowed only
one to family. At the close of the
deal Rufus visited all the ladies and
told them thatssthey would have to put
up money to pay the railway. expenses
of the colored girls to Kenosha and the
ladies couldn't get their pocketbooks
fast enough. AS the girls were COM
ing from different places the amount
varied as the distance of the place
from Kenosha.
In word Rufus managed to get
money enough to support co1ored
mission for the rest Of his natural life.
With the money IN hts pocket Rufus
shined up his clerical looking hat,
busted off his cellu1oid collar and
ducked. The dusky bellies are still
awaited. Weeks have passed but not
- !.
any one wants to hear story of gen.
uine woe all he has to do is to touch up
one Of the ladies bitten. It won't be
hard to find the victims either.
The ladies finally told the story to
their husbands and an effort is now be-
ing made to find Rufus but he has
probably eluded pursuit and is basking
in. the sunshine at Atlantic City or
some other sea resort spending the
money of Kenosha ladies.