The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-17
FRAUDS AMONG B[GGARS
Various Devices Whereby They
Impose Upon the Public.
WASHINGTON HAS PLENTY
Startling Trans formation OF "A De-
crepit Old Woman Into u Muscular
Dame Who Rushed the Grower.
How a Nickel Brought Back IA Fell
lows Sight-Ulcerso of Papier Mache.

There are professional beggars, Just as
there are professional thieves. The former
In their way, are fully as dishonest as the
crooks. One class steal by deception, the
other by cunning. Atthisseason ofthe year,
as the gay winter social season and the
busting Congressional season approaches,
Washington becomes the mecca of beggars,
dead beats, aud other species OF the genus
who live on their wits.
Old Beau Hickman, who was known as the
prince OF Bummers," set the pace mere
many years ago, and 1t has been kept up uy
worthy and unworthy imttators ever since.
Old Beau had reduced .'pau-handlinS' to u
science, and his patrons were men OF dis
tinction in national affairs.
Just now this city is fairly overrun with
the lower class of street beggars, or house
toulouse workers. The average Washing
tonian is liberal person, and rarely hest
tates to help worthy person who is really
in need. There are worthy beggars here,
persons who encountered misfortune ana
went down in the wreck. Mixed up with
the worthy in their struggle for existence,
however, are many fake beggars or pro
fessionals who have made arrangements TO
avoid honest labor during the remainder OF
their lives.
BEGGARs BY DESCENT.
OF late years much OF the pauper element
of Europe na been transported to this coun-
try Many of these are what are termed
born beggars. That is, their parents. grand
parents and great grandparents had lived
by alms-dSking, and the current of begSary
had been sent coursing through their be-
ings, just as hereditary consumption or lep-
rosy is handed down fromgeneration to gen
Grafton. There are several colonies OF
sinpql hpppDrs
here now, and they are flocking to Wash
ington just as flies swarm to ward a sugar
hogshead.
Near the corner of Thirteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue northwest, the other
night, First precinct policeman pointed
to what appeared TO be an aged and decrepit
old woman. She was an Italian, and her APP
parently emaciated form was concealed
from view as she crouched against the wall
of building and ground out a series of the
most painfully slow and mournful melodies
from a wheezy organette. The woman's
head was bowed low and concealed from
view by an old-fashioned sun bonnet. On
top of the musc-boX was battered lineup
into which charitable passersby dropped
pennies, nickels or dimes.
Every time / look at that woman," re-
marked the policeman, 'ttma kes me angry"
WHY" queried The Times man.
Because she is an unmitigated fake. i
would arrest her under The -vagrancy act If
I thought l could make the case in court.
Now look at her S she crouches there in
the shadow of that building. One would
suppose that she was aged, infirm, and
poverty-strlcken, while Just the reverse
of these conditions is true. Just watch her
as she gets up from the strained position
she Is in. l am going 70 start her home
ward"
PRESTO, CHANGEi
The patrolman approached the woman
and informed her that she had been out
long enough and had better make tracks
for her home. Then followed the trans
formation scene. She arose TO her feet,
gathered up her organette and a big cush-
ion she had been sitting upon. As the
woman passed into the full light of an
arc lamp the reporter had a good view of
her face and form. Instead of the decrepit
old creature he had expected to see, he be-
held q broad, muscular Italian female,
not more than thirty-five years OF age.
She walked slowly and with bowed shout
ders until Penns ylvania avenue was crossed.
Then when she reached the semi-darkness
on the opposite side of the thoroughfare
the imitation old woman Strengthened
up and struck out at a brisk pace for the
| Italian colony on d street.
The reporter folio wed the fake and in
vestigated her. She is the wife of an
| Italian who owns two street pianos. One
of these he works himself, the other is
| operated by his wife's brother. From
| their three sources of income their neigh
bors say they are making money by the
handful. As the reporter was about to
| leave the neighborhuod he saw the fake
| old woman counting a rather large pile
| OF money she had taken In. That task COM
| pleted, she picked up badly battered tir
| bucket and rushed the GROWER" to q
| nearby saloon with some of the money
| which had been contributed to her Golfers
| by philanthropiC citizens.
BLISTER GAME WORKERS.
A squad of lone legs" and blister game
| workers reached Washington several day.
ago and are now engaged in working the
| town" These fellows keep shy of Penn
| sylvania avenue, Seventh street. and othel
business thoroughfares, owing to the vigi
lance of the police, who promptly arrest
street beggars, of whatever ilk or condl
ton, and take them before the police court
as Migrants.
| The "one-legs' are men who have los
! one of their lower limbs In = railroad
smashup or other accident. They usually
| travel in detachments, and a railroad
| man remarked the other evening that
| be had brought an empty freight car full
| of "one-legs" to this city Several day.