The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-04
THE JOLLY BEGGAR.
The Story of Nan who Gave Up Good Bust.
ness to ASK for Aims.

Inc OtOIJ VI q MAI WIN Utfc Up q UVuu DUSR
ness to ASK for Aims.
Especial to THE Observation-Disclosures Dispatch.J
New YORK, Oct. Especial Officer Jer-
ONE, of the charity organization of the city
of New York, succeeded Wednesday in eff
fecting the arrest and conviction of man
who although surrounded by every luxury
that money could buy and enjoying wide
spread circle of acquaintance, is a profess
sional beggar. The mans name is Edward
Brown. He is an Englishman but has
lived long in this country. He lived with
his wife and daughter in a handsomely fur
nished fiat at No. 345 East Twenty third
street.
Two years ago he was the proprietor Of
prosperous fruit business in the vicinity
of mis- home, but he disposed of it for no
other purpose than to become a beggar.
During the two years he has thus been en-
gagged it is calculated he has begged several
thousand dollars. Brown is nearly seventy
two years of age. He is tall and slim, and
has high. Intellectual forehead. When
arraigned before the justice in Jefferson
market police court Wednesday, the man
was we'll dressed in Q suit of black which
fitted him neatly. His shoes were shined
to nicely and his hat well brushed, His
coat a Prince Albert, was buttoned up
closely Had it been open, one could have
seen dangling from his waistcoat heavy
gold chain. The wristbands of a snow
white shirt were studded with a set of gold
buttons.
The officer testified that he had seen
Brown stop several ladies in the dry goods
district on Sixth avenue between Four
teenth and Twenty-third and beg money
from them. He had been on Browns track
afn cO111A M owl
against him until Wednesday,. While the
officer was testifying Brown was stOlid for
| a while but at last said: II had to beg to-
| day. My wife and child are lying i'll at
| home and l had no money to get them food
and buy medicines" The Judge said he
did not believe the prisoner and told the Of
| ficer to investigate further Browns case.
| Jerome went to Browns house, which is
] high step brown stone residence. He
was ushered into magnihcently furnished
| apartment where ne met Browns wife and
daughter. They were not surprised when
told Brown had been arrested. Then the
ladies of the household told all they knew
of the husband and father. 1t appears
Brown was in receipt of an annual income
which was left him by an aged aunt when
| she died fifteen years ago, besides he had
| been educated for a teacher and had made
considerable money out of his profession.
| AS evidence of his comfort, his wife took
| the officer into Br0Wn'S room. IL is q Splen-
didly furnished apartment. His clothes
closet-was filled with the finest underwear.
Notwithstanding the excellent manner in
which he lives, his wife said he was a
miser boarding the money he got by
begging He made it a daily practice TO
lerve his house at S o'clock every morning
and return at 6 o'clock at night.
The wife told a remarkable story of the
manner in which Brown first began beg
ging. When ne owned the fruit store ne
made it a daily practice to go to market.
One day, upon arriving at the market he
found he had lost his money, and had not
even enough to pay his way back to the
store. He determined to ask somebody for
the fare. He did so and supplemented his
request with statement of how he lost
his money. The stranger generously gave
him dollar. The very next day Brown
recited the same story to another stranger
and met with the same success. He did
this daily until at last he sold out his store
and made it business to go ON daily beg
cling tours He has not missed day since.
He got to be such a confirmed beggar that
be went from house to house begging for
aims He would take anything. If it were
eatables he received, he would dispose of
the lot to an Italian with whom he had pre-
viously entered into bargain to buy all the
stuffs he brought him. For this house to
house begging Brown had a special outfit
which gave him very seedy appearance.
Brown was sentenced TO Blackwell's island
. | for three months