Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1914 — Fake Charity Worker is Arrested in Indianapolis. [ARTICLE]

Fake Charity Worker is Arrested in Indianapolis.

Richard Ficketts, who for some time operated a “charity” bureau in Hammond, and who later operated in Indianapolis, having women solicitors all over the state, ahs-been arrested and will probably get a stiff sentence for obtaining money under false pretenses. He “got by” so well in Hammond that he entered into the snap on a larger scale and was maintaining expensive headquarters in Indianapolis. So far as can be learned of several thousand dollars he is supposed to have received only sls was ever converted to charity. The Republican has always contended that it was very poorly placed charity to give money to traveling strangers. To begin with, the solicitor is at very heavy expense, even if the money goes into honest hands. In the second place, it is very easy for unworthy persons to secure apparently good endoimoments and divert the money to their personal use. Several exposures have been made in recent months and we are quite certain that a solicitor for Ricketts worked Rensselaer during the winter. ■\ Money contributed to the charitable organizations of the city, ox to the home or foreign missionary societies will go to the very best use and practically every cent of it reaches the cause for which intended, while so much contributed to the travelers is wasted in expensesof traveTand the support of the solicitors. We do not wish to advocate a refusal to give to any worthy charity, for much good results in that "way, but We do believe the system of indiscriminate solicits ing is wrong and that all charities should be organized under a genera] head and endorsement of that head necessary as a precaution against the fakes.