The evening times., 1895-11-11
TRAnPs |MFESI THE CITY
Unusual Number Of Them Oh
struct the Streets.
THEY BEG BUT NEVER WORK
Police Think They Are Responsible
for Large Amount of the Petty
RObbcrics Recently Committed.
Tricks by Means OF Which They
MAKE IA Mace"

Washington is infested with tramps. They
are not of the old-fashioned variety OF lc-
bos who are willing 10 saw wood at the
lodging house for three days of rest and
food, but are young mei,. some mere boys,
who will not work, and resort to tricks and
schemes of all sorts TO gain the sympathy
of the people whom they approach.
The UNUSUAL number Of these pests III the
city ut present has been bought TO the attcn-
;ion of police headquarters. and orders
have been sent To the precincts covering the
business part of the city, detailing num-
ber of men TO patrol the streets after dark
in citizens clothes, watching for the
''niacers."
Itisthought by the police that these nigra-
tory niendicants are responsible for great
deal of the petty thievcry that is being done
throughout the city, and already great
many Of them have been arrested as sus-
piciousciaracters and warned to leave to WI.
They fill the docks in the police court daily,
almost every other male arraigned in the
court being harged with vagrancy, and
the workhouse has already received van
loads of them.
MANY OF THEM on THE AVENUE.
In walk up Pennsylvania avenue from
the Capitol tn the Treasury Department
alter the electric lights dispcrse'1he gloomy
shadows OF evening, fully half Il hundred
of these bcggars, uf all cot'rs, ages andi
conditions, can be seen. From the old.
stager, whose worn and dirty clothes con-
tain the CRIME and dust OF many reads, and
whose whisky scented breath denotes that
the dime asked for in the name of charity
and a nights lodging would speedily be
dropped in the cup that incbriItes as well
as cheers, To the young and sturdy strip
l...f
patch under the arm of his coat, and, with
Il rough crutcb, icigns hclplessncss that
he may the more readily touch the pocket
through the heart, all are working the
same lay.
As soon as the drunkarti makes q 'mace,''
be IL nickel or quarter, NJ immediately
exchanges it for its value in bad gin or
whisky. and again takes his stand. The
younger ones, though, keep steadily at
work all through the night, unless driven
off by the police, and allow their pile tn
accumulate. They can often bc seen under
the glare OF an electric light, greet!ily count
ing handful of change. some of them
often scrape together 81 or So n night.
cloth around the head. or a bandaged
arm in a sling, with a strong smell of car
boiic acid or iodoform, is one of the IA
yOrite gags of the accomplished hobo"
With sucn a backing Tor Il story he can
unfold n tale of horrible injuries sustained
IN machine shops, railroad accidents fires,
cyclones, wrecks on land and water and
catastrophes of every conceivable descyip-
ton.
LIVE IN COMFORT.
They always find some one cretiulous
enough TO believe them, and many of them
eat better food and have more comfort able
quarters than falls TO the lot of many
working men and their families.
The sight of blue uniform however
always puts them to flight. When taken
to the police court they are either given a
short sentence in the workiouse, or their
personal bonds are taken TO leave town.
The latter course sometimes frigbtens them
nway, but the workhouse sentence soon lets
them out on the city again, stealing when
they cannot beg
There are no more charitable people in
any city in the country than the inhab-
fiaDts, and this fact is known all over
the country among that vast organization
which has for its object anything that will
enable its members To live without working.
Almost every member of the fraternity
makes 1t his object TO strike this city some
time during the cold season, and they al
ways find easy people to prey upon But
TO give 10 these beggars is TO waste char
ny and deprive honest poor OF iife's neces-
stiles.
There are institutions for their care, and
Tor comparatively little manual labor they
can get comfortable quarters and plenty to
eat On tue other hand, money that would
do a great deal OF good if properly spent, is
thrown away in notous indulgence when
given to the tramD.