The morning times., 1896-11-29
violate 1t is to lose caste. They usually
work by twos and threes.

violate 1t is to lose caste. They usually
work by twos and threes.
Their lives are bounded by the saloon,
police station, police court and the work
house. Some OF them Aavc been travelling
this monotonous round for many years and
are dead to all hope or ambition. The future
presents 10 golden prospects and life With
its possibilities and brightness is to them as
dead sea fruit. They feel as If all the world
was against them, and consequently ar
ray themselves against the world.
Occasionally one OF them will pull out
of fthe awful ru tlntu which he tiasfallen, and
make a brave uphill struggle to redeem his
life. but the majority are content to plOd
the same weary way, feeling themselves
man.sOrsaken and almost God-forsaken.
A .moocher" and "pan-handler" lives
by accident, and is seldom hungry. Per
sons accosted for money or clothing fire.
quently say that they will give neither,
but will give something to eat. This
happens SO frequently that the bcggar is
often obliged to refuse the food, or to
take IL to give to others more unfortunate
than himself. Indeed, IL is considered
beneath the dignity of professional
"moocher" 10 accept food, unless he spe-
cially asks for it, which is rare. That
sort of begging is left to the cat" of the
hobo fraternity. = ia
Their drinks consist OF five-cent "hum-
VI Eiais vi tdu nIiiskN, anu. OH
Sunday, OF alcohol diluted with water,
which may be obtained at the drug stores,
the saloons being closed.
A SUCCESSFUL "MooCHER."
Frank Mcclure. or Richmond" as he is
faniliarly known, Is one Of the most sue
cessful ''moochers' of this city. He is
thirtynine years old, five feet seven inches
high, and of offloridcomplexion. Hehas n fine
q yp "a "a ca u n f.hn His
face is a good one, and creates a Favorable
impression at once.
Mcclure was born in Richmond, Va, and
!s cigarmaker by trade. Extreme do
nestle trouble drove him into the drink
ing habit and into his present unhappy and
unsatisfactory mode of existence. When
not too drunk he is a good talker, and can
engage the attention or two or three
persons on the street at one time.
Like all of the other professionals, he
stops at one of the cheap lodging houses on
First street, near the foot of the Capitol,
or on Is street, in rainy or cold weather or
when he is not sleeping off a Jag on the
iron bench in a cell OF police station.
Charlie and Tom McCann are George
town boys and are brothers. They generally
beg clothes and shoes, but will ask for
money and ''mooch'' on the street shoL
circumstances demand it. They are 10th
witty and ingenious and are never at q
loss for II reply to an embarrassing question.
The McCanns are totally unlike In ap-
pearance and would never be taken for
brothers, save for IL similar odd affection
of the eyes. After dark they are as
blind as bats and have to be led around
by a companion. Domestic trouble, s is
the case with nearly all OF these men, is
the cause Of their present mode of life
More OF the same kind are John, alias
Bum Kelly: Henry Wilson, Charlie Cam
,.at t,o-f
Cleary, Michael Cavanaueh, alias Lucy
Mickey Riley, Michael Lanhady and Joseph
Thompson.
All live by begging, and the keepers of
the cheap saloons near the Capitol and other
sections of the city receive the proceeds
of their touching" Money. clothes, shoes,
hats. and everything else they receive are
converted into rum, and drank until the
system can stand no more
Ihwarm weatherthese mensleep
there Is no danger OF arrest, under bushes
in the larger parks, or on the ground in