The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-05-10


Rome in her early days was free from
the evil, but at the height OF her power
and riches professional mendicants made
their appearance and under the emperors
they existed as plague throughout the
whole Of Italy. These miscreants added
child-stesling to their misdeeds, MAIN
ing little ones who fell into their clutches
in most pitiful manner, and then turn
ing them loose in the streets and on the
bridges to beg. Val.ntinian was the
first to make laws against this evil. and
stringent legislation followed, the Offend
ers being employed on the public works,
sent to the galleys or banished.
During the middle ages all kinds Of
roguery flourished, and beggars abounded
throughout Europe. France. Italy and
Spain were the countries in which this
nefarious business attained the dignity
OF a profession, from which conditions
sprung one Of the strangest kingdoms
known to history, kingdom presided
over by an elected monarch, himself
beggar and ruling over his beggar sub
jects. They made themselves so much
disliked that they were hunted down like
wild beasts and their tribes broken.
The beggar kingdom was organized for
the advancement Of roguery, and showed
its gypsy origin by the peculiar dialect
spoken by its subjects, their jargon being
the parent OF the argot used by thieves in
France at the present day. The mon.
arch, who usually resided in Paris, ruled
over this unique kingdom by virtue of
universal suffrage, and was subject to
deposition il unfaithful. Stated councils
were held at regular meeting places,
taxes we're paid and lieutenants appoint
ed who represented the king in different
parts Of the country.
The duty Of the later was not only to
collect tribute, but to teach members how
to beg successfully. As a result of this
regime of imposture the French beggsr
became master OF bis art, each indlvid.
ual being specialist. and, with the ex-
ception Of few tricks peculiar to Italy,
the methods OF the French beggar in
cluded all the impositions practiced in
European countries.
Many Of these methods were possible
only under the peculiar social conditions
Of that time. For instance, the "Hubins"
pretended to have been bitten by a mad
dog, and, armed with bogus certificate,
implored aims that they might journey
to the shrine OF st. Hubert, in Liege,
which pilgrimage was considered q sure
cure for hydrophobia in those DAYS.
Another set Of impostors simulated cpl
iepsy. By means Of small piece Of
soap concealed in their teeth. they frothed
copiously at the mouth. One class OF
rogues would tie cord about their upper
arms 30 as to stop the circulation, and
then fall in the street, as II stricken with
dread disease. Fake merchants. rnined
by hypothetical shipwrecks or stripped by
imaginary robbers, begged on the high
ways, and speudo travelling journeymen
who never worked wandered about with
the implements OF their professed trade
on their backs, imploring aid to help
hem OH their way. Cripples and de-
formed wretches used their misfortunes
a. stock in trade, while many simulated
deformity or painted digusting looking
sores on their bodies. Another class
went half naked in the cold Of winter
and scratched their ankles to make them
bleed.
In Italy q set Of mendicants pretended
to know the whereabouts OF hidden
treasures, promising to disclose the place
to those that helped them, while another
set OF rascals pretended deadly sickness
and the ownership Of property which
they vowe to leave to those helping them
In their extremity.
Under Louis XIII. in France tavern
keepers were forbidden to harbor beg
gars. while mendacity was punished by
and aogging. Another law
prohibited all persons giving aims to
beggars, the donor being fined, il caught.
In England during the reign OF Henry
VIII. law provided that all professional
mendicants DO whipped for the first
offense, have the lower part Of their right
ears cut off for the second, and be i'm
prisohed and put to d. ath II found guilty
on the third cominittsl. This was super
seeded in l547 by a law which condemned
the mendicsnt for slavery for two years.
Should the convict attempt to escape he
was whipped, branded on the forehead
and condemned to slavery for life.
During Elizabeth's time the country
beggers focked TO the suburbs of Lon
don, and crowd OF Irish mendieants
took up their abode in st. Giles. These
rogues solicited aims during the days
and commi tied robberies and outrages at
night.
In the eighteenth century the beg
CARS OF St. Giles we're poor only 10
rags. A fayorite dodge Of these rogues
was to 20 barefoot and beg for shoes,
which they sold at q good profit to
secondhand dealers. These men had d.
visions allotted TO them and changed
their rontes daily. Many OF them made
as much as eight shillings a day. and Il
one got more than the others he shared