The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-19
PURSUIT OF JOHN DOE
WORK o. ORGANIZED CHARITIES IN
TRACING MIGRANTS.

Some Ts Pical Examples.
When the Charity Organization society
Of this city receives from the Charity Or.
ganization society of Liverpool an inquiry
conrcrnir.- hat incorrigiblc vagrant, John
Doe, and learns from u study of Johns
haunts In this city that he was last heard
from ut San Francisco, it at once sends II
letter of inquiry to tho Associated Char.
itics of tho latter place. If John is still
at San Francisco and following his usual
modc of life, the Associated Charities is
pretty surc to find him. But suppose the
report from san Francisco is that John
was last seen on board IA Steamship work
Ing his passage to Tasmania
That sounds hopeless enough, but there
is charity organization ut Hobart Town,
Tasmania, and the chances nrc that if a
man of John Does status should 90 to
Tasmania Hobart Town. us the CAPITAL
and largest city, would bo his abiding
place. Were John there, the local society
would doubtless find him and report the
discovery to tho New York society. Thence
the report would reach Liverpool, and If
johns inQuiring friends were really ;lnN-
ious for his presence and he We're williu..
to return home the Liverpool society
would SEQ him safely through the remain
der of his journey round the world
The Charity Organization society may
never have pursued John Doc into Aus
tralia, but il could do it if it would for
it is in friendly relations with like socic-
ties all over the civilized world 1t hns
such relations with moro than 100 socic.
tics in the United States and Canada and
with many others in tho British isles.
France Germany, Holland Italy, Swit
zcrland. Russia, Austria Hungary, Greece.
iris Il
and Australia. There arc moro than 100
such societies In the British isles alone.
There are moro than dozen in France
and more than u score in Russia and
there Is scarcely an important Europcnn
capital without ono. 1t is the business of
thcS" societies To attend to their own local
charities ana to make for kindred societies
nj home ANA abroad whatever invcsti.ra
ton is asked. Nngrant John Doc MAJ
seem hopclcssly NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. drop
in the ocean of humanity, but the chances
arc that he is better known to the charity
organization societies of half dozen cap.
itals than many n more famous man So
ii happens that John. thoughtlcssly pur-
suing his lifelong vocation of idlcr and
Dcggar. can be tapped on tho shoulder
when wanted, even though he takes the
wings of the morning and dwells in the
uttcrmost parts of the Garth
The Charity OganiZation society of this
city usually has on hand some cases sent
t" for inquiry from aboard. Most of these
cases come from Great Britain, though
many como from Germany and Holland.
and they have been received from nearly
every civilized country of the globe.
When such an inquiry comes, it is usually
accompanied by II hopeful clcw, and rs the
society has an acquaintance with nearly
all the professional bcggars and with many
others OF the unfortunate and criminal no
time Is lost In seeking tho subject of in
quiry where he was last hcnrd from.
The society makes no attempt to look out
for others than those of tho classes with
which it usually has dealings, though il
docs not hesitate to do good turn for
any inquirer. 1t Is not long since one of
Its agents looked up man whom a fond
wife in Great Britain was ready to mourn
as one dead. Tho missing husband was
found snugly lodged with now wife but
the society prevailed upon him to send aid
To spouse No. L.
1t frequently happens that tho tale of
professional bcggar or of some other un.
fortunate brought to the attention of the
society seems to bc worth Investigation.
If tic story has an end i'm an American or
European city, the society at once sends ont
letter of inquiry to the kindred society
Ill such city, and the tale is subjected to
pitilcss Sitting. Tho result frequently is
To convict the vagrant of untruth. But il
sometimes happens that friends or relatives
abroad arc ready To receive him back In
that case the society cares for him until
such time as word comes to send him
nome. Then az agent of the society goes
with him to the ship that is To carry him
over. provides him with ticket and STAYS
by him until She ship is ready to sail.
Some steamships further the charity by
carrying over IL few stccragc passengers
free. Others make special reductions. Il
vagrant returning home is ablcbodcd.
passage Is obtained for him on II cattle
ship, and he works his way over In this
way the business of sending home these
helpless creatures is chcaply managed
The society undertook oncc for the good
of the United States 10 send homo n very
sick person, his wife and five children to
IL German town 100 miles inland The
whole journey WAS arranged Mt SOB for the
entire family, but the father, who had
been guide to the Holy Land, fell in
witha lthyacquaintancc when "a hours
out and WAS enabled to rent for tho rest
of the voyage the cabin of u ships officer
so admirably is tho business of these
kindred societies organized all over the
world, and SO familiar arc the ways of
'"Gi.'ii' 'i''sScA 10 liclr managers, that an
inquiry addressed from New York to al
most any important city is sure of a
prompt reply. 1t is found that London
or Liverpool may be expected to mako the
investigation and send "a reply that shall
reach here within three weeks of the date
of the inquiry. The societies in the large
Scotch cities arc prompt and careful, and
the most courteous attention is giyen to
inquiries from this side,
This system of international Intelligence
brings out in striking fashion tho romance