New-York tribune., 1918-12-02
Red Cross Seeking
Women Who Work
Death News Graft
Swindlers Try to Get Money
From Soldiers Families
for False Reports
u. S. Agents Notified
Brooklyn Chapter Issues the
Warning That Service to
Relatives Is Free
u. S. Agents Notified

The Department of Justice has been
asked by the Atlantic division of the
Red Cross to hunt down women who
nave been preying on the families of
soldiers by fraudulcntly representing
themselves to be representatives of
the Red Cross. In several cases these
women falsely reported that soldiers
had been killed or died and attempted
to collect money from grief stricken
families for bringing the information
According to Mrs. Janet Anderson
mead OF the home service section of
me brooklyn Red Cross Chapter it is
possible one woman is operating the
scheme. The Red Cross is particularly
incenscd because it has repeatedly an
nounced that all its service to families
of soldiers is free.
Warned Of Swindle
The first time I heard of this was
last Sunday" said Mrs. Anderson yes
terday: Il happened to be alone in
the otiice when the telephone rang and
scrlbing herself as a Red Cross worker
was collecting money from relatives Of
soldiers for information as to the well
fare OF the soldier. The following
Monday, several other reports were
received. 1t appears the operations of
these persons have been confined to
the Greenpoint and Bushwick sections
of Brooklyn"
Mrs: Anderson said that a visitor,
% one Gay last week, called on Mrs.
Henry Gloritz, 1916 Flushing Avenue
The woman, blonde, wore white
arm band with red cross on 1t, ac-
70
nounced that Mrs. Gloritz's son, Henry,
had died at Camp Upton and asked
what disposition should be made of the
body Mrs. Glorit2 refused to nego-
tiate with the visitor, but instead call
cd up the Home Service Section Of the
Brooklyn Red Cross Chapter.
Woman Did Not Return
The section telephoned to Camp In
ton, and officials there said Henry
Gloritz is now in France with Battcry
r, 3o1st Field Artillery. 1ne visitor
did not return to the Gloritz home.
Another case was that of the family
OF Antonio Bianco, of 258 Melrose Ave
nue., Brooklyn. A woman, wearing a
Red Cross badge, with "an cagle and
three stripes" called at the Bianco
nome while the family was mourning
the death Of Frank Bianco, brother of
Antonio: A telegram had been re-
celved from the War Department that
morning notifying them that Frank
had been killed while with Company
G, 327th Infantry in France. The fake
Red Cross visitor informed the Bi-
ancos, they said, that Frank Bianco
had been injured and was now in this
country. She said she would bring
him to the house if they would advance
the money for automobile fare.
The family and friends were so ex-
cited at this good news that the visitor
left without pressing her demand for
money 1t was learned later that she
went to Cirligero Seaturo, an uncle
of Frank Banco. and told him his
nephew was dead and that for S37.1O
she would arrange to bring the body
home and pay the funeral expenses.
The uncle was suspicious and did not
pay the money.
Mrs. Anderson said that in most in
stances the attempt at graft had been
directed against italian families on the
supposition that they might be more
credulous than English-speaking fami-
lice '