The Washington times., 1895-05-26


pected that the young man will undertake
the cultivation of potato patch.
TEARS WERE HIS RACKET.
A good looking, midde-aged white man
early last winter victimiZed the good
people of the Central Union Mission and
the congregations of several churches.
1t was his habit to visit daily and nightly
prayer meetings, and with tears streaming
down his cheeks, which he shed as copiously
and as easily as Sam Weller's whilom
friend job Trotter, ask the prayers OF those
present. His request, OF course, was al
ways cheerfully complied with, and as
soon asthe Opportunitycameh hemade known
that he was in dire physical as well as
spiritual distress.
He had no place to sleep, and had noteaten
anything for twenty four or more hours. and
trembIingly declared that unless relief was
speedily forthcoming he must surely perish.
An appeal of this nature was never made
in vain, and the invariable result was a
goodly collection and the unfortunate way
farer sent away rejoicing. 1t is believed
that this man also tried to work the AS
sociated Charities, but the rigid scrutiny
practiced by the officers and agents of the
organization confused him.. and, fearing
detection, he gave up the attempt.
However, for several weeks he operated in
the prayer meetings with considerable profit
TO himself; but, like most other frauds and
humbugs, he could not stand prosperity.
Made reckless by success, one uay ne got
very drunk, aud in that condition presented
himself to q number of bis benefactoTs and
well wishers. Inquiry was at once made as
to the character and antecedents of this
weeping Willie" What little could be
learned of him was as bad as could be, and
without waiting for further investigation or
bidding his new friends good-by he slipped
quietly away to fresh fields and pastures
new, and has not since reappeared.
One OF the slickest beats VINO has ever
prAyed upon the charitable OF this and other
communities is a handsome woman, now
reaching middle age. 1t is several years
since her first arrival here, and rarely a
year has passed without her making visit
OF longer or shorter duration. At first
she represented herself as the widow of
Union soldier, and professed TO be seeking
a pension. Secretary Emery has letters in
quiring about her from towns in Pennsyl-
vania, New York, and one or two OF the
New England States. These letters are
all of the same tenor.
The woman swindled nearly every one
with whom she came in contact. The Capt.
tol was a favorite field OF operations, and
she is known o have extorted considera bile
sums of money from susceptible Senators
and congressman. She was i'll town for a
short time early last season, but finding
she was watched, took fright and quietly
retired from the scene of many previously
successful swindling exploits.
PAINTING HER FORTE.
For a long series of years there has been
in the city tall, slender woman, now
pretty well advanced in life, who has prae-
ticed repeatedly the same trick which
brought so much notoriety just about a
year ago to Che wning, the alleged starving
freak of the Smithsonian grounds. The
latter was by no means the inventor of
the scheme, and possibly not even its most
successful worker. The woman is said 10
be highly educated and of good family.
Drink is believed 10 be mainly responsible
for rher ermisconduct, and topTovide the means
to crafty a depraved appetite for liquor
she has proven herself to be the poSSeSsor
of most fertile resources, and has been
quite successful in putting her plans into
practice.
One of her tricks was to saunter slowly
along residence street, and where she
found a party OF ladies or gentlemen in
front of house she would suddenly drop
TO the ground in a faintiHg condition. The
people would instantly rush TO her assist
ance and carry he< in and in a few moments
consciousness would return, when she
would intimate, in most pathetic tones,
that she was starving. or course, substan-
tial relief was soon freely provided.
She was taken 10 the place, where for
the time being, she made her home, which
she did not tarry in long. After getting
all she could out OF the residents in the
neighborhood of her exploit-a1d the con-
tributions generally were exceedingly
hberal-She would make a change of base,
aud when again sought after by q bene-
factor, who feared she might be in straits,
the bird had flown.
There Is scarcely section of the city
which this woman has not worked by the
above or some similar dodge, always
cleverly acting her part, and, being of good
address and bearing the impress of real
lady in reduced circumstances, her schemes
generally resulted in substantial returns
Thus far she has been smart enough to
steer clear of the police. Mr.. Emery says
she is still in the city, aud that he hears
of her once in while.
Lately she has resorted to ''holding up
pedestrians on the streets and in the parks
She has many aliases and moves frequently,
having lived in almost every quarter of the
city. During the last year or two she only
emerges from her hiding place when her
supply OF food and liquor is exhausted.
Many other cases might be cited, but the
| foregoing are sufficient. While a few
of the lazy and the fraudulent may for a
time succeed in victimiZing individuals of
| a charitable disposition, as soon as the at
temptis made to work the Associated Chari-
ties detection and exposure speedily follow
And the humane and generous people of
| the District who, especially during the
| last two years, have given so literally
Of their substance to relieve the pressing
necessities of their less fortunate fellow :.
beings may rest assured that their contri-
! buttons have, with few exceptions, been
most worthily placed.
ALL GAVE FREELY
The amount raised and placed under the
direction and distributed by the Citizens
Relief Committee does not begin to ex-
press the sum total of what was done to
relieve the wants of the unfortunate and
poverty-stricken in our midst The ASso-
| ciated Charities received in individual
donations some So 600, and other organi-
cations made liberal collections from SIM
liar sources.
The daily appeals Of the press are not
yet forgotten, and the eagerness and ear
nestness with which all classes of citizens
gave according to their means will long
| remain fragrant memory. Many gave
| who had very little to spare. In the De
partments spirit of generous rivalry was
| manifested. and each endeavored to do
| little better than its neighbor. The trades
unions and the assemblies of Knights of
| Labor drew frequently and literally on
their treasures for the assistance OF their
own needy, some of them even resorting
| to assessments on the employed when the
| funds began to run low.
| All the labor organizations in this way
paid out large sums, so that comparatively
| few of their members during the last two
trying years became the recipients of pub
| lie charity.
| Last winter the Associated Charities gave
employment to fifteenpaid agents, who were
kept busy investigating and reporting on
| the cases referred to them. In addition it
also had the willing services of from fifty
/ to one hundred volunteers, who pretty
| thoroughly covered every nook and corner of
the District. Employment was secured for
more than 200 persons OF both sexes and
all conditions, and vast quantities of food,
1 fr1n ut ind in.n alr III