The morning times., 1896-10-11
BEGG|NG THEIR BUSINESS
Professional Paupers and Their
Clever Schemes.
SOME HAVE GROWN RICH
Growth of the Evil Caused the
Present System of Per-
sonal Inspection.
SOME HAVE GROWN RICH

"mysterious pauuern they are Lere, black
and white, old ard young. male and fe-
male, but net quite so numerous as they
We're few years ago These paupers are
All interesting lot Of LegGars, the number
urwheln for .uHateiy, is growing beautifully
less.
There was time when they lived on the
fat of the land and even made profltahlG
their nefarious business, but now tie "mys-
terIous pauper'' is becoming thing of
history Every church, every charitable
society and organization, and every wealthy
man who had a benevolent streak in his
makeup was brought into contact with
these personages, whose history, If known,
would fill bCok, or dozen books. the
interest i'll which would he as great as
lies MiSerahlcs" There is always the
greatest interest centered about these ap-
plicants for charity, and when, upon in
vcStgatioD, they are found to | e impostors.
the interest changes to marked degree
and tie question becomes one OF law and
the county JAN or the penitentiary.
wEEDING THEM OUT.
So numerous did this class become Il
few years ago that the question of caring
for the needy became such an important
one that in nearly every city where
charity was publicly dispensed, ways and
means had TO be provided to meet the de
mauds made, or to remedy the trouble
some circumstances which then existed,
new system was established, the rigid
enforcement OF which has been the means
of lesseuing the number of beggars every
where, the discovery of exceptional cases
of crime and wickedness, and the arrest
aud conviction of criminals who had been
living Well on the beueyolently-diSpos
people who We're led to believe they Were
helping those who were really in need, and
whose lives were made cudurable by what
they gave.
A few years ago there Were thousands
OF these mysterious pauper-beggars, who
lived and supported families on what was
given them in charity, but these are being
fast weeded out. The modern system of
personal tigatiun of the applicants
ground Tor demanding charity has not only
Materially !esseueu Ine humber OF those
who depended TO Il very large degree on
charity for their suStenanCe, but 1t has
aided these who were actually compelled
through force of circumstances, To ask aid
of the churches and charitable institutions
Managers of charitable Institutions and
those having charge of the dispensing of
aims by the church societies have found
10 their sorrow that time aud again they
have been imposed upon by pretending
persons, and that thousands of dollars have
been given 10 people who were i'll no way
enuitlel 10 = cent Men. WOMEN and chill
dren have hcen regular applicants at all
places where either money. food or cloth
igFg- dis aud hay
senred themselves to be- destitute and i'll
actual want. but whose statements were
simply false 10 tire fullest sense of the
word. This class of beggars are the most
persistent of all and consequently have Sc
cured more lhan those WHO were really in
Heed. There are in This city those VINO
low enjoy the fruits OF their persistency.
people who have been bcggars of the most
pronounced type aud who today live in
houses bought with the money given IN
charity.
REDUCED TO A SYSTEM.
Their plan of operation was the same
as that used by all professional beggarS
but there was always certain mysterious
manner about them that attracted the
attention OF those who were givers of
aims. There was much more sorrow, more
affliction, a greater burden apparently
breaking them down than was found among
the rest of the poor people who were COM
PEELED To ask for aid. The story of tile
mysterious pauper was always the most
pitiable, it had more sorrowful tone to
II. and it was one of those stories that
rather demanded quite consideration, less
questioning than others for the reasons that
the condition of the family was too sacred
q matter to even permit the scrutiny OF
charitable eyes. In begging the white
people predominated by large majority.
The colosed people are not persistent beg
gars. When once refused they seldom go
To that place again. On the other hand
the white beggar will go back time and
again to the place where he has been re-
fused aud will keep everlastingly at it
until he is almost threatened with dire
results If he does not desiSt.
Everything is fish that comes into hi:;
net. lie mag not want clothing, but will
take II if il is offered. Clothing can al
ways be sold, and may come IN handy al
any moment for even personal use. Food
is desirable and VIII lie carried home,
where it is kept for further preparation
for use, the idea being to save the money
which might be given and to prevent the
necessity of spending it. Groceries, pro-
visions, coal, wood, household furniture
of any kind, supplies aud anything that
can be turned into money is accepted.
HOW 1T WAS CHECKED.
So numerous did the beggars become a
year or two ago, so persistent were they
and SO eXacting in their demands that the
charitahly disposed had to call a halt,
and when the personal investigation sys-
tenn came into vogue the discoveries made
were startling. 1t was found that there
were number OF people who were simply
working the various sources of charity
for absolute gain, and that they were
successful in their labors was shown by
their real financial condition and by their
surroundings, which were sho WI to be not
al all unpleasant, but rather tie opposite.
THIS class Of people made it point
TO call only occasionally on the police
for aid, knowing well that a too persistent
demand for aims from that source would
pecessitate a rigid investigation. Their
efforts were almost wholly spent with the
charitable institutions-the churches most
OF all, and among the wealthy classes
known to be ebcnevolently inclined. Thesym-
pathies of the church people could be more
easily aroused and better return secured
With the police it was strictly business
and the begging class soon found 1T out
That there is less demand for aid
from the public and private institutions
by at least 80 per cent than there was
three years ago can be shown by the
records, and fully 30 per cent of the class
now asking aid Of the public are people
who are really worthy.
ONE SPECIMEN CASE.