The Washington times., 1918-09-15

and the American Red Cross received the
money from the District Attorney within
an hour.
Since that morning in the District Attor-
ney's Office six other countesses, two
baronesses, one marchioness and hundreds
of widely known women Of fashion and So
cial prominence, many of them members
of famous families, have sat in that same
chair by the window which looks down
upon the Bridge of Signs and the Tombs.
Not all we're guilty. Some were just fool
ish. others we're careless and others had
sought to use war charity as a stepladder
to their own social or popular advance
ment.
Very few women, or men either, who
have sat in that chair, have sought since to
collect funds for charities which were Of
questionable intent. Those who did have
walked themselves across the Bridge Of
Signs into the Tombs. The result has been
vastly beneficial to the Red Cross, the
Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army
and the Y NJ. C. A, the war auxiliary or
CARNATIONS which are recognized by the
War Department and which use the money
collected for them directly in the interests
of the soldiers iT Fra ce or at home.
The investigation OF fake" war chart
ties. and benevolent war organizations
which failed to keep to their purposes
brought about a series OF amazing revela-
tiOns.
During the first year Of Americas part
in the war more than $5.000000 for various
funds" ostensibly estab rshed to promote
the welfare Of our armed forces or war
victims abroad. was collected in New York
City alone which, District Attorney Swami
has discovered, was used not in patriotic
h,,N Co. att,.fr,n a
song!" Nearly 100000 was collected,
according to the results of the District At
torney's investigation, by what he learned
TO call the 100 per cent boys"-collectOrs
who worked for well meaning organiza-
tons but who kept all they collected. or,
at least, fifty or seventy-five per cent Of it,
The other $4,000, 900 had been collected
by fashionable women, countesses, baron
esses and the like, and used by them in
paying the expense either of gay hOtel
life. or of lavish social entertaining Eight
hundred arrests were made by the two de-
tective sergeants, August Mayer and
Grover Brown. Scores Of criminal indict-
mcntS resulted. Scores of cells in the
ToTbs were filled with men and women
who had taken criminal advantage of the
generosity of the great city's patriotism.
More than 400 separate war charity 'or-
EdHlLdllOHS we're ulSDanded al the orders
of Assistant District Attorney Kilroe All
TO the vast benefit of the RedICrOss and
the other noble organizations Which think
of the soldiers first and themselves not at
all. These organizations gave valuable
help in wedding out the fake" charities
There is no telling how many millions
of dollars in New York and elsewhere in
The country where the campaign against
fake" charities has reached. have been
saved for the purposes for which they
were intended by the results of a telephone
call received one morning last October in
the offices Of Walter NJ. Donovan. a
wealthy broker, at No. so Broadway, New
York City. Mr.. Donovan once had been a
member of New York's famous Sixtyninth
regiment of the National Guard He was
very pleased when the voice over the wire
informed him that it was the then colonel
OF the regiment, Louis ID. Conley, who was
speaking.
You know the regiment is giving a bene-
III at the armory. hoping to procure money
with which to buy comfort kits for the
boys to take to France" said the supposed
colonel. Il know you are a friend of the
regiment and wonder IL you would not like
to donate some money to the fund"
Put me down for 1000" replied Broker
Donovan, "I'll mail you the check"
Never mind mailing it, said the
Copyright. 1915 by Star Company.