Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-14
New York ProfessiopnI Rerrnrs.

ANAA n NuANahAultAA hGGGtlfss
A movement for the suppression of pro
fessiOnal mendicancy was inaugurated in
New York on Tuesday. -Four hundred and
eighty-six of this miserable class of the New
York population were arrested during the
day. The Times has the following des-
criptiOn Of the scene in one of the court
rooms;
Such an assemblage of miserable humanity
was surely never congregated in court room
before. The halt the MANNED, the blind, the
vicious, the Outcast and the helpless, from
the sickly child in its mothers arms, to the
valetudinarian whose repulsive features
awakened the disgust of the spectator quite
as frequently as it excited his commiseration
There were representatives of Ireland, Ger
many, the lazaroni of Naples, and in fact of
almost every section ofthe globe, not except
ing the dark children of the sons of Ham,
Emanciated semblances of the "human form
divine" clothed with rags and alive with
Vermin, tottering age and sturdy adolescence,
all huddled together, for the most part
listlessly Indifferent as to what should be
done with them. It was a strange and sad
dening sight.
As the names were called, the prisoners
were brought to the bar and examined
Each had something to say. Some had
children at home dying with hunger, and
were forced to ask a pittance for their relief
Others had failed in their efforts to procure
employment and had to beg or starve. A
few admitted that they had squandered their
earnings in intemperance, and had been now
detected in their first offence. One old
beldam, giving the name Of Mary Galway,
must have been a lineal descendant of old
Hecate herself Her face was of saffron hue,
her eyes bleared, the extremities of her nose
and chin in dangerous proximity, and her Iank
cheeks bristling with a stunted beard She
seemed relieved when she understood that
she was to be taken care of by the authori-
ties.
An intelligent young man, who said he was
a Virginian, apparently still under the effects
Of an extended debauch, was caught asking
aims in Fifth avenue. bow earnestly he
plead to be let of. He denied that he was
professional vagrant, and said be had never
before been guilty Of begging. His en-
treaties did not avail him, however, and he
Was COulullbbcu AOI tulLLA ualS al QtLu lhDOEs
Occasionally the sadness of the scene would
be relieved by a dash Of humor. For in
stance, a half-iRtoxieated son of Erin, giving
the name Of Flames CorCOran, with the utmost
nonehaLdnce assured the Justice that he was a
virtuous individual, and not deserving of pun
ishment He said he had wife and seven
''childer" at home, and that his two brothers
were "prastes, and his two sisters were nuns.
His respectable connections did not save him
from the cells GA
Several Of the unfortunate creatures re-
quested that they might be committed for
three months, urging their destitutiOn as a
reason for this desire. It was long past the
usual hour of adjournment before the dock
was cleared, and but few of the prisoners
were discharged. The children between the
ages Of i've and fourteen years were sent to
the JuveRile Asylum; the stalwart, able
bodied msndicants were apportioned TO thirty
and sixty days hard labor; while, where ex-
tenuating circumstances were shown, the
magistrate exercised his discretion, and con-
signed the subject to the care of the Com
missioners of the Alms-h0use.