Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-07-27
MENDICANTS IN THE METROPO-
LIS
Most Beggars are Thieves as Well and
They All Make Money.

practice of mendicancy than New York
city. Indeed, it is claimed for this
city that it is the beggar's paradise;
and the cause assigned is the credulitl
of those who give TO beggars, the
disinclination in most people to in
vesdgate begging cases that appeal to
them, distrustfulness that charity
agencies Will not help cases that are
sent to them (and this is given as the
chief clement, and finally, inconsider,
ate lavishness in giving. Thus begging
is very profitable.
The number of beggars in the city
today is estimated to be 5000. This
number would quickly reach 10000,
those say who have the suppression of
the evil in charge, were it not for the
rigorous vigilance of charity inyesiigat-
ors and the police. The number motto
ed begging this year is smaller than
usual. The worlds fair has drawn
many of them to Chicago but it is pre-
dicted that they will return reinforced
with strange pals when the great show
ends, and the courts and charity offic-
ers are looking for busy times when
the new year arrives.
The abandonment of a profitable
business for mendicancy is not often
recorded, but a Twenty-third street
fruit dealer made the change, and this
is how he came to do SO: On one Oc-
caSion he went down town to buy
some goods and unWittingly spent all
his money, which fact he did not dis
cover until after he had arrived at an
elevated railroad station. There he
asked for and obtained from gentle
man a half-dollar. He secured this
money SO easily that it occurred to
him it would be a good way to get
more, and every time he went down
town he solicited money on that plan.
He finally sold his business, and began
begging in good earnest, leaving daily
comfortable home raggedly attired.
After some time he was arrested as a
beggar and committed He wrote a
mote to his wife, who came to court.
a well-dressed woman, with her we'll
dressed daughter She confessed all
Her husband went out to beg against
her will
The beggars all make money. Some
! have been arrested who afterwards
paid 500 to a lawyer to prevent being
sent to prison. Beggars who are blind
or crippled naturally make more than
those less unfortunate. But the eX-
, ira iberality for sweet charity's sake
, is but money thrown away. Nearly
] of al Of
spendthrift, and in addition, what is
worse, dissOlute. Every SiXth-ayenue
shopping woman will remember the
sandy -mustached blind man who used
! plaintively to sing on the avenue,
! holding out his open hand in a peculiar
manner. He was suspected Of being
a fraud, and a charity officer meeting
him one Saturday night at 9 O'clock
on One Hundred and Twenty -fifth
street, determined to see what became
of him. He was led about by his faith
! er, an able-bOdied man who, it was
afterwards ascertained, had left the
Maine soldiers home to lead his son
about begging. After some time the
officer saw the two start for home.
/ They first stopped in saloon and had
drinks. They then took the elevated
cars and proceeded down town; on the
| train the blind man counted out the
money he had received from the
shopping women, pubting it from the
right pocket to the left. He counted
more than 81. AS he concluded his
count he said: ''There is S11.35, dad.
That's pretty good for two hours
work" The father grunted back:
| pretty good They left the train at
Twenty-third street, still under the es-
poinage Of the charity officer. He saw
them make a round of the saloons in
the neighborhood until 1 o'clock, pay
ing up the scores of the week, and
finally staggering home as drunk as
they could be- The officer soon after
wards ran across the blind singer
again. and told him all he had OBJ
served. The beggar promised to re-
form, and ended the interview with
the remark: 81 knocked down on the
old man, it was S13 I collected that
night"
| Many beggars work in organized
gangs. These are the ones who go out
of the city in summer robbing country
stores and post-offices. They have
! boys with them whom they teach
! Mendicants in the Metropolis. 2
they make the Bowery and Parkrow
| lodging-houses their homes. All sorts
of devices are used in begging. Some
of them are cleverly managed. A tall
MAN was once found begging, alleging
broken arm. This was found to be
fraud, but the arm was done up as
skilfully as though done by a physi
clan. When accosted he said: 81
acknowledge that am a fraud" Con-
cealed about his person was found, to
be used when occasion required, a
sign which read. Deaf and dumb.
Charity if you please"
There are kinds and kinds of beggars.
| Some beg only of the rich, some Of
the moderately poor and some of the
lowest poor 1t has already been said
that all beggars make money, and they
can calculate also very closely their
weekly incomes. Of those who give,
Germans and Hebrews are said to be
the most liberal in their donations.
This accounts for the many beggars
encountered at the German theaters,
particularly the Amberg. Italians
bear the excellent reputation among
beggars of being absolutely Obdurate.
All beggars have their regular hours
for begging. Some being early in the