The morning times., 1896-11-29
Poverty Flats.

Waiting for an answer from the min
| ister 10 the sexton of our church, said
Tasker in his broken English.
Too thin" said the officer. >"Come
along with me, and We viii GO down to
the corner and get Your partner, who is
waiting for you.''
Fer this orfensc Tasker and Carter We're
| convicted of vagrancy in the police court
and sentenced TO sixty days in the work
house.
There are other skilled link Crafters''
in the city. bat as they all employ about
the same tactics, these two cases will
Serve to Illustrate the nIarncr of pro-
cedure.
a SLICK ''PANHANDLER.'
Billy Godfrey is both 'panhandlcr''
and an link CRATER" He plays the deaf
and dumb business, and is perfect in the
part. He is never detected in the decep-
ton where he is not known.
Godfrey is Il handsome man, OF about
forty-five years of age He has high
forehead and dark curling hair, a lock Of
which falls over his brow. His eyes are
peculiar. Long-continued use of belladonna
for a nalady from which he suffered has
permanently enlarged the pupils of his
eyes, so that the iris is onl, Il thin blue
ring surrounding them. He is quite well
educated, and can write a good, business
hand.
With a card, written by himself, setting
forth his misfortune and stating how he
came 10 be deaf and dumb, through nta-
lignant case of scarlet fever, he goes from
door to door.
1t is a part that requires extreme cool.
ness ard watchfulncss. Questions are sud
denly asked, and all sorts of schemes put
up by those he visits TO ascertain If he is
really mute.
Godfrey never betrays himself Long
practice and a naturally quiet disposition
have rendered him an adept in the art
OF sbamming. To illustrate the coolness
of the man and how utterly futile are the
efforts 10 make him betray himself,
single incident will suffice.
Godfrey went into Il barroom about
year ago, and handed his begging card
TO the barkeeper. There We're several men
at the bar drinking.
Whats the matter, DAMP asked one
of the crowd.
''ob, this fellows deaf and dumb and
wants help
Instantly Billy was the center Of at
traction.
Il don't believe he's deaf and dunlb,'
said one. Just watch me crawl up be-
hind him and give him n punch under the
ear and the speaker drew up. quietly
behind Godfrey and drew back to strike Il
terrible blow. Although mOmcntarily ex-
pectlnE 10 De fcIleu llhc an On, GOu1rey
never moved a muscle. The arm of the
striker dropped as he said, Boys. it's a
genuine case; the fellows mute" For
his extraordinary nerve Godfrey collected
seven quartcr-dollar pieces from the crowd,
including the barkeeper.
His fondness for liquor always causes his
detection in the end, for when half drunk
lie loses his head and becomes quarrelsomc
Godfrey fluctuates between this city and
Richmond, Va, where he is now. He is a
carpenter by trade and an excellent me-
chanic, but prefers tolivc by impersonating
mute.
THE STREET BEGGARS.
The resident ''moochers,' or street beg
gars. are not numerous as class but their
ranskareswelledt to enormous usproportionsby
the army of tramps that constantly invaties
the city, all of whom are professionals
The local "mooohers'' and "pan-handlers'
are not criminals. They rarely commit a
theft. They are all intimately acquainted
with each other, and all have the same in
ordinate thirst for liquor. This Is the end
of all OF their begging, and many of them
are frank enough to say so when asking for
money. Nearly all of them are kindhearted
aud generous, especially to one another. A
code Of honor prevails among them, and to