Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-22
NEWARK ARREST
FIGURES IN MITE
BOX INQUIRY NOW
Rev. Mr.. Holman Must Answer
for Charity Appeals in
Investigation.
WHITMAN AIDE GETS
LINE ON PRACTISES
Collected More Than $3.50 a
Month from Public and Prom
ised Homes Unbuilt.

NEW YORK. Jan. 22.-An investi-
CATION of practices in collect
ing funds through the me-
dium of mite boxes in New
York has neen begun by District At
torney Charles S. Whitman. The at
tention of the district attorney was
called to the appeal made to the pub
lie to contribute Just a penny for the
blind by Herman Ridder in his ca-
pacity as a member of the State
Board of Charities, as a result of
which Rev. Edwin C. Holman, treas
urer of the Golden Rule Alliance of
America" at IS Fifth avenue and
Franklin Furnace, n. j., has been
subpoenaed and cross-examined on
the activities of his society.
Assistant District Attorney Colnon
had charge of the examination of
Holman, ard found that this society,
which is making an appeal for mite
box gifts for a home for blind girls.
was incorporated for charity and
profit
Judge Hahn Heard Case.
According to Mr. Colnon who gave
out the information on the case to-
out the information on the case today,
Arthur Raymond 109 West sixty
eighth street, mite box collector for
Holman. was arrested in April. 1918,
in Newark while collecting from the
mite boxes Holman was examined
as to the facts involved, with the re-
suit that there appears to have been
more or less juggling with the printed
cards over the mite boxes. which
tell for what purpose contributions
will be used
Holman himself appeared before
Judge Hahn in the Newark First
Precinct Court. He was forced to
admit that while his cards stated
that the mites" were for "The Home
for Blind Girls" at Franklin Fur
mace, n. J.. there was no such home.
Holman tried to get an adjournment,
but the judge told him that he would
discharge the collector IL Holman
would promise to remove all his mite
boxes from Newark, and this prom
ise Holman made.
After that the reading of the cards
was changed to read this way:
A Penny a Week
VIII Help Us Build
the Home for Blind Girls.
Cards Differ in Two States.
In New York cards are used show
ing that it is the Intention of the
society to build a home at Yonkers
for blind girls, while in New Jersey
the cards Show the home is to be
built at Franklin Furnace. Holman
says he has options on sites for the
society's "string of homes in Yon-
kers, Hackensack, Franklin Furnace.
Montclair and Palisades.
Holman says he has been collect
ing money since the Golden Rule AL
lance was Incorporated Besides the
officers of the society he has two col
lectors, Richmond, whom Holman
says is paid s1.75 day and expenses
for gathering in the mite-bo coins
from the surrounding territory, and
Rev e. V. Gearhart AZ Second ave"
nue., Newark, N. j. Rev. Mr.. Gear
says, but If he succeeds in getting
money for the society a financial ar
rangement is to be made.
When a reporter interviewed Hol-
man in October. he said he had sue
ceeded in raising $1,200 toward the
homes. When examined by Assistant
District-Attorney Colnon yesterday he
said he had raised $4,000 He said
the society had 5000 in the Bank of
the Metropolis and $500 in cash in his
safe at rs Fifth avenue. 1t appears
that this money is the stream of
small coins that pour in from the mite
boxes.
No Way of Checking Receipts.
Assistant District Attorney Colnon
said he had had no way of checking
UP Holman's receipts, and admitted
that probably as far as he would ever
be able to establish the receipts from
mite boxes and other sources may
have greatly exceeded the sums which
have been named to him. When the
L. IL hi NJ nj
non will make an effort to determine
what proportion of the Golden Rule
Alliance income is going for admin
istrative purposes.
The advertising circulars of the Col
den Rule Alliance lay emphasis on the
fact that Fanny Crosby is the soci-
ety's president, and that Helen Keller
has lectured under the auspices of the
society.
1t was supposed that from the Helen
Keller lecture, which was widely ad-
vertised, moneys equal to at least half
the net funds of the society were OBJ
talned. But when Holman was asked
about this he declared that 1t had
been an expensive venture against the
account of the Home for Blind Girls.
The loss on the engagement. Holman
was between $500 and S400.
He said he had to pay Helen Keller
$500 and the theatre management $3.50,
and that besides this too many tickets
had been given away.
As for himself, Holman said he was
a clergyman, with a salary of 81 200,
paid by his Franklin Furnace parish.
Besides this, he said he was a lee
turer and writer and was getting no
increment to his income from the Col
den Rule Alliance.