The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-09


Their Groupipgs by Nationaiitiss and
Modes OF working Mt Their Craft.
The comradeship of beggars, to which
all writers on the subject OF the neither side
of life in the big metropolis Of New York
delight TO refer. does not manifest itself
at courts or police stations, for no individ-
ual arrested for pendicancy in New York
for very long time has described HIM
self az beggar when arraigned or arrest
ed. There are about / 800 professional
beggars in New York. Begging az fine
art or fixed science is not an American in
stitution. Americans do not make good
beggars, il such an expression may be used
to describe ability i'm almsgetting.
Begging is foreign industry, Temporal
rily transported, so far as this city is con-
cerned. There is one peculiar thing about
it which does not find its way usually into
the columns of newspapers. Tho profos-
sional beggaIs of New York belong In
groups, divided by questions OF nationali-
ty. There is the Italian group, the Span
ish group, the Danish group, the French
group, the Russian group, the Polish group,
the Scottish group, the Swedish group,
the Greek group, and so on. Each OF these
groups has a certain place OF rendezvous,
and the way they operate Is about as fol-
lows: III prominent Italian comes to the
United States on visit and the newspa-
pers chronicle his movements, it IL not
long before he is beset by Italian mendi-
oants who claim to be temporarily en-
barrassed and to have heard from abroad
of his liberality and benevolence. A French
tourist has the same experience from his
compatriots, and so it is all through the
list.
The professional beggars are close read
ers of obituary notices, and when man
of prominence in the foreign colony dies
his family is pestered with opportunities
by beggars from that country. Not very
long ago well known New York mer-
chant died, and his obituary notice con-
tanned the information that he had been
born in certain town of Holland. As
soon as the Dutch group Of beggars got
hold of this fact they overran the members
of his family with claims for charity and
assistance. All professional beggars in New
York read the published newspaper ao-
counts of accidents Of an unusual charao-
ter, and when some member Of family
has met his death in a peculiar manner
they profess TO members of the family to
have suffered from a similar affiiction and
hope to stimulate their generosity.
These mendicants go about their work
of almsgetting Systematically. One group
does not interfere with another. Facts
learned by one member Of group are at
the earliest opportunity communicated to
the others, and thus, almost automatical-
ly, these beggars descend from all parts
of the city on common object OF attack.
They evade the provisions Of the law re-
garding mendicancy by prosecuting their
demands within doors and not on the
streets. They are careful about this, for
the distinction which many persons would
not observe is a vital one in law.
The great majority Of New York profess
sional beggars are Incorporate, and the
larger amount of what may be described
as their earnings is expended in drink.
This fact does not comport very we'll with
their own known system and precision in
securing victims for attack, but it can be
easily explained when it Is stated that the
best organized group of foreign born men,
dicants come from countries where drink
ing is general, but intoxication Is rare
New York Sun.