Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-08-28
THE BEGGARS PARADISE.
NEW YORK A FERTILE FIELD FOR
MENDICANT5.

practice of mendicancy than
New York City. Indeed, it is claimed
for this city that it is the beggsrs'
paradise and the cause assigned is
the credulity of those who give to beg
gars, the disinclination in most peo-
pie to investigate begging cases that
appeal to them, distrustfulness that
charity agencies will not help cases
that are sent to them land this is given
as the chief element), and finally, in
considerate lavishness in giving. Thus
begging is very profitable. The sums
80 easily gained are not, however, ac-
cumulated, but in nearly every case
the days results are spent in drink and
other forms of vice.
The number of beggars in the city
to-day is estimated to be 5000 This
number would quickly reach 20, 900,
those say who have the suppression of
the evil in charge, were it not for the
gators and the police.
Every New Yorker who walks much
in the city's streets has met with the
/ solitary and decrepit women on the
curbstones, grinding whey hurdy-
gurdies. They look forlorn enough to
excite the sympathies OF the hardest
heart. They are all frauds, however,
and come from that fruitful region of
beggars the Neapolitan district of
Italy. They are licensed beggars, the
| city licensing them on the theory that
they furnish the public with music. A
| woman OF this class who proved re-
markable fraud used to sit ON Four
teenth street from eight o'clock until
ten o'clock in the evening, even in the
stormiest and coldest nights of winter.
AS she sat wheeling away, it seemed
there could be no more decrepit crea-
ture than she. But 1T was noticed that
when she arose to depart she was an
able-bod1ed woman. She was warned
and finally arrested. In court an Ital-
iah swole 'ha' ne Knew ner 10 De worm
ihany .housahos oi uoiiars' she sent
" i'"iy her acouiiiuih,ions acqui,eo
heIS' que was sen' up ior siA months.
Inc aoanaohment OF prohtaoie
business ior ihehuIcahcy is ho' oiVen
eooiueu, o"' t~enSy -'nir' s'Iee1
irui' oeaier niaue 'he olAhge' anu 'hiS
now ne came 10 uo 30 oh one oc-
casioh ne "en1 ooWh 'o"h 10 ouy
some eooos anu unwi.,in9iy spent al
ms money, Which ,act ne dld not as
cove, un!ii ne hao arrived , a, an eie,
sa'eo rhi,roao sta',on. Ahere ne asheo
,oi anu - oo'aiIeu 'roin " Bei'iehiah
in'i!,ooiial' ne seoureu 'n,s money 80
easily 'ha' IL occurred 10 MIN IL woni'i
ne gooo way 10 got more, ana every
time ne went down town ne sollclted
money On 'ha' pian' ne iihaiiy SOFA
MS pusihess' anu oegan begging IN
suou eaipes'' ieavins eaiiy coilior'a
nie nome rnseeuly a''ireo' Ai1er some
.ine ne was m 4IieeVeu "' oeSehr nn.'
ccn'nlt.eo. ne wrote hore 10 ms
Nlie' VINO caiie W cour" wei, dressed
"o"n, q, WIN nei wen ven "res'eo o"u9h-
Vol. ohe 'o'''eese" "ii'
The beggars all make money. Some
have been arrested who afterward paid
$loo to lawyer to prevent being sent
to prison. Beggars who are blind or
crippled naturally make more than
| those less unfortunate. But the extra
liberality for sweet charity's sake is
but money thrown away. Nearly every
/ 49, - '@i'' SA'''S Ot "SeS"t" 10 oPS'iN
thrift, and IN addition, what Is worse,
dissolute Every Sixth avenue shop
ping woman Will remember the sandy
moustached blind man who used
plaintiveiy to sing on the avenue,
holding out his open hand napeculiar
manner. He was suspected of being a
fraud, and charity officer deter
mined to see what became OF him.
he was led about by his father, an
able-bodled man. Afser some time
the officer saw the two start for home.
They first stopped in saloon and had
drinks. They then took the elevated
cars and proceeded downtown on the
Tram the olind man counted out the
money ne mad received from the shop
ping women, putting 1t from the right
pocket to the left. he counted more
than I'll. AS he concluded his count
he SAID There is$ll.3o, dad. That's
pretty good for two hours work. "
\ The father nruntpd hack tfprptfu "