Jennings, Charles and Victorine. Mr. Jennings had been a broker in Wall Street, and had failed in business. He came of a family described as very respectable. Mrs. Jennings asked for a loan of $100 to help her husband properly place an invention which he had patented. She would give no definite statement, however, nor any ad dress at which she could be visited. It was later re ported that she was going in and out of business offices, probably begging. Nothing more was heard of the family for six years. They were then reported by a private citizen as in need of aid, and they applied also themselves at the society's office. Mr. Jennings's three brothers, on request, provided what relief was necessary. Five years later a church was aiding, although the family was known to them under an assumed name. The patent had been sold for $200. A pension was received by the couple from a home for aged persons, and the church continued its care of the family.
Madison, Henry and Martha. Mr. Madison asked assistance, money brought from Virginia having been exhausted. He states his occupation to be that of writer and genealogist and gives satisfactory references. At pre vious addresses it was found that they have left a some what distinguished impression, in spite of the fact that they have often left their rooms when in arrears for rent, and in spite of the fact that they have five dogs which annoyed the neighbors and destroyed the furniture. Mrs. Madison is very haughty and eccentric, and can be seen only at her entire convenience. She would not see a phy sician when ill. Both Mr. and Mrs. Madison are of dis tinguished ancestry—the latter an adopted daughter of a prominent citizen of Baltimore. She took an active part in aiding Confederate soldiers during the war. The fam ily writes begging letters to distant relatives and to per sons having some acquaintance with their family, often giving false addresses and assumed names. Aid was given to the family by a relief society, on account of illness.
Hogan, Jane, is a widow with a daughter, actress and playwright, and a son a clerk. Mrs. Hogan called at the suggestion of the editors of a daily newspaper, presenting a letter from a friend in Cincinnati describing the condi tion of her son Charles, who was ill and in apparent need of his mother's care. On the following day, however, a let ter was received indicating that the son was better, and Mrs. Hogan decided not to go to him, but asked assistance in securing employment for herself and daughter.
In a short time the family removed to an unknown ad dress, but appeared again after an interval of eleven years, at which time the son was seeking employment as assistant stage manager, and the daughter Lillian had given up act ing, and was then writing plays. She was also an " expert typewriter." She had been cheated out of royalties, and, owing to her brother's illness, all the savings of the family had been expended. The mother had been working as seamstress for actresses, but was unable at the moment to obtain any such work. She could also do plain dress
making, and asked aid in this direction. The family was paying $25 a month rent, and was dependent upon what was earned from day to day for expenses. This informa tion was set forth in a letter addressed to a lady of large means, who requested investigation, and the statements were corroborated.
Eight months later a similar request was received from another multimillionnaire to whom an application had been made, and on being visited Mrs. Hogan said that for nearly a year she had had almost no income, and her son had been idle for two years, and had been blind, although as a result of an operation he was now able to see a little. Lillian had dramatized two novels, which had secured her an income of $100 a week, although she had had to pay large commissions. Mrs. Hogan was earning five dollars a week making kimonos. She had secured three loans on her furniture, afterwards converted into a single loan of $75. The daughter had also borrowed various sums, $45 to $50 at a time, and $20 worth of clothing had been pawned. Her present request had been for a loan of about $200 from which to repay other creditors, but there was no definite assurance that this loan could be repaid, or that it would leave the family with any adequate means of support.
Mrs. Hogan at this time was described as very quiet and refined in manner, personally attractive, with white hair and delicate appearance. There were a great many pretty ornaments and pictures in the apartment, and the rooms were artistically furnished. There were oranges on the sideboard, and no signs of destitution. At an earlier address it was ascertained that the family had been dispos sessed, for the reason that, although they paid the rent promptly, Mrs. Hogan always insisted on many alterations and repairs each time that the rent was paid. Although quiet, and otherwise desirable tenants, they were " fussy." It was ascertained that the Actor's Fund had not aided the family. A gentleman who had been instrumental in placing Lillian's dramatizations, and who had advanced money to her, was interviewed. This gentleman repudi ated the idea that he was in any way charitably inclined, or that he was personally interested in this family. He insisted that it was a good business investment to loan them money. He had found it profitable personally to make advances, and he expected that it would continue to be profitable. At the time of the interview Lillian owed him $95, half of which, however, was secured by royalties. His books showed that $1400 had been paid to her at various times during 1900, in sums ranging from $45 to $95, and in the year following, $700. He had re cently been annoyed by receiving long, fulsome letters of thanks from Mrs. Hogan, not asking for help, but hinting that they were having a hard time. To these he paid no attention.