The evening world., 1893-12-09
oEGGAR- RIDDEN CITY, THIS.
Tramps, Thieves, Thugs and High
waymen Importune Citizens,
Almsgiving Is Compelled Even by
Threats and Violence.

success, and with little or no opposition
offered them. beggars and tramps have
within the past few months begun to
regard New York their Mecca, and have
| focked hither to ply their vocation upon
Its citizens in surprisingly large numbers.
50 daring have they become that In
some portions of the city Il citizen fairly
Invites an attack from members OF the
Wandering Willies" II he remains upon
the streets at night Numerous com
plants have been lodged with the police,
but little or nothing has been done TO
rid the metropolis OF these human leeches.
People have been subjected to highway
robbery, assaulted. and In some instances
attempts at murder have been the re-
suit, did they refuse to give aims to
these beggars. Houses are daily besieged
by scores OF men who are too lazy to
earn their daily bread, and servants. If
women, are assailed by a volley of
oaths. and frequently violence Is used
should the asked-for aims not be forth
coming
As the number of falsirs, alleged blind
men. organ grinders and petty peddiers
has Increased, 30 has crime. The pres
ence of u policeman has ceased to have
any terrors for these gentry. and men.
women and even children are daily ac-
costed In the streets and money de-
manded, with threats OF violence
| AS the Winter approaches these men
become more and more bold and petty
robberes, which were at one time only
practised In out of the way places. are
| now committed In the very heart OF this
city. The ranks OF thieves have been
swelled to an alarming degree by the
great influx of tramps and peggars, and
citizens nov demand that the police rid
Within the past few weeks the number
Of assaults upon citizens by 6eggars has
Increased with alarming rapihdi'y H but In
been, caught and punished. .
Only few days ago three young
ladies on their way from school were
and their pocket books taken from them.
This occurred between the hours, Of Q
and 10 o'clock In the evening. and In u
thickly populated portion Of the city. The
men escaped. and the matter was soon
forgotten. .,.
Especially throughout the uptown dis
tricts have these outrages become very
serious Perhaps the most noteworthy
occurred Wednesday night when Lazard
Calm was stabbed In the face by, a
Ss Sssy Mr. w csn he r mufsos
lives at 1916 Fifth avenue. He was about
to enter his home when attacked. His
assaiiant is stu at liberty:
rested in One Hundred and Sixteenth
street for assaulting citizen. but they
were discharged In court next day be-
eausc hobouy dppeoiou " pioSeSutc
them.
Myron Strauss, of 1871 Canal street, and
his cousin, Rudolph Pechner, OF 3l6 East
One Hundred and Sixteenth street. were
standing upon the steps OF the latter's
home when a strange, poorly-clad man
accosted Mr. Strauss and asked him the
time.
Two confedemtes OF the tramp slipped
up behind Mr.. Strauss and sandbagged
him. His cousin came to the rescue, and
he. too, was roughly, handled. The men
aaN m htN To NJ VNNa n ~
instances that might be mentioned;
A visit by an Evening World re-
porter through the swell residence por-
state of affairs regarding the depreda-
lions Of tramps and beggars. 1t shows
that not only the business portions OF
their work has extended into the more
select districts.
Women are accosted In the streets. and
the persistency with which they are
imburse the peggar is astonishing.
Especially during the holiday time does
The tramp pursue his work with avid avidity.
third sire Its. Third avenue, Sixth avenue
and broadway simply swarm with them.
Their methods for soliciting aims are
vogue. An "Evenins World" reporter
Yesterday saw one beggar accost eight
different ladies within half an hour. and
It was only with the greatest difficulty
that they were able to rid themselves Of
his presence. In five of the instances he
persisted until he was given money. And
yet this was done In the immediate
vicinity OF policemen, supposed to be con-
stantly on the alert.
In many cases where women refused
to give money they were subjected to the
vilest kind OF verbal abuse. be-
dragged individual. who accosted a lady
as she was getting into her carriage at
Fifth avenue and Nineteenth street, upon
her refus u to give him money, assailed
her by voley of oaths that, would
have made a pirate shudder. The
coachman clambered from hts box.
but the tramp beat a hasty retreat down
Nineteenth street.
An Interview with one of the floor
walkers in a prominent dry;goods house
that by far the. greater. portion Of the
petty robberies in the shopping district
10 due to beegars. It Is their custom
opportunity presents Itself. grab parcels
from unsuspecting womens hands
and escape in the crowd.
perience A has sRoWn me that psr cent
OF the petty thievery Is done by beg
CARS or small boys"
,I Not alone is S me work . of begging con,
the occupation with great avidity, but
they combine their methods to sorrowful
tales. and very seldom, unless under the
violent language.
1t is in the residential portions OF town.
| however, tnat the DegRBr reVels, He
generally applies at the basement door
and forces his way into the hallway be-
fore the unwilling servant car prevent
him. Money Is then dema nded, and II
refused. tie chances are that violence
| will result.
Possibly the most easily and success
fully worked places are the apartment
uses, and large majority OF the petty
robberies In them that are constantly
reported to the police are the work Of
tramps. Unless the halls are guarded
by hall-boys. these houses are easy OF
GcCess.
Another scheme frequently worked, and
one which Is most successful, is to way
lay children on their way to stores on
errands and, after frightening them
relieve them OF their money The
chances are that instead OF giving an
alarm al once the children viii run home
and tell their parents. by the time this Ia
accomplished the tramp will be safely
out OF sight.
The reporter talked with a number of
I policemen, and their stories were all
| about the same. One OF them said;
Yes, the Department Is aware that
| the city II literally overrun with tramps
and beggars, but what can we do? II
We make arrests people refuse to APP
pear to make complaints. There are
| anfa th.n