Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-08-31
FRAUD IN CHARITY AND
PATRIOTISM.
By Marcus Braun in Tair PIay.


The Reverend DR.. Charles T. Bay
lis, former pastor of the Bushwicll
Avenue Congregational Church
Brooklyn, and self-appointed "Dircc-
tor General of the Allies Hospit-
ais Relief Commission. has been in
dicted, after a thorough investiga-
ton by District Attorney Swami Of
the affairs Of the commission and it's
head under section 934 Of the Penal
Code.
That lying divine has been caught
with the goods, having swindled
three sums Of $1,000, 500 and $500
respectively under the cover Of his
charitable" funds. This is Of course
no new story. Ever since relief
funds and subscriptions have been
started here, there have been fire.
quent cases OF fraud. The men and
women who start these appeals and
administer the sums received do so
too often from motives Of greed. But
never has there been such a crop Of
fraudulent operations as has ripened
since the outbreak OF the war. Spe-
cial funds for Belgians, for Poles,
for the French, the British, the
Allies, funds for the Teutonic ma
tions, many Of them have been
tainted by the association with their
management Of shady and unscrupu-
lous purse-hunters. A few like the
official Red Cross are of course abb
solutely above board, but even
among these funds that enjoy the
finest lists of honorable names there
are operations which certainly call
for action on the part Of the District
Attorney.
Dr. Baylis. however, stands out
from the rest Of petty thieves. Others
merely ask for money, parts of
which they retain for themselves. He
added to the fraud his wonderful gift
OF imagination which is worthy of
the worst Press agents, or the best,
according to the way one looks at the
matter. When he returned from
Europe he was interviewed by the
New York Herald. "If the lid" he
said, lis ever lifted and the true
stories OF the appalling atrocities and
outrages are ever told, the Germans
will make the Huns and Vandals
look like Sunday-school teachers.
have brought with me the most
amazing series OF affidavits and pic
lures ever taken, and / have seen in
Belgium such suffering and woe as is
inconceivable For six weeks ! went
through the country, and everywhere
/ faced such desolation that ! was a
nervous wreck when / returned to
London. The ahdavits which took
were all from men OF unimpeachable
regulations. Diplomatists, burgo-
masters, clergy OF every degree all
told me the same stories and backed
them up with optical proofs.
II spent day with Cardinal Mer-
cier who was Imprisoned by the
Germans because Of his pastoral let
ter With tears streaming down his
face he repeated to me experiences
through which he had passed. He
told me of girls and women he had
visited in q clerical capacity and OF
outrages he had witnessed"
Who believes such stories now
adays? But on the strength of them
he got thousands Of dOllarsa Let us
hope he will be made to disgorge
and that a long period at Sing Sing
will cause him to turn his activities
into other channels.
We could say more Of this business
of funds collecting but 1t will keep.
When the war Is over we will have
q few choice stories to tell as to the
of relief and other
funds in our land of charitable dupes
obtained mostly under the cloak Of
patriotism and benevolence.