There are probably more "touches" perpetrated in Chicago by
professionals in the name of charity than under any other guise. In
this matter, more of the protection of honest charities than for the
protection of the public, the police have taken a hand and done a
great deal to weed out and punish the solicitors for fake charities.
An imaginary home for epileptics was one of the favorite plans. There
was a home for this class of unfortunates that was honestly run, and
the peculiar sympathy enlisted by the mention of the word epilepsy was
seized upon by dishonest schemers. Professional women solicitors were
garbed as "nurses" and sent forth. They were mostly austere-looking
women and silent. Their work of nursing epileptics was supposed to
produce this austere silence. This supposed charity appealed with
uncommon strength to most people because these "nurses" were supposed
to be performing the most unpleasant work imaginable amidst the most
grewsome surroundings. Large sums were collected in this way, the
promoter keeping everything above the liberal commission paid to
solicitors.
[Illustration: RACHEL GORMAN]