The sun., 1894-10-14
sWINDLING LETTER WRITERS.
The Fraud Requires n Clever Head. hut
Many People Live by II.

"This Is by no means new trick, and yet peo-
pie are being swindled bv II every day." said the
head of one of the relief societies in speaking OF
the arrest of Robert j. johnson. the begging
letter writer, who pretended to be "a clergy
man" II requires u clear head 10 write letter
Ia a total stranger and make money by the trans
action. but this man is only one of a multitude
who have proitably pursued this line OF trade.
The fact that his pockets were filed with the
names and addresses of many of New
York's most generous citizens would sug-
gest the possibility Of there being known To
his profession some association similar TO the
Charity Exchange which nourished for a
time in a coffee house in the suburbs OF Vienna.
IL WAS the rendezvous OF professional beggars
and swindlers. II was as regularly organized
as legitimate club b, and IN design and method
WAS audaciously unique. Tho charitable and
benevolent were classified. Lists were prepared
and were revised from time to time TO correspond
with the changes arising from death, loss OF for
tune. &C., and these lists were sold according to
value from the beggar's standpoint.
"Each class had Its name. The Prince EN-
braced those who gave freely. invariably, and
without the forInAlty Of questions; the Priest :
those who catechised before giving and were
not lavish; the Mean those who unpleasantly
insisted upon having the applicants name and
some proof that the appeal was genuine, and
who had been known to heartlessly offer work
instead Of money; the Pauper,' those who gave
nothing and of whom II was useless to ask and
the Extra, those who were personally mac
cessible and could be approached only by let
ter. sum equal to So entitled the pur-
chaser 10 one dozen names OF the best grade
warranted 10 yield good revenue. Hair that
the Extra and Priest The Mean and
'Pauper lists were sold at very low rates, and
were bought chiefly By those who were anxious
about wasting time ON the wrong material. The
exchange sm9othed the beggars' path greatly.
brief In 1855 after an Investigation by the
police, the managers were lodged IN Jail.
The sending of u begging letter is at all times
result OF genuine need. ten are frauds For
years woman kept two homes. ore in he
sums, one In respectable quarter of the city.
she sent out, Tar and wide letters representing
address of her wretChed rear basement, aud in
Yited the interested or doubling to visit her As
result she was able TO maintain her Second
home. When the imposition was discovered
she had accumulated sum not To be despised,
and sufficient 20 take her out OF the country.
None but those who have endtavored TO in
yestigats such pleas can appreciate the dis
heartening effect of the discovery that a touch
ing story OF want Is a Action, the 81 wife and
suffering children are mythical, and the address
given has no existence. one kind-heaTted
woman. ia her zeal To promptly aid starving
household that had been gIAphicnlly described
10 her by a beggaT an the street. tOlled over the
east sids Of the city, ON and pu, % hnd house
answering 10 the given number Her conviction
that tho story vas genuine was unshaken unit
she found that the number could only be loTaled
east Of the shipping. Even then she felt troubled
lest the mistake might have been hers. Within
a week, IN different part OF the city. the same
man arcosted her with tho same story, but gave
west side which MAS covered by an iron foundry
VI which her husband Was part owner