The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-25
Pious Swindling Beggars.


Pious Swindling BeGgars.
1t is an old end familiar trick of n cor
tain class Of swiudling bcgsars to sit down
OH the sidewalk or go around the streets
holding or carrying wretchcd looking
child, as u means of securing aims from
symplth etic OILS, rivers. Iii the child thus
displayed should be in the last stage OF the
ricketts,. the swindier il sure TO make all The
more money out Of it. If it should he still
otherwise defo. med. or should also Ice
manned, or bind, or afflicted with some
hideous canker, the Golfers OF the swindlcr
are sure to be more rapidly filled. II, s,ill
further, in addition to these msfortuncs.
the hapless clild should be able TO utter
some pious phrase in TIA" hearing of pas~ers
10y, its swindhMg owner will be very GER
tain to rake III the pennies thick ami fast.
There was female sharper IN rags who
used TO sill on "A curbstone in this city hold
ing in her arms one Of the most forlorn,
battered w. hacked, cracked. purulcnt
little specimens of pucrile anatomy
that ever brcathed the breath of life,
which had been taught, while lying there
TO pipe out with its thin voice, " Help me,
fortune TO ITS owner, who after its de-
cease, procured another specimen Of the
same kind. and yet others, and who, at
last when herself overtaken by death, was
found TO have accuLulateda large amount
Of money By this process. Business OF the
sort is not 50 ensy in New York nowadays rs
II used TO be years ago, for the policea are re-
quircd 10 remove such displays when they
make their appearance on the public
stree Is.
As consequence, this peculiar class OF
swmdlcrs have been compelled to go of
somewhere else with tIolr woe-bvSone vic
tlm.. They have gone to places where
theY are not liable 10 police iutcrf renee,
or they have re oriud TO lodges which are
perhaps even more profitable than their
old method Of publicly exposing the poor
little creatures which constitute their stock
in trade. Some of them have re. ortod to
doages thai must prove very profitable,
We are sure. Pc. haps none of these lodges
has been more skIlfully devised to rake in
the cash than one which is being operated
through III" country from It's headquarters
ut MOliue, ILL.,, and the manager Of which
doubtless crOuc!les somewhere in the beg
gar's Gaib that i'll couceals tine swndlcr.
In this case the cunning manipulation
himself keeps entirely out Of sight while
| OF Grating through two pitiful human crea-
| lures. He son Is To you, by mail or other
wise, the photographs of the deformed and
| plaintive victims, two brothers named
| VAN LUvANEE. whom he uses to raise
money, aud il is the VAN LUvANEEs
themselves who are supposed to ask you,
in their hclplo>-ues-, 10 forward them one
dollar as the price OF their heart-rendmg
| photographs The success of the curb
stone swindler about whom we have al
| ready spoken lay in getting the feeble
child to ask with ITS own voice for help for
the love of Con, and the operator IN this
case Is evidently aware that the profits de-
pend upon his operating in the same way.
Accompanying the Photographic figures
are sketch of the lives OF the VAN LU-
vANEEs, n general appeal in the shape
of Il printed circular, and private
| appeal in tire form of written
note 1t is assumed, Of course, that
these appeals also are sent out, not by
a cenary operator, but by the VAN
| LUYANEEs themselves. They are made
10 talk piousy, us the curbstone child
was. They have both been "blessedly
converted, baptized, and made church
members" but is It proper we should
quote the language which informs us that
they have both "becn constantly and
sweetly resting in JESUS, whose blood
cleanses from all SIM" In the printed
circular they inform the public that they
shave very pleasant home on earth,
which, however, is encountered by q
heavy mortgage; and il is after much
prayer that they have determined, with
the aid of their operator, to raise this
mortgage in the way we have mentioned
The circular closes with prayer that those
who contribute one dollar may at last
after prosperous life be "gathercd into
the mansion not made with hands" Ii
colored lux, from Moline, they inform N
that they have met with some success
there, but that now they propose TO woTl
In larger field and then, after mention
ing some business matters, they return L
their trust in GOD, who does truly com
fort US In our aflliction," trusting to hea
from you soon, and that you will do VIVA
you can for u.s." Ii may not be out o
= place, right here, for us TO tell them tina
most people of reverential turn of minC
are in the habit OF writing the Dvin
= Name with a capital initial letter.
there were less OF the aroma OF pict,
! about the documents supposed TO process