New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-10
,ryyETT UNDER ECLIPSE.
x1NG OF BEGGARs" IN TEMPORARY
rHS -r,RrMENT ON THE ISLAND

At 1.ErTER-w WRITING HAS EARNED
Hls sv LIVING FOR YEARs-HE HAS
ro,,Sp IT A SIMPLE AFFAIR TO DE-
c,r THE cHARITABLE-Ar THE
ur,n OF A REGULAR BAND.
present time the court OF the M,ns -,
Al the tn deep mourning for Its quohuaii
ssgesrs ru,er himself is in involuntary exile
ruler anu ~, ~ deep nuti-colored woe ana d
searins q 80 belonging to the city OF New orH'
suit Of c0 10 &c for a period OF time. Whe'hel
those CUES ..,,o shall be prolonged to an extent
ss term ., With his prodigal misdoings nes win
c,nn1e,'ssoner OF Correction, H. j. "r,sn''
BE C0n, the term be long or snort 'here 10 "o
BIT WIZ, .o,s of forever keeping the KING i'oi.
yssoe - his own again. lie mas lNeu NV
prnins " .n FOR TOO many years lightly 10 re-
notorious ea'e ,ha, mart of the public of the city
ss.e M vork whom he has been so succeSSiu' IA
cling ,,ho has earned for himself the title
This ma. M Beegars" is Thomas +. or Ihoinas
'Kms " The middle initial does not count ~,
n Behhe' need il and sometimes he dropped
s'nen,.cns his autograph on record. NOR -
Nh use for this name at all ""eV,.'
~ excess Of modesty. as ne mas eia''
1--WE. shun publicity, no one Is al manu- 70 say.
mt a
On tns nassf,1 living. Thomas Is DUMB Ter-
career Soa a lingering respect for FAMILY
hps ne NOV have had proud and TOMORROW
name ~ Who knows? At any rate ne mas
ing a during his ten years OF residence
been tee as Frank Campbell, Herbert Rogers
IN am' s,,,,ey. Thomas Williams. David Mayors
W hAa p.,nin. Frank Bennett. John Bowen ana 1.
n'"" ... These names are on record IN that part
D. o,usa correspondence which mas pee" pre-
o u" ,-ou oblivion' How many other names he
served '' ,.,,srs which have been destroyed. 1t
' a" course impossible 10 say II IS not Known
IS . ,,,os or upon the wings Of what particular
81 Hn.s mas horne TO Manhattan Island
1s hos eone the rounds that he was at one
~"''p .,,sr In one Of the big hotels In Coney
~ 7, NAV be that he remained there long
80 "a familiarize himself with the names ana
.sars..es Of prominent and charitaoiy disposeu
~. n New-York 1t may be again that he is a
yT.r.yorker born and bred; but his ingenuity
sm.cks rather Of Western enterprise
CoP1oUs LETTER-wRITER.
y. .x,,ain more in detail the character and per-
.o,,, ~ the man II should be said that he was ar
,.s,ea week ago by Chief Officer Jerome OF the
rharitv Organization Society. and taken before
W.a,s,,.,e Cornell in the Yorkve Police Court
y. was charged with sending mendicant letters
and as he was already known as persistent va
s,an, Magistrate Cornell did not hesitate ABOUT
s,mmting him to the workhouse. and at the same
time conhded to him that If he appeared again IN
,Ss role OF an offender he would receive the limit OF
the law Commissioner Wright has II in his juris-
dIc,Ion to keep Bennett confined for six months. and
s,s or two people can probably be found In New
ynrk who would like TO see the term extended 10
tHn wears for such matter Yet his personality Is
nosensye TO the last degree. He has sorrowful
ewes boxing out from beneath the rim OF laded
derby hat and ragged mustache conceals what III
ysutucky might be termed a "whiskey' mouth.
taxing into account what he has accomplished with
Ms zen, he might well turn his knowledge TO ac-
or by Issuing the "Beggar's Complete Letter
vnr' for 1t has been in this department of the
su tA, he has most particularly exceled CITY
aa4k with a tendency for resort 10 paper and
esbpes pale into insigniicance before the achieve
sns OF this past master In the art Of putting
haghts on paper He is probably one of the fool
Q things of the world chosen to confound the wise
7nded to In the Good Book. He certainly has been
nuisance to the wealthy.
His latest exploit. which led him into difficulty,
IS tie writing of a letter to Mrs Charles Tiff
ny. She called at the rooms of the Charity Or
nzation Society with the communication. which
ewise had contained a pawntcket for pair Of
oes. which had been pledged for seventy-hve
nts. The letter. which was signed with Benefits
sn name, asked Mrs. Tiffany to aid the writer
redeeming the shoes and paying for some food
be writing was at once recognized, for. has
en- said Benefits correspondence has been most
,tensive. and under whatever name he might
loose to write the chirography was familiar as
thrice-told tale Not long after Mrs. Tiffany's
sit the mother OF Henry Barnes. the artist. Of
o. 40 West Twenty-thrd-st.. gave information
lat her son had received a similar letter and had
ade an appointment for the writer to call on Sat
rday. Chief officer jerome is acquainted with
emmett. and as the king had been especially
ctive throughout the fall and winter months
eronie was pleased TO think that at last he had
in In the tolls. He went TO the studio Of Mr..
|arnes. but, as usual. the king" sent one OF his
aithfu minons while he himself rested on one Of
he benches in Madison Square. The chosen vassal
! this particular instance proved TO be Andrus
ioran Jerome stopped Moran, and, after learning
rom him the spot where royalty was seated
landed him over to an officer. Then he went TO the
ouare where he found his man. The king was
He'd with righteous Indignation. but II was OF no
se 10 deny his identity in the face Of an old ac-
Iuantance, and he finally yielded and remarked
hat he had given the letter to Moran TO help the
after out Of a difficulty. When searched at the
police station evidence incontrovertble was found
mat Bennett up to his old tricks. although he
had solemnly promised years before 10 quit his
meanness"
HIS EARLY EFFORTS.
Now, while. as has been said the date OF Ben
neNs arrival Is not known with any degree OF ex-
s.'ness he first came under the notice Of charita-
.'!'a"posed people as far back as October OF 1888
a ~ 'na' tine he was as It were. feeling his way
~ represented himself a widower with TWO
ennoren' living with his wife's mother. He went
y" 70 say hat he had been discharged from the
"o.p'a'' mad secured employment, but needed as
s.s'ance 10 carp him over for day or two until
ms "orA Degar From that time on he used the
r"e'eh' names that have already been given mere.
.. wrote 80 many letters using a different name,
Inherent employment and different forged refer
."'e IN each case that he compelled TO resort
system OF Identification TO meet each individual
.,eSseo' So he kept memoranda of letters writ
Ten In this fashion:
q. "as' Bank Blank No. Chelsea Square. driver
~. macy; accident November Z; leg and face
".ae"' reference. Pierce Greene Dana.
nnr disposing OF the mother-n-law. Bennett
..1aa that the holidays were approaching and ne
.'s"ed himself Of the gift season Of the year TO