Edward Collins was born 5 Jun 1879 in St Joseph, Missouri, to William Collins & Mary.
His 1915 arrest gives 5 Jun 1880 (35 years old). Death Certificate information from him is age 91 in 1961. He Was about 5’3 and later had abscessed teeth. 1945 the Chicago police gave a different date.
Most of the people in this photo are unknown. Edward F. Collins is near the center of the back row with a white hat on. Just to his left is his son Edward Daniel Roy Collins who is much taller. Next to Edward DR Collins is his mother-in-law Lorena Geis nee DeVoto. On the opposite side of Edward F. Collins is the wife of Edward DR Collins, Patricia Geis.
He was married twice and I found three children.
In 1913 he was arrested for a charity scam, he continued to scam people of their money hiding behind Samaritan Army INC his was head of the movement (Church).
I found the following newspaper articles explaining his role and his crimes.
Just click the links to read the articles:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-edward-collins/54985220/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-day-book-edward-collins/54985137/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-joseph-gazette-samaritan-army-edwa/55212664/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star-edward-collins/54985407/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-edward-collins/54985355/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/webb-city-register-edward-collins/47734581/
1940 article all about him
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register-edward-collins/55214262/
In the 1940's things changed and on 14 Mar 1940 his first wife divorces him. Then in 1942 he is arrested by the Fed's for Mann Act: White Slavery which now we call Human Trafficking.
Leavenworth Prison was awesome at keeping everything in his file.
Here's the newspaper article on this crime which mentions other crimes as well.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-edward-collins-mann-a/55213902/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-edward-collins-mann-a/55213019/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-st-louis-star-and-times-edward-col/55212799/
When he died, he probably was alone. The “E Collins” indicates he gave the information. Lack of other information indicates he was not known. Even a grandchild would give him more info. As a minister he may have avoided the draft. He died 11 Feb 1967 in Chicago, IL.
His children were:
Edward Daniel Roy Collins
Paul Samuel Collins
Second wife had a girl
Gertrude R. Collins
Edward Daniel Roy Collins played in the Chicago Park District baseball leagues. This team shot is of the Chicago Yellow Jackets ca 1948-1951. Edward Daniel Roy Collins is standing on the far left with a smile on his face. (Original posted on Ancestry original poster unknown).
Happy to see his children seemed to have grown up as good citizens.
What is Mann Act: White Slavery?
The Mann Act, originally called the White-Slave Traffic Act of 1910, criminalizes the transportation of people across state or foreign lines for prostitution or any other “immoral purpose”
Its stated goal was to stop the exploitation of women and girls, especially for forced prostitution (“white slavery”), but its broad language has been used in many ways over time, including for consensual sex that violated social norms of the era.
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