The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-11-04
j. III. GILBERT
the Sioux City Rescue Home
Fraud Compelled to
Give it up

The following from the Sioux
City Sun indicates that the man
Gilbert: whose game of graft
was exposed in Milbank couple
of months ago, has at last been
rooted out:
For the past year The Sun has
heard various reports of the dOings
of Rev. j. FL. Gilbert, who started in
several years ago to conduct what
he called a "Rescue Home" here.
That Mr.. Gilbert intended to conduct
such a home honestly in the begin
ming this paper does not question.
That it ever has been in fact the
home it purports to be the San has
heard vigorously disputed. The gen.
eral impression seems to be that al
most from the first it has heen a mere
maternity hospital for unfortunate
girls and women, and that in almost
every case the patient or the "friend
responsible for her trouble" paid the
bills, which were always in propor-
tion for services rendered. So far as
that goes it might be allowable. But
Mr.. Gilbert has been during most, If
not all the years he has been located
here, travelling over the country solic-
iting funds for the Sioux City Rescue
Home, representing that he and the
people working with him were rescu-
ing fallen women in Sioux City. This
part of the work bas been Mr.. Gill
bert's special business most OF the
time since he has been located here.
Some time ago rumors that the
funds so solicited were going in other
directions than that intended reached
the Sun, when charges that Mr.. Gu-
bert was visiting saloons for other
purposes than getting for his "home'
were made by reputable persons. This
was about the time the Free Methodist
church talked of assuming charge OF
the institution, and with the hope
that the place would pass into hands
that would make it what it purported
to be, the Sun said nothing. But the
proposition Of the church came to
naught. and as the public contribu-
tiOns have not been numerous enough
to stand the strenuous pace that has
been charged to Gilbert, the business
of the home has been in bad way.
A week or so ago letter was re-
ceived here stating that ''Rev." Gill
bert was in Tyndall, S. D., on his us
ual mission and that he had been
quite successful. The recipient of the
letter. accompanied by the Sun man.
went to the "home" and were met by
Mrs. Gilbert, who in answer to q
| question stated that the business had
been discontinued a month ago, and
that they expected to move soon to a
smaller house. The admission that
the home is not running as such,
when at the some time Gilbert is So
I Letting and obtaining funus on the
representations that it is. stamps him
as a fraud, and the Sun warns people
to have nothing more to do with him
on that basis.
/ The first rumor as to Gilbert's drink
inc came to the Sun some time ago,
and is confirmed from several sources.
Police Matron Thurston in answer
to an inquiry stated that SO far as she
could ascertain no fallen women have
ever been taken to the Gilbert instltu-
tion except one who went there expect
ing to be paid wages for doing house
work. Mrs. Thurston has had mum.
berless inquiries as to Gilbert and
has posted all who asked as to the
real character Of the place.
TO sum up: J. II. Gilbert is, or was
within the last ten days, soliciting
funds for an institution which he does
not run and which has never done
anv s'rescue work. The evidence a
hand indicates that he gets a grea
deal of money in this way, and IT re
ports are true he spends the most o
, it on himself, for to do Mrs. Gilber
; and the family justice, there are few
indications that they get much OF it.
The Sun regrets that this exposure
of the man and his disreputable meth
DDS is necess airy, but feels that worth,
: objects of charity are injured by per
! mitting the idea to go out that he
all right