Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-21
CHARITY GRAFT Barred
Gang Calling Itself Christian
Volunteers Working in
Iowa
MANY VICTIMS IN SIOUX CITY
Has Been Working There During Past
Six Months-state Charities So
ciety, Salvation Army and voIun-
teers of America Say Principals Are
Frauds-some of Them Ex-convicts.
Special to Times Republican.

4
Sioux City, Dec. Extraordinarily
begging and receiving money from the
people of Sioux City for the last six
months, an organization known as the
Christian Volunteers Of America has
been run to earth and denounced as a
criminal organization by state charit-
number OF the leaders have been ar
rested. Others are being sought by the
police.
The band, working in the name Of
charity, operated here until a few
weeks ago. Owen B. Vail was in
charge of the headquarters here and
for a time jake Busch had charge of
the work, coming here during the early
stages of it's foundation to aid in its
establishment.
How much money they secured from
local citizens is hard to estimate, but
Captain John Gale, of the Salvation
Army, and Captain c. p. Sauter, Of the
their denunciation of the Christian
Volunteers, claiming it has hurt the
work Of their institutions to q great
extent.
Both the Salvation Army and the
Volunteers of America are incorporat-
ed under the laws of the various states
in which they operate. The Christian
Volunteers, socalled, is composed only
Of gang of "grafters," assert officials
of both the other religious bodies. The
Christian Volunteers rented a small
room on lower Fourth street They
used number of striking methods to
attract attention, and by telling bust
ness men and others OF the great good
their organization was doing, soon had
a generous income.
1t is stated that not one cent of the
money ever went to aid a poor person;
that the donations in the form Of old
clothes and eatables were either used
by the workers or sold for what 1t
would bring. The Salvation Army peo-
pie complained of the, harm done in
the name Of charity, but no effort was
made to bring the promoters Of the
new body to justice.
The organization has it's head Of
fees In Des Moinas. Lillian G.
Mathews, general secretary of the As
ISOLATED Charities of Des MOines, has
sent a warning to Sioux City and other
towns OF the state, and says among
other things%
1.-The people at the head Of the
Christian Volunteers are of immoral
character and most of them have been
arrested and convicted on criminal
charges. jake Busch, the commander
in chief, is living with a woman not
his wife, and has previous to this
time been arrested and convicted for
adultery. Another man, Colonel Geo.
Spencer, has been arrested, as has also
Major Robert Darling, and Owen B.
Vail. Another officer is an ex-convict.
They do not carry on the work they
profess to do. They have been run
out of Minneapolis, Omaha, Chicago
and other cities. They are particu-
larly active just now in the state Of
Iowa, and it is only right that the
public should be warned not to contri-
butte to those people.
"They have adopted various names:
The Christian Volunteers, Christian
Volunteer Warriors, and Red cross
Endeavor. They sometimes call
themselves the American Volunteers
and seek by confusion Of names to
confound themselves with the Volun-
teers of America with whom they are
in no way connected"
Captain Sauter, who has been in
charge of the local Volunteers of
America, says it is great injustice
to his band that such men are allowed
to operate. He has resigned as head
of the local branch and will go to Des
Moines to take charge Of the work
there He is succeeded here by Cap
tain and Mrs. E. H. Hites, of Des
Moines, who, with Lieutenant S. A.
Jarrard arrived this morning from
Des Moines. They carry the proper
credentials, and will take charge of
the work here at once.