St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-14
NIGHT IN The CITY.
When the Sentinel Stars Set
Their Watch in the
Dusky Sky.
She Wasn't a Boy, and Her
Excuse for Downing Male
Attire in the Street.
How the Child Racket Is
Worked on the Innocent
Stranger.
Were You Ever in the Street
Alone Without Home or
Money?

The beggars at midnight are pc
culiar and diversified. Not all of them
are poor. Those who are not poor are
wicked. Crossing Madison square as
the clock was striking II last night. a
club man was stopped by what seemed
to be Il boy of sixteen or so, but who
really was young woman in male at
tire, says New York correspondent of
the Cincinnati Enquirer. Her hair was
clipped close, her figure was not so fem
mime i'll outlines as not to pass without
question and she wore neat suit of
masculine clothes mannishly. How,
then, did the man learn her sex? Oh.
she told him.
.'Wil you please to help me to get
lodging?" she said.
He glanced at her good apparel in
some surprise and then into her smooth,
comely face.
Yes, SIR" she went on, suspiciously
ready 10 confess the imposture, you're
right; Pm not boy. I'm girl in dis
guise. | put on my brothers clothes al
home, i'll YonkerS, and came down to
the city to get work. But failed, and
my money is all gone. Won't you get
lodging for me?"
She hardly tried to make this appeal
other than a burleSque. A roguish
was in her voice. What she desired the
man to believe was that she had come
to him in male guise for lark, and that
she
Was Reckless Enough
RI =
him to provide her with a lodging. The
truth was-and he comprehended it
well enough-that she was regular
night-hawk, and was flying in strange
plumage in order to allure those hunts
men who are ever i'll quest of strange
game. But he concluded to test her.
well, suppose L do lodge you?'' he
asked, significantly.
oh" she answered, trying hard to.
smooth out the commercial point in the
matter, ''if l should do that-well-I
should have to ask you for my fare to
1onkers in the morning"
"H0w much is that?'
''Well.with breakfast-say-oh $40.
No doubt the fraudulent beggar found
dupe, even though the club man
laughed at her ruse and threatened to
turn her over TO the police. for it seems
that she had operated in Madison square
and elsewhere for month or so. She
will be arrested tonight, unless she
takes warning and quits her nonsense.
was sitting one evening in Broad
way hotel when tramp dropped quiet
ly into seat on the same bench. | saw
that he meant business and so let him
have his way. He was an intelligent
looking fellow, and, although his clothes
had manifestly been made for some one
g x-nf frAa
from that smooth and oily surface
which outdoor life, free lunches and
contracted sleeping quarters sooner or
later lmpart 10 ones wearing apparel.
Excuse me, SIR" he began, timidly.
"Would you let me say a word to you?"
Fire away, old fellow" said L, good
naturally.
Ny manner rather disconnected him,
but, pulling himself together, lie went
on, edeing up to me and Speaking in
very low and mysterious tone: PPM a
discharged convict, sir, and. as true
as God lives, there seems to be nothing
for me to do but blow my brains out or
jump into the river. The moment they
find out that Pve
Been in States Prison
get sent away. NO one will have me
about. They hunt me from the prem-
oO' ttS IL WOlC q luCl Will
listen to no explanation. They wouldn't
have ME around if would work for
nothing. A curse is set upon me SIR"
NV hat was your crime?' L asked.
'Stealing to feed wife and children"
he whispered; 'that's Gods truth, sir
two bars of soap from i'll front of Il cor
ner grocery-one year for that, SIR"
Possibly the man tells the truth,
thought |, so handed him quarter OF
dollar and awaited further develop
ments. No sooner had the money
touched the fellows palm than his
whole manner underwent a change. 1t
was like laying hot coal on turtles
back. From all apparently intirm man,
broken in health by want and exposure,
he suddenly became supplemented,
quick-footed, spry-moving fellow as you
might meet in days journey.
We were sitting on the Fourth avenue
side of the park, and the chap made
dive for Twenty-seventh street. | knew
there were some low groggeries over
that way, and put after him. 1t was
just as | had anticipated. He slipped
into the side entrance and | turned
back. Now, that the wintry wind is
blowing, the rush for sleeping accom-
modations at the station houses are
often taxed to their utmost, and these
walking gentlemen in the drama of
life at times find themselves repulsed
with kick and the chilling words:
''All full! Get on!"
Now, if the night is stormy this is not
particularly comforting salutation:
but what is the fellow to do for shelter?
If he cuIls up in doorway the police
man Will be sure to break in upon his
Slumber, especially the new man who
comes on fresh and full of fight at mid
night. Under this hard pressure the
tramp is often forced to have recourse to
heroic measures and
Get Himself Arrested.
This may mean $40 or ten days, but it
is better than freezing to death, any
way. Now you might think that it
would be very easy thing to get your
self arrested in this big aud wicked city.
but it is not, it is often very hard. and
the day dawns while you are still about
it. One way is breach of the peace
jostle some one or pick quarrel; it
takes two men to quarrel. and the man
you select may be too much in hurry
to stop and take it up, or he may be a
coward and rush away as fast as his
legs will carry him.
At one of the police courts the other
day an ingenious gentleman of inele-
CANT leisure entertained Ibis honor by
detailing half a dozen futile attempts to
get himself arrested. In one case he
had worked up tirst-class breach of
the Leace, but the policeman on the
beat was just in the act of receiving his
-