The New York herald., 1921-09-11
Busy Season for Conscience.


through a contribution from Michi.
gan woman who said that she had
avoided the payment OF that amount
five years ago by misrepresenting the
age OF her child in journey from
New York to Chicago. That con-
science has been busily at work re.
Gently is shown by numerous mani
festations reported from all over the
country. A railway general manager
at Cincinnati opens his mail one
morning to find $50 from man with
a remorseful conscience who had
"beat his way" a Seattle street car
company increases it's funds by the
receipt Of the pay for four stolen
rides, a steamboat line receives $40
from an unknown stowaway, and the
manager of a Chicago fire insurance
company finds in an envelope post
marked Waxahachie, Texas, $1,000
and. an unsigned letter from con-
trite individual who said he had been
guilty of fraudulent act.
People talk and write lightly or
wisely OF conscience, but perhaps 1t
is safe to say that no one has salts
factorily defined conscience or ana
lyzed its moral or mental qualities.
A Colorado court gave it recogni-
tion when a few years ago 1t held
as valid bequest of $4,000 to the
conscience fund by one RUFUS CLARK,
who wished to make amend for
guilty, knowledge Of a fraud. The
United States Treasury has benefited
through conscience by more than
100000. The Chancellor Of the Brit
ish Exchequer makes frequent ac-
acknowledgements in the London news
papers of contributions from all over
the United Kingdom to it's conscience
fund.
Conscience seems to work in a
strange way and by law peculiar
unto itself. The largest contribution
by the conscience stricken to the
United States Treasury was 100000.
The amount came as paper money
in an envelope postmarked New York;
in a separate envelope was an un-
signed letter written in disguised
scrawl. MAY every thief under
stand the awfulness Of the sin Of
stealing is the sincere wish Of a
penitent," said the writer. Another
contribution of $4,000 was sent to the
Collector of Customs of this port in
1901, and another almost as large
was received at the American Con-
sulate at London. A woman In Scot
land sent to the Treasury Depart
ment at Washington $50 which she
wrote was due to the Government
on account Of fraud committed by
a relative whose estate she shared.
One person who kept on sending
money for years to the Treasury
wrote: while the sender has paid
double to the United States the
amount he stole, yet his conscience
is not satisfied-and here Is another
payment"
These contributions began as far
back as 1911. One reason why pub
licity is avoided is found in the fact
that several announcements of the
receipt OF considerable amounts led
to attempted fraud. An instance Of
this grew out of the publication q
few years ago of contribution Of
$4,000. A woman wrote to the
Treasury Department that the money
was really hers and that 1t had been
sent by her insane husband. She
asked that it be restored to her.
BY means Of a Rochester address she
gave she was tracked by secret SER
vice men. She confessed that she
had tried to swindle the Government.
Contrary to general belief these con-
tributions are not set apart as con.
science fund but go into the general
Treasury fund.
A pang Of conscience netted a
North Carolinian s135; the man who
sent this amount to him said that 1t
was for horse which the sender
had stolen fifty years ago. An Ore.
gon man wrote to the Post Office
Department that he had made use
of a three cent stamp which had al
ready been used and he enclosed
twenty-five cents, the extra twenty
two cents being the amount of the
debt at compound interest for forty
years. An Arkansan received one
dollar In payment OF a turkey which
the sender wrote. he had stolen
twenty-seven years before. He added
f"I am now serving GoD." An Ohio
fruit grower received this note:
please accept twenty-five cents for
a peck Of apples which stole from
your orchard six years ago." Mr.,
and Mrs. SLAyroN, a Michigan couple
who were robbed Of 5000 when as a
boy and girl they eloped from Mis-.
souri,, recently received $1,000 and a
letter praying for forgiveness for the
theft from q man who signed himself
"Your Highwayman."
Some person who pretends to have
made a study Of the matter says that
conscience works harder In the sum