Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-08-19

royal wedding proved Irresistible to an
army of beggars, tramps and pick
rockets, who, with extraordinary pro-
its in perspective, fiocked to London
from every part Of the country to
swell the regular contingent OF the pau
pers and light-fingered gentry, and they
were increased by an unprecedented
enforcement from abroad Every one
of them, says the London correspond
ent of the New York Sun, calculated
uD1n reaping a rich harvest and taking
advantage of the countless crowds that
filed the streets of the metropolis by
day and night, either by defrauding
them or appealing to their compass
sions.
In the ordinary way the common
beggar can be divided into four classes
-cripples and invalids, those who sham
any particular form of disease or in
trinity, those who invent and whine
out a pitiful tale of imaginary misfor-
tunes and finally those who are genu-
ne and unprofessional paupers. Need
less to add that the latter category
is much in the minority, and forms
a hardly appreciate quantity in the
number The apparent cripples or in
firm are naturally the most numerous,
as they are the clients of all the
chariably inclined persons who pass
them on their way, and, be it said to
the credit of humanity, beneyolence is
neither rare nor stinted. Careful in
vestigation and inquiries have brought
TO light the fact that very few cases
are genuine. Take, for instance, the
blind beggars wandering about the
thorOughfares with a dog or a boy
guide-hardly one of them is not an
impOster. 1t is easy enough, with
little practice, to acquire the art of
showing only the white Of the eye,
and clever touching up of the lids
imparts to them an iniamed and eX-
coriatcd aspect. Such a degree Of per
lection is attained in these sham oph
thalmiaS that they deceive the chaIit-
able and sympathetic passers-by, and
even doctors have been kown to re-
quire special examination to detect
the fraud.
In almost every town or locality
there are well authenticated stories
current about the would-be blind beg
CARS that have fixed upon one particu
lar spot for their operations. A tourist
passing through a provincial town,
saw one of these stationed on the stairs
leading to the station, and, struck by
$, ..ething in the mans appearance,
e.. Tally remarked to his companion
that ne did not entirely believe in the
total blindness Of the beggar. The
latter. obliyious of his part, in a fit
Of rage allowed the hidden pupils to
regain their normal place, and, lifting
his stick, rose and pursued the traveller
with threats and inyectives. After
some months the same tourist found
the same impostor in another town;
had apparently deemed it more
prudent to change the theater of his
exploits and even his modus operandi,
for he was gathered up in a small go
cart drawn by a youth in tatters, who
mplored aims Tor his crippled and
blind father" The police We're com
municated with, the false beggar was
arrested, and, as is the case in nine
cases out of ten, when his disguise was
thrown off he was identified as a thief
ANA a burglar, who had already been
several times under penal sentences.
The sham beggars are not infrequently
betrayed by their pals and accom-.
plices; in the case Of women they
turn informers usually out Of jealousy;
In the case of men they are goaded
INTO treachery when they suspect that
the receipts are not impartially diyid-
3D.
The sham cripples have a harder
apprenticeship than their colleagues
blindness, for they must literally
tu ure their bodies and their limbs
before they achieve the satisfactory
sgmbance Of distortion that viii coax
pennies from the crowd. As a rule
these who resort to these measures
are the most stupid and unimaginaiye
il The brotherhood; those who would
AVE more than sufficient brains to
arm d cent livelihood, and whose
4aeurable lazIness alone prevents them
lG0m working, have recourse to men
GUus aud romantic biographies
everywhere the pfoIeSsleAtI uesSdAS
seem to have ndisnrbed possession OF
certain localities, where they carry on
raeir trade unmolested by the others;
10 one attempts to interfere with their
9eat; a strict code regulates these ar
gsugements, and if they work in part
lership they are fairly honest in the
etrlcment of accounts. They have
common resorts where they congre-
e.re when the day is done Men Of
every nationality frequent these
aauut>, and perhaps the most interest
Ing of them. the most popular rendez-
roas is not in London, but in Paris.
The place is presided ever by a wo-
man. Nine. Gay, and is called after
her The building contains small,
comfortable, and even elegant parlor
which the committee Of the syndi-
U.s. nf beggars meets. resembling the
Que where Nine. Pierson entertained
TIE king II the Cour des Miracles.