The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-06
BEGGARS FLOCK TO SEATTLE.
THEY CALL THE COUNTY JAIL A
PARADISE FOR HoBos.
Sentences I'm Municipal Court Have
No E6eet-Judge Cam strongly
Urges the Necessity of n stone
PfIe-ordfnance Before Councii.

Tra city is sUEsrzrz from al AAs@ -
os strong. sble-bo5ied yourg men who
rely almost exclusively on their Skin Is
beExa-S 20 obtain sufficient money to keep
thar= supplied with food People pass
Tag slonz the business streets are greatly
Bothered ~ the stersotyped pleas OF these
professional nen6icants. who frequently
become abusive when their requests are
denied Even Acting Judge Cam. OF the
municipal court. has been stopped IN the
street and asked 20 give "a poor fellow
cut Of work ard Just recovered from
severe Illness money sufficient to pur-
chase q meal.
SO Far this month the police records
show that over Ie0 arrests have been
made The registering book under the
heading cause Of arrest" contains the
word begging so frequently that is sig
nihcanee cannot be overlooked Every
afternoon Jgdgs Cam passes sentence
on three or four beggars. after listening
20 stories that nine oct Of ten men VINO
are acquainted with the criminal eIemen Mt
and their methods know TO be les Judge
Cam is satisfied that the time has coma
when the city ought TO take up the ques-
ton OF handling such men in way that
viii have a tendency 10 clear the streets
and city OF a worthless and bothersone
class OF humanity.
THE sentences passed upon the beg
CARS who have come before me" said The
judge yesterday afternoon, have no ef-
feet upon them. IL Is not a punishment
feE them 10 stay few days IN Jail under
the present condition OF affairs. These
beggars are not worn-out. aged men who
cannot 60 forth and earn their own bread
and butter: they are young, aoie-bodied
fellows. capable OF working. We need
a rock pile for them 10 work on. and the
quicker the city takes action in this re-
spect the sooner there will be a decided
decrease IN the number of cases. l sin
cerely hope that the newspapers viii take
up this subject and advocate any meas
ure which VIII have for its object the put
ting 10 work of men who go about the
street stopping people and asking aims"
The statement OF Thomas O'Gara, who
was released from the city Jail one morn
ing only 10 be brought back in the evening
for stealing ex-County Auditor Nathan
Beman's coat viii be recalled He said
that the city would have 10 support him
through the winter. lie made the mis-
take Of saying city" instead Of county.
but the idea Is the same. Petty thieves all
over the country, especially those on the
Pacific coast. know that Seattle is soft"
as they express II. They mean that IL
they DO commit misdemeanor5 they get
the better OF IL, no matter how things go.
II they are not caught in their thieying
they have the proceeds of their work; IL
they fall into the hands of the police and
are convicted. a short senteace follows
but II does not carry work with 1t.
Thieves hate 20 be put in the jail proper
az police headquarters. They say IL Is a
cold, deSoIate place, and that the con-
crete floors OF the cells are not conducive
TO a good nights sleep. The county jail,
however. Is a paradise where first-class
food can be had and luxurious hammock
is placed at their disposal. When petty
larcenist comes out of the county jail
he is fat and sleek. Some of the morphine
fiends make IL a practice 10 get into trou-
BILE about the time they feel the need of a
little restriction in their desires.
An ordinance providing for the putting
OF city prisoners to work was introduced
at the last meeting OF the city council
The police are praying that II viii be
passed and that quickly. OF course the
charter prohibits putting prisoners 10
work on the public streets This is a rap
at the old chain gang system. but there
is nothing in the charter which will pro-
hibit working the prisoners on stone
pile. These men do not desire TO work,
and II they realized that they would be
compelled TO do that which they most
detest they would soon desert Seattle. A
good idea of how thick beggars are may be
derived from Judge John Ladds expert
ence few evenings ago. He started up
First avenue from Pioneer place. his des-
tination being the Arlington hotel. While
walking these six blocks he was sole
tied twelve times. Judge Cams expert
ence is unique. He was standing at the
corner OF Second avenue and james street
when a young man came Up TO him and
asked for money.
do you know who am?' asked the
Judge.
You are my friend replied the young
fellow, "and will help me"
II have just sentenced three young fell
lows today" replied the judge. "for doing
what you are doing"
Finally the bold young mendicant saw
that the judge was IN earnest and fed up
the street