The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-18
SHAME, PorERrr, AND VIOLENCE.
The City Infested with Beggn-s, who
Threaten When AIms Arc Rerused.

The character OF a legless bcgGar who an
noyed women in Broadway, as revealed by his
biting the leg of the policeman who arrested
him and by paying a So fine from a large roll of
bills, directed public attention again to the
sham poverty of the pseudo-mcndicants who in
fest New York streets and to the unwisdom OF
easy-natured people who give aims indiscrimi-
nately on the public highways. shoppers in the
crowded parts of Broadway. Twenty-third street,
and Fourteenth street find their sympathics GO
ing out to the particular class of deformed frauds
to which this fellow belonged. by the contrast
of the plight of a man without legs amid a
thronG OF people who have all they can do to
get along in the world with two. So II is not
unusual in those districts to SEQ n number of
women and some men grouped about such a
cripple awaiting each a chance to drops coin
into the poor creatures" hand or money can.
The other day a man who makes a practice OF
giving a cent TO every beggar who asks aims OF
him, was standing on a downtown corner when
a tramp asked for help to get something to eat
for the first time to-day" The beggar got u
cent, and a bedragGled, sad faced man who had
watched the occurrence, came 10 the benevolent
" Recognizing in you, sir, a mar OF benetcent
habit, ! want "a ask you to aid one who you may
SET from his speech Is not so illiterste as his APP
pearance would indicate. Ii is hard times with
me, sir. Nothing else brings me TO this. | am
not a tramp. You have Just helped "a tramp;
~ treat all q you alike, the selt,satishedi
gave him. Here" And he dropped a cent into
the fellows fist, which closed around the coin.
In a moment the fist opened, and when tho
beggar saw what had been given TO him he
turned upon the man OF beneicent habit"
and poured out a volume OF Billingsgate that
would make "A man Ot conventional morality
shivcr. lie threatened violence, hut, OF course,
dared not use IL In "A business street. But in the
less freIuented streets or al night, and especially
with women, these heggars who are not cripples
carry their threats 10 near 10 violence that the
lot Of n lone pedestrian is not 50 agreeable in a
city like New York as Il might be.
Park row and Park place and the ferry streets
down town and the shopping streets and cross
streets of the TenderlOin and Murray ilill dis
triCts are infested with these beggars, manned
women, carrying babies IN work still
further on the public sympathy. OF late
a stamping ground for these people, and IA watch
kept On some Of them the other day showed that
no sooner dld they receive a fairly liberal gltt
than they snuntered OF tOThiTd avenue saloons.
Nearly all of the street heggars may safely be
set down for professionals. An old woman, who
presented a pitiahlc appearance daily Sundays
excepted outside 81 a large office Building not
far from the Post once, 10 understood To have a
suttic.erCy OF this worlds goods, which she ac-
quirrd hy hegElng in Inat locality. DeCrepit and
unOhservant rs she appears, she recognizes the
old h~ab!Iues OF the neighunrhoud, and sunn
ones. These she does not modest. or il
she from force OF habit extends her
hand and begins 90 speak her hand slowly falls
the man has passed. Whether her nuu-appear-
ance ON sundays is due TO observance Of the
srrlptural Injunction as TO laboriEg stX. days or
TO the absence of people from the business
centres on that day Is open 10 debate. Another
type Of the poor creatures" who defraud the
young man who comes here in tatters and begs
because he likes II, while his father. "A retired
grocer OF wealth in central New York, has a
home where the boy might enjoy all the COM
forts OF an honest life,