COLLECTING BOX SWINDLES

Evening Star, Issue 18156, 22 December 1922, Page 5

COLLECTING BOX SWINDLES

EASY MONEY ESCAPADES. LIVING ON FUG DAYS. The 'Sunday Chronicle ’ .records the Mtonishing escapades of a young l woman, Evelyn Eobinsou, who has made a living on Hag day collections. Evelyn is only twontyffive years old; but she 'has already made her mark in the pursuit of what is a more popular calling than most of tis realise. She has been living for a considerable lime-—and living well—on flag days. She has varied this steady activity with ■ iitwo Juggage-ttnatehiig at the big railway termini, a little pilfering from hotel bedrooms, a little fur coat stealing from dancehall cloak rooms—anything, m fact, that came along; but the evidence at her trial suggests that her true life-work has been what was described on the charge sheet as “fraudulently obtaining charitable contributiOM.”

How she went about it was made clear by the testimony of several witnesses. A tall, well-spoken, and extremely well-dressed young lady woukll call at the headquarters of the charity, whatever it might be, and offer her services as a voluntary helper, She would give a good name and address—not her own. She would then be entrusted', without further parley, with a collecting box and the usual appurtenances, and go off happily to her day’s work.

.Once, while busy with a combined hospital appeal collecting box at Herne Hill Evelyn, dressed as a V.A.D. nurse, was asked for her permit by a Y.A.D. officer, who hud his suspicions. Her reply was that, being on tho staff at the headquarters of the appeal, she required no permit. Tho officer contented himself with “giving instructions that she should be watched"; but by tho time they were ready to begin watching Evelyn she was nowhere to be found.

Another tfano, while collecting for the West London Hospital, she was challenged by one of the committee, and her box was taken away. It contained £s—a fair morning’s work. <jho was not prosecuted, though it was found that sho hadi given a false name and address.

On her visits to Brighton and other resorts Evelyn stayed only at the best hotels. Her clothes wore not merely expensive, but tasteful and well put on. Her charm of 'manner enabled her to make new friends everywhere, who would confide to her where they kept their valuables in their bedrooms. Once, at a London hotel, she became very friendly with a young man and his wife. lOne day, when, they had gone out, Evelyn packed up all their luggage for them, had it carried down stairs and put in a taxi, paid her bill, and drove off with the loot. She took a strong interest in the metropolitan police charities, and was much appreciated by the force. When, in connection with one of these, a woman's walk to Southend was organised Evelyn entered for it, and romped homo a popular winner amid the cheers of the constabulary, including dc■teotives who were nfter her just thou for luggage stealing at Waterloo. Three times convicted of theft, Evelyn had been “bound over” by merciful magistrates. Once she went to gaol for four months. Now she is put away for six. Evelyn's is but the most striking case out of a number in which women—young as a rule—have been fouud ; practising the collecting bos fraud. As a, method 1 of getting money it comes close to stealing the pennies out of a blind man’s tin. But wo are nob concerned with the meanness of it so much as with the monstrous laxity of, the system, or nosystom, under which any person whatever who is able to make a favorable impression is handed an official collecting box without being asked for credentials of any sort. If. said one of the organising staff of the combined appeal in his evidence, people “ looked respectable,'’ they were allowed to have a box. In short, all you need is good dothes, impudence, and a false name and address, to practise the easiest of all methods of robbing the public, and to divert money which is bitterly needed by struggling charities into your own pocket. It is only reasonable to suppose that many thousands of pounds have been stolen in this way since flag days were instituted. Can it really be impossible to make these collections thief-proof?

The writer suggests that every unknown applicant should 1 be called upon and seen at the address given before being entrusted with a box. That would be an effective protection in nearly all cases.