Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-30
class OF these confessing penitents. One
returns $40 and wakes poetical, thus:
TOO much pay
This Of May .,

returns $50, and wakes poetical, thus:
TOO much pay
This month OF May"
"a clear conscience softens the hardest
bed, /" writes another, 'and as I am a poor
government clerk my bed is very hard and
needs much softening; SO herewith re-
| turn IL cents overpaid me last pay day,
and, besides, have loafed a good deal
lately"
name. incioses check for $3.50, and con-
| fesses: II have been in the United States
service many years, and part of the time
with rank which entitled me to two SER
wants. / drew pay for two. but actually
had but one. 1t is the common practice
| of officers to do this. and the paymasters
are aware of 1t. / entered the army poor
and sick-too poor In fact to get along well
without "a clear conscience-hence the
check"
Another government employee incIoses SO
| for some small articles" taken dishonesty
from his office. Being an employee of the
government, / herewith return you $3S9S
which conscientiously feel am not en-
| titled to-. writes another. An old soldier
confesses: while in the army. In 1863. at
one time when there was bread being dis
| tributed managed to get two loaves when
i supposed it was intended for each person
| to only have one; therefore. in order to sat-
isfy reproving conscience, / remit 81.
which / suppose win cover the amount
with compound interest" Another veteran
| signing "One of Uncle Sans Boys" sends
S75 in repayment for two months extra pay
given him by mistake
Thirty Years Remorse Over Pencils.
The most remarkable case of conscience
on the part Of government employees is that
of veteran of the Indian school service
who this year inclosed three nickels in pay
ment for two slate pencils appropriated
| thirty years ago. Ever since then his con-
science had troubled him to the exent that
remorse had set In and finally insomnia
n afe cd OF, cole
tice but had just learned of a conscience
fund and could now give his mind the
| first rest which it had enjoyed within the
entire thirty years.
One dollar is sent by a penitent who con-
fesses to having stolen a small apple tree
from the government orchard at Fort
COO knows the name and the SIM is the
only explanation accompanying 5000
tucked in an envelope postmar.ied New
York. A letter mailed in Washington
states: Through an error of the head and
not OF the heart, in the settlement of q
claim some time since l received 81 more
than was entitled to, and as 1 desire to
hve honest with all people 1 inclose the
above stated amount contributor of
W promises to later remit more and thus
add peace to his tortured conscience"
The act" he adds, was committed in
childhood. Remorse has taken hold upon
| me and l cannot rest. Who but God, my
Almighty Father, has made me do this?''
Transparent DISCUSSES.
Amusing efforts at fegning illiteracy are
conspicuous throughout the files For the
konShen fund was scrawled upon an en-
Velore bearing 10 cents; then the third
WORD was stricken out and conshuns' in
serted above 1t. Five dollars is accom-
| panied by slip reading ITO the choinshous
| fund FavoTite means of attempting dis
gulse or penmanship are the employment
OF printed characters, scrawlng child-like
chirography and forced Llckhand In near
| ~ every such letter are unconscious slips
| OF the pen which would give q sure clue
| to the handwriting expert Only few
contributors resort to the typewriter.
Occasionally conscience money is per-
| sonally handed to the Secretary of the
treasury by sinners who hurry away as
| soon as they have thus purged their minds
OF remorse strange man once placed in
the HahdS OF secretary Gage enVelope
marked private" Tearing 1t Open the
Secretary found smaller envelope contain
ing 500 and labeled conscience money"
At another time he was handed an enveI-
ope containing $3.50, but without any cx-
p-anatory inscription or Enclosure
Work of Clever Wag.
Occasionally some wag or other contrib
| utes to the collection, as for example:
| please find s1.25, coin of the realm. won
| poker. and which 1 am convinced rightfulIy
| belongs to Uncle Samuel. 1 have carried it
] for nearly six days, and dare not trust N.Y.
| self with 1t longer. My conscience calls for
relief; my harrassed nature calls for a
good nights sleep. l can have neither so
| long 1 carry this terrible witness You
| can apply 1t in liquidation of the national
debt. Now l feel a realization of the
proverb: BE vtrtuous and you will be
! happy. Now can feel an assurance that
| in years yet to come It may be said of my
| children yet to Gomez: They were of poor
! but honest parents Please acknowledge
| through citys papers and request them to
double lead in editorial column"
The alleged $1.25 in coin of the realm"
| was an 81. o. u" and not worth the paper
upon which 1t was written.
Altogether the most remarkable commun-
fcation comes from the recent contributor
of $4,000, the second largest item ever re-
ceived to swell the conscience fund. which
was opened ninety-four years ago. 1t was
addressed this summer to Secretary Shaw
and makes this proposition:
An Indian Giver
mot long since, to satisfy my mind
sent you $4,000 in currency. I sent you
| 81. 600 more than four-fold. and at the date
of this letter 1 was passing through
and got very sick, and a lady took care of
me. She gave me medison, care and food.
Notwithstanding she was really poor, and
have don willed every thang 1 have to a
young man to take care of me until l die
and have me put Way nice and l want
you IL you will to send this poor lady a
little of that money If you please she is try
to school to little girls one years and the
other 10. her name is -- -.
when you get this I will be at rest. l
taken her name and / want the president
to send her little donation for her act of
charity in his own name please grant this
last request / subscribe my self
"A PENITENT SINNER"
"Good-by.'
This is the only on record of con-
science contribution with a string to It,
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.
--s---
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