Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1909-05-22
FRAUD CHARGES BOILED DOWN
Highly Colored Sensation Devoid
of Ffi1Is Amounts
to Little

For several weeks bit of scandal has
been stewing, its unfragrant fumes reach
ing many who would insist upon ignor-
ing it. Finally the Press concluded it
was time to inaugurate search During
the process of digging for solid facts, a
journalistic effort emanating from an At
lantic City sheet came forth belching
gigantic volumes Of smoke, but eIusively
hiding the real flame The head lines
were startling, conveying the idea that
prominent official Of PleasantviIIe had
onmitted fragrant ofrense Officials Of
his quiet borough began to search them
selves, to ascertain if they were the
fellows. If the meteoric reporter knew
The principal alleged offender he feared TO
1--WE his name. Then the widows
charming etc The awful thing was
discussed in barber shops, cigar stores.
orner groceries, etc, always reliable
sources of real facts.
The charming" widows-a dozen.
we're the town reports-were first inter
siewed. Widows of soldiers in the civil
var are only charming to few near
aud dear ones left them Charming be-
ause of the love and devotion given to
the care and protection OF sons and
daughters. The dozen rapidly simmered
down to two. Just two elderly widows
were found. They had no tale of woe
to relate. DIR. Sooy had been their family
physician for years To him they went
with their worries, as well as aches and
pains.
At their solicitation, Dr. Sooy under
took. between four and five years ago, the
task of obtaining the pensions due them.
No lawyer was employed and the Doctor
occupied some of his time in their be-
half. Government work is slow; wards
OF red tape" are reeled off, then a
series of waits ensue. Finally the pen
sions were received The widows nat
urally wished to recompense the Doctor
for his efforts. as was their due. Now
here comes the rub, the germ from which
this swarm of gossip microbes sprung.
Shakespeare, George Ade or the New
York Journal-we are not clear which
are guilty-says that one squadron of
humanity DO wrong without knowing
it. According to governmental regula-
tlons no pension money received by
widows shall be paid to anyone, neither
shall any person accept such money from
the widows for services rendered in the
interest Of securing pensions. When Dr.
Sooy accepted modest payment for ser
wees covering four or five years, he vio-
lated the Government law He did not
know this. He did not know that all
bills must be rendered to the government
department. 1t may be remembered
that no one man has a sure claim on all
knowledge. canned or green. Wise men
acknowledge that there are wads of
things of which they know nothing.
Doing favors for people often eventu-
ate much as the trials of undertakers
That dozen widows have been reduced
to couple. The extortionate bill for
medical services was but five dollars, one
of the widows said the other aeknow-
Iedged that the bill was not worth men
tioning and she had no complaint to
make. The pension agent was sent for
and according as his duties require, the
matter has been placed in the hands of
the Government When the scandal is
reduced to unfrilIed facts there does not
appear to be just basis for all this
pyrotechnic fiip-fapping Of tongues and
highly colored journalism DR.. Sooy is a
man who is not likely to get caught in
d film fam game of few hundred doll
ars He possesses too much intelligence.
even were his ethical attitude at vari-
ance with uprightness.
Those effulgent journalists scintiIiating
with cleaning wit on the little island
may go swimming in another direction
Tor brain exercise next time they ache
for notoriety. Don't come TO Pleasant
vile.