The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-17

chicken in her basket. Sucn women use
the proceeds of beggary 70 run cheap board
ing houses We found one woman who
kept boarding house Tor street laborers
ed entirely supplied her table With bro
zen meats from the kitchens Of the rich.
Sometimes the boarding house keeper
| hires professional beggar to provide the
food -
The patrol now led down Lexington av-
enue, and as the detective passed COM
fOrtably clad old woman who limped along
with bundle of lead pencils in her hand
he said 70 his companion: she's been a
professional beggar for 90 years, and she
has money in bank. She's in need Of moth
ing-better off. in fact, than half those that
help support her. She has one of the foul
est tongues in the whole profession, and
at the slightest word from me she'd call a
q crowd about US F"
BY this time the amateur began TO be-
lieve that he could tell professional beg
gar at sight, and accordingly he directed
the detectives attention TO an old woman
who had paused in a side street TO rear
range her bundle on the coping of a wall
Her possessions were strewn along the
stone, and she slowly made ready to tie
them up in d newspaper. The detective
watched her minute or two from across
the street and then said. mo; she's prob
ably a servant just leaving her place.
He returned a like answer when his
companion pointed out a tall man shut
fling westward toward Sixth avenue.
'Workingman, I should say, - was the de-
tcctiye's comment. His shirt 5 too white
for a bcygar." Then as the man turned
into Fifth avenue and wandered on aim
lessly the detective added, with decision,
s. 4 workingman OUT of a job and just
idling round
A Look of Shame.
Five minutes later a shabby man was
seen to enter an area and then to come up
empty handed He has asked for work
and then for food, >" said the detective,
Fastening TO intercept the wanderer be-
fore he should escape The mans story
was as the detective had prophcsied. He
gave an Irish name, said he had been 90
years in New York. and for the first time
in his life was six months idle. He was
looking for permanent job, but would
not accept q ticket TO the Charity Organiza-
ton society woodward because that meant
merely board and one nights lodging,
and his lodging was already paid for else
In his eyes, but flicker of inextinguish-
able Irish humor about his lips as he went
off with the detectives warning against
the crime Of beggary.
Hes telling the truth, - said the de
tective, but he ought to have gone 10 the
woodward. Perhaps we can help him yet.
A tall Italian, with hand organ on
his back, loitered down Fifth avenue, and
the detective said, Professional beggar
and licensed"
Beyond your reach, them" asked his
companion.
Mostly. The old women are the worst.
They sit in a heap on a street corner and
grind a tuneless Organette. But they must
not display n cup or hold out the hand
They are forbidden also to be out after
: p. m. We arrested an old italian wOm-
an who had persistently violated all the
and her family were at once
down on US to have her released We
agreed, provided they bring her ticket
and let US see her off to Italy, but they in
sisted first upon seeing her. What they
wanted was to get her authorization to
draw her savings, about 81, 200, from a
bank. They did this, and we saw the old
woman off to Italy. Well, she was back
in six months, and begging again. The
fact is, she was the support of the family,
and they could well afford her a trip to
Italy, with the privilege of lOoting her
pile ! could tell you 90 stories like that"
continued the detective, but excuse me. /
There's a fellow working the Broadway
parade" and in an instant he was lost in
the slowly moving crowd across the way.
T.. n NALLANDIGHAM.