Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-08
aailsE eagle
SWINDLERS' TRICKS.
METHODS BY WHICH STREET BEG
CARS MANAGE TO SECURE VICTIMS.

Money to Euy q Drink-The Apparently
Respectable Opcrator-Appiicant for
Two Cent Lcan-Unusual Experience OF
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
The number Of meuGicants on the streets of
New York this summer is remarkable. As
rule they are OF so vile an appearance as to
excite aversion rather than pity. Some OF
them may be deserving of charity, but low
are such cases to be distinguished. The very
poorest. dirtiest, raggedeSt of them are rum
soaked, and frequently plead without conceal
ment for money to buy drink with. That
is the frank dodge ard is wholly played out.
Those who use it are lacking in invention. and
the same may be said of ninety-nine in every
hundred beggars When one appears with an
original tale there is every reason for sr;s-
pecting that he or she is a swindler. One OF
these sort came to my notice recently. Tie
was neatly dressed, well washed, and III every
way apparently respectable. He was toe
proud to solicit aims, but this was the way be
operated Having selected his place, Fifth
avenue was his Esavolite field, he placed crust
of bread upon the curb as if he was making
provision for the birds, and then Withdrew.
When group Of ladies appeared he began to
walk dejectedly in front of them until his eye
caught the crust. whereupon he rushed for
ward, seized it and began to eat it with avid
ity The ladies, of course, were much moved,
and stopped to question him. When thus ac-
costed he took OF his hat in the politest fash
ion, and spoke n the most cultivated language.
The invariabe result was a liberal donation
from the purses of his victims. He lived very
well on the fruits of his business until some
body who saw him operate twice Unkindly
brought him before a court. He was locked
up, and believe, is still on the island.
Another. though not so original a swindler,
was wcll-cressed woman, who was in tie
habit of of accosting ladies in shopping re-
sorts She had come over from Brooklyn TO
make some purchases, but had encountered
pickpocket 1t was very notifying, but she
had only five cents left, and would the lady
kindly loan her two cents that she might cross
to Brooklyn on the ferry9 Two cents was
her limit, and she usually got il. No one
knows how much she got in this way, but rs
she was persistent III working the scheme she
eventually found her way to the island also
EXPERIENCE OF A FRIEND.
In marked contrast to these cases was the
experience of friend of mine, who told it u
follows: ut was about midnight, in Union
square, that I was accosted by a gentleman
speak adviseily, for his manner and APP
pearance were in every way respectable. He
and friend had come over from England a
short time before, expecting to meet some
body at the dock from whom they had prom
Use OF employment. One was an assistant
10 surgeons and the other a decorator Of pot
terry. Their men had failed to meet them and
they had not succeeded in finding employ
ment Meantime they ..ai spent al their
money, pawned every article of clothing ex-
cept what they wore, ard were now penni-
less They wanted to secure nights lOdg-
ing and q breakfast This isan o,d story, but
| was nevertheless interested. | thought
there raight be some charitable institution il
the city where such cases were cared for, and
accordingly asked a passing policeman about
it, HI. nor he answered, gruf;iy; let 'em
go to & station house and sleep on a board.
They positively refused to so to a station,
however. and finally told them that if they
couldn't find any help elsewhere that perhaps
l might aid them. [ would return in an
hour | then went on, thinking that tins
would be a fair test of their genuinenesS
"At the end of an hour l came back and
sure enough, they were waiting for me. /
house, and he told Ine that up to 10 o'clock at
night deserving people might get lodging at
the Christian Association building. 1t was
now after 1, and finally gave the men 81
and directed them to a Bowery hotel and
asked them to call on me in the morning.
They accepted the favor gratefully, and
somewhat to my surprise, appeared at my
office in the morning. To make the story
short gave them another dollar and such
advice as l could as to the best way to pro-
cure work. This was two months ago, and
although never expected to see them again
had often wondered what had become OF
them. Last week one walked into the office
well dressed and evidently prosperous. He
put s. bill on my desk, and insisted that
should take it. The pottery worker had
secured work in New Jersey somewhere, and
the surgeons assistant was at work in the
College of Physicians and Surgeons, and both
were doing well. You may imagine that
felt very happy to think that l had no,
turned them off when they applied to me-
"Uncle Bills" New York Letter.