The Irish standard., 1906-02-03
GREW" sEeuln DOWN AND OUT.

| Some time ago we had occasion to
refer to the doings of one p. A. Sc
gum, who claimed to be an ex-priesr
and who has a varied and unsavory
record behind him. Seguin was again
| in the lime-light last week when Judge
Brown of the District Court annulled
the charter under which Seguin
claimed to be conducting working
girls home. For some time he has
been running an establishment called
working Girls Home" the osten-
sible purpose of which was to furnish
Il home for working girls while out Of
apolis he succeeded in interesting
Lutheran ministers in his schemes and
in fact was taken into the Lutheran
Church and became minister. Ac-
cording to his own testimony he was
taken into one church about January
1st. 1905, and expelled about the first
Of the following June. He succeeded
in Interesting Il few well-meaning peo-
Pile in his scheme to a sufficient exten.
to extract from them and their friends
a considerable amount of money. The
attention of the Associated Charities
was directed toward the working
Girls Home and an investigation
showed that the institution was the
direct opposite of what it purported to
be. Instead of charitable institution
it was an institution organized for the
purpose of collecting funds for the use
and benefit of Seguin. Judge Brown,
in portion of his findings, says:
while the officers and members of tina
Christian Union profess to manage and
concuct such organization for the pur.
pose of religious preaching and instruc-
lions and for charitable and benevo-
lent purposes in truth and in fact said
organization is supported and conduct
ed for the purpose of supporting the
officers Of said organization and 70.
the pecuniary profit of the persons en-
gagged in soliciting said contributions
and by far the greater portion of the
moneys and property donated by the
public has been used for the private
benefit of the officers and members of
said defendant corporation"
Mr.. Solenberger. of the Associated
Charities, who has been instrumental
in running Seguin to earth in his last
scheme deserves much credit. He in
vestigated the past record of this
Christian worker" and came to the
conclusion that there was no need Of
a working girls home of the character
that has been maintained by Seguin and
his confederates.
A few years ago Seguin organized a
home or refuge for ex-priests and ex-
nuns at Pepin, Wisconsin. He found
in that locality sufficient prejudice and
ignorance to produce considerable
amount of funds for time. The peo-
Pile who entered into the Pepin scheme
soon found out that they had BEEN de-
ceived. Seguin secured the funds, but
the ex-priests and ex-nuns failed to
develop and he went out Of business
in Pepin when funds failed to contin-
ue on account of lack of confidence
on the part of those who at first en-
tered with enthusiasm into his service
He has had various other enterprises
of similar nature at points sufficient
ly scattered from one another to permit
of temporary success.
Seguin and other people of like char
acter Is that they are always able to
find dupes ready to enter into their en-
terprises. No doubt the Lutheran min
listers of Minneapolis who received Sc.
gum into their body and aided him In
starting his Working Girls Home"
which has just come to grief, We're
actuated in part at least by good mo-
tives. It Is difficult to escape the con-
clusion, however, that Seguin has sue i.
ceeded largely because Of prejudice
and ignorance which exists among Ger
tain classes of people. In many places
it has been sufficient for Seguins pur-
poses to simply hold himself out as
an ex-prlest as we believe he is in
order to attract to his aid people who
ought to have known better. The fact
that man is an ex-priest or an ex-
mirister should in itself be sufficien,
notice to put people on inquiry as to
why he is an Eek" With some people,
however, the rule seems to be exactly
the reverse. If man represents him
self as an eX-priest or an eX-Cathol!
it seems to be sufficient evidence with
some that he is an all-wise and all
good man Such condition of affairs
is due to a blind prejudice which ren-
ders the person afflicted thereby so ig-
norant and unreasonable that he be-