The evening world., 1915-01-25
R|GRW|LL GVEUp
HOMES TO WOMEN
.WARv|CT|MSH HERE
White Cross Society Starts
Campaign to Provide Palatial
shelter for the Destitute.
MANSIONS ARE OPENED.
Homes Now Unoccupied viii
Shelter Scores Hit by War
Retrenchments.
MANSIONS ARE OPENED.

Five paiAtlal homes on upper Fifth
avsauss-aA present unoccupied By
their millionaire owners-mAy be
turned over 10 rseinsd and destitute
we0sa wAo have lost everything due
to war rstrsnohments in this ooun-
try n . campaign started by the
WHITE Gross Society - successful.
Chairman Trsnoklyn Lawrence out
linsa the plan to-day.
Tue Arst Of these homes, which,
until two ysars ago. was che abods Of
~. and Mrs. Pembroke Jones, at
Ne. 10 West Fifty.hrst strsst, h al
ready occupied BY eishH slris, who
have ths ffSs run Of the house, which
. few years aSo was the scene OF
brilliant social events. BY tho end
Of the week. Chairman Lawrence de-
clarod to-day. adequate supplies will
b On hand TO all up the twsnty-ssven
rooms q the heuss with destitute but
dessrving women.
Mr.. Lawrence, who u backed by q
string Of wealthy Wall Street mon,
with powerful influences in the social
and business world, then expects to
obtain tho use Of the Cornelius
Vanderbilt mansion. at Fifth Avenue
and Flfty-first Street. He has al
ready opened negotiations with Mr..
Vanderbilt in Havana. Cuba, and sx-
poets an answer In . few days. The
Vanderbilt home has been unocoupied
for several months.
I'VE have learned the Vanderbilt
homo will be vacant for some time"
said Mr.. Lawrence. I'VE are con.
fident We can have the use Of the
mansion until summer"
According to the Chairman. Treas
urer Charles D. stickney. we'll known
in Wall Street. Is negotiating to open
up the deserted b. Altman mansion,
at the northwest corner Of Fifth ave
nus and Fiftieth Street. Since the
dGath Of the merchant, tho house has
bSsn stripped Of its art collections
and furniture. Efforts are also being
made, Mr.. Lawrence said to-day, to
open the mansion of the late Charles
r. Yerkes, which has been unoccupied
since the death Of his widow. Robert
Il. Dowiing, Chairman Of the Work.
mAns Compensation Commission.
now owns this property, which Is at
Fifth Avenue and Slxty'eighth Street.
The White Cross started out to as
AIT the war refugees in Europe. ex-
p1ained Mr.. Lawrence, but when we
found we could not place our funds
FOR distribution with the State De-
partmout or some equally responsible
Institution, We decided to turn our at
tention to the relief OF the thousands
right here In New York City who
have lost everything as a result OF
war retrenchments In business. We
are not after money-what We want
IT, furniture. beds. blankets. linen,
the use of this beautiful mansion
practically free-we are paying dol
lar rent for the year-but We havc
only accommodat tions for eight desti-
tote women. But we expect to house
At least nifty before the end Of the
s"You understand" the Chairman
added. we are not attempting to care
for the great army OF poor and nm
employed--we are accepting only
women Of education and refinement,
who would be unable to bear the en-
vlronment of the average relief home.
0f the eight girls here now two are
Secretaries. three are actresses Of the
hotter, class, and one is the wife of a
Wall Street broker who blew out his
bralpa shortly after the closing Of the
Exchange. He did so that his wife
might obtain a $4,000 life Insurance
policy. but failed to notice a suicide
clause which deprived his widow Of
the. insurance.
Another woman with us is an
actress with Liebler production,
which, until it's failure in the first
weak, Was to have brought her $50
s.ty1eek. She never drew a penny
owing 10 the failure OF the company.
and tho hotel people. who had ad-
vanced her credit during the eleven
weeks rehearsal. stripped her of her
jewelry and everything OF value she
Nd 70 meet her obligations.
tThe Varick House. boarding house
DIR siris at No. IL Dominick Street,
9th homo surroundings, will open
its doors Feb. I. The price OF rooms
Nth board will be ~ to H,75