NATCHEZ &045; It wasn’t perfect, but the second day of the Red Cross’ relief assistance went off without any major hitches.

More than 1,900 people received checks totaling an estimated $2 million.

Lori Rosen of the Red Cross said the numbers fell off from yesterday’s 2,200 checks because of increased scrutiny of people’s information to prevent some from getting a second, or third, check.

Rosen said at least one person defrauded the organization &045; and the people who generously donated to the relief effort &045; by accepting more than one check, but volunteers turned dozens of others with similar motives away.

&uot;What we’re doing is checking their cases, and we’ve stopped it,&uot; Rosen said. &uot;We went through the line and told them why it was a little bit slower today, because people were making the attempt to come through twice.&uot;

The people &045; in a line that stretched to the far end of the courthouse on State Street &045; understood and were pleased with the way it ran despite the added wait

&uot;It went better than expected; it seemed like everything was pretty smooth,&uot; Kelley Kennedy said.

Kennedy, a Gentilly resident staying with family in Natchez, got in line at 8 a.m. and had her signed check at 1:15 p.m.

The only people who were disappointed were those who came after 12:30 p.m., when National Guardsmen barricaded the end of the line. Rosen stressed that everyone present at that time was allowed to stay in line; only latecomers were turned away. She said this was done to ensure that the last people were processed by 4 p.m.

Some of the latecomers were surprised to not be allowed in line, including Mary Nelson of Clinton, La. She got the bad news from a police officer, who told her to try again tomorrow.

&uot;We were told they’d be open ’til 4:30,&uot; Nelson said.

She added that they would return unless they could find a center closer to home.

&uot;Today we went longer and farther away (with the line), the thinking being that would make up for the extra security time,&uot; Rosen said.

When word got back that the Red Cross was catching people trying to repeat, &uot;the line shrunk up real quick.&uot;

Rosen said anyone in line by 1 p.m. will be guaranteed entry to the convention center.

John Goodrich of the Red Cross said they will be operating out of the convention center through Friday. By that point he thinks most of the area evacuees will have been serviced and they will begin taking appointments at the chapter headquarters to help those who can’t make it before. The elderly and disabled are encouraged to wait, if they can, for an appointment next week.

&uot;We will distribute funds as long as there is need,&uot; he said.

Beginning next week, Goodrich said the Red Cross will look into the need in Jefferson and Wilkinson counties. Many of the residents there, as well as from all over the affected region, may be among those receiving checks this week.

Rosen said Brookhaven has opened a shelter and service center to service Amite and Franklin counties.

The average check over the first two days of the program, worth more than $1,000, represents a family of three for each of the 4,100 checks issued &045; some 12,000 people.