The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-02
CRUSADE AGAINST TRAMPS.
NOW rHE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN HAS
BEEN ELA BORhIED.

risx or the Police 20 Cooperate with the
Charity OrgsntzatIar Soeirty's Agents
All Professional BeEGar whether Mes
or wemes, 90 60 TO tho workhouse
Chief Of Police Conlln has selected twelve
men from the force at large whose duty II will
be hereafter 70 rid tho city Of the professional
beggsr. This at least Is the chief object In
view. Secondary objects will be the preven-
ton OF men from becoming begsars by judi
oious warnings and tho reporting to the Chsrl-
~ Organization Society Of any cases Of real dis
trcss that may come within their ken. II will
thus be seen that these policemen will not only
exercise the two functions OF their ONCE. the pun
tshment and prevention of q nuisance, but also
win possibly become a potent factor In the
charity work Of tho city.
II was told In THE sUS last week how the
Charity Organization Society had At length at
tsined the long sought for object OF getting the
police to take an active hand in Kidding the city
Of trsmps and Migrants. Through the efforts
Of Mrs. g. X. Lowell. Chairman Of Its Commit
tee on vagrancy. and Edward 7. Devine. Gen.
sral Secretary Of the society. Commissioner
Grant and Chief Conlin devised q scheme by
which. It 10 hoped. tho tramp nuisance will at
least be sbated to a very considerable extent
and. as the City Magistrates have Joined hands
with them and will SEQ that the Migrants get
plenty OF good, hcalthful work. tho prospects
arc apparently bright.
The plan rs outlined was that two men should
be detailed to each of the six Magistrate courts
OF the city. whose whole time should be spent In
tho districts under supervision Of their re-
s~pective courts. arresting the beggars on tho
street, whether men or women. They were to
be under the control of the Sergeant in charge
of each court squad, reporting to him alone,
and a. fast Is they made arrests the prisoners
were to DO brought TO court, where. by agree
ment among themselves, the Magistrates were
10 send them TO tho workhouse for three
months instead Of the usual Ave. ten. or twenty
days.
This plan has been greatly elaborated since
then, and detailed instructions have been
prepared for the men chosen for the work.
From the very nature Of the work y great deal
must be left to the policemen. and. on that &C.
count. great care has been taken In selecting the
men. Over 100 were examined In order to get
the required twelve. Tho requisites were be-
tween ten and fifteen years OF service, an age
between thirty and forty. u good record. not only
ot conduct but OF Intelligence. aud n good stout
physique. quite able to handle alone any mu-cu-
lar bcRgar who might resist arrest. The twelve
iuen thus chosen are To \ degree the pick OF the
force.
having a rowing commission, viii choose for
their rounds the hours best fitted to their dis
tricts. For instance, the men connected, with
tNo III ElitNt- 'but' " hunO V
covers the lower end of tho island, will do most
OF their work In the daytime. devoting a part. OF
Hall Park, Park row. the Post ONCE. and Park
place. Those attached to Essex Market Court
can catch beggsrs at most any time. while those
attached To jefferson Market Court. In whose
district Is the Tenderloin. will do the greater
part OF their work in the afternoons and before
The Charity Organization Society has COM
pleie records OF many OF tho professional beg:
CARS NJ this city. and the police will work hand
In hand with thR snrlptx AGENTS ThR nrst thing
the twelve policemen will do Is to get as familiar
as possible with all the beagars In their district.
zee a beggar approach n man or a woman. or
when n beggar approaches them for the first
lime will mean arrest and at least three months
in the work house. When an arrest IL made the
prisoner will be taken to the nearest precinct
station and the Charity Organization Society
will be notined. Its agent will then take q hand.
and. u the heggAr has u record. that will be pre-;
sentcd to the Magistrate as evidence, and IL will
go very hard with him. IL he has no record and
Is unknown to officer or agent beyond the fact
that he has been -een begging twice. he will get
IL the policeman. when he sees a man solicit
Ing aims, is convinced that he is q worthy object
OF charity who Ia begging because he has moth
Ing els, To- do. then the policeman. " tho man 10
married. is Instructed to send him TO the near
w.t. %h. anif +. C viii hn re. E rsIisf.' II Hr ia IS .,nSie SSS s wiyi
be sent to the municipal lodging house at First
avenue and TwensyIthird street. II he belongs
Of the city. II he lives In town and is found
again on the streets he goes to the workhouse.
The object Of sending beggars TO the work
house Is two-folt. First. II is to get them Off the
streets. and II they are Migrants. to punish
them. Second. it is to keep them there, long
enough to give them some habits OF work and
thrift. To carry out this second purpose It Is
the intention to establish Ia the near future q
farm on Riker's Island where. they can get
plenty OF good, hard. outdoor labor.
With sucli q scheme as this Chief ConIin
looks for ~palpable results in the near future. Al.
ready a great many local professional beggars
are known TO the police. and II will take but q
klIO-t time to put them all at work on the Island.
with outsiders the task Is going to be longer.
hut when 1t has finally been learned that New
York 10 no longer n home OF rest for Dusty
Rhoadists and Weary Waggleses less OF them
will come here. As to the local supply. as long
as there Ia poverty IN one hand and = disinclina-
ton TO work oil the other there will be beggars.
but II nothing else Is accomplished the knowl-
edge that there are men specially detailed to
catch them will lessen their boldness.
Commissioners OF Correction Wright aske ID
the Board OF Estimate yesterday for $50. 900
with which to build BARRACKS on Riker's Island
In order to relieve the Workhouso. which Is
crowded. The Mayor spoke in favor OF the
appropriation. but the Comptroller said he
thought the money would have tO' come out of
bonds authorized by the Legislature. The mat
ter was referred to him for Investigation.