The leader., 1898-04-13
| -Four Clever Beggars ,
, an Md Good Stories. and Two We're
Successful.


ooNEHoW the talk drifted around
the devious ways of the PAN
~ rs the loafers who prey upon the
ha nu,bi of those persons who be-
s sl that it is better to give money to
new nndeserving professional beggars
ila"' 20 let one poor fellow go in actual
a, "nt Each of the four men had had
,,nre experiences than one with street
,iO aaors and among them they had met
me unusual games.
SIT THE other night, as | came down of
hr.5ge nj the New York end" said
wv wv merchant, II was approached by
Wv good-looking young fellow, appar-
81 about 25 years old. His clothing
nas all apparently tailor-made, and he
,"a1,ad ike man in fairly comfortable
.,.oumstances. His hat was good and
~. cloves were not much worn. He
~re a little mustache, and had been
'sayad within 80 hours. His .overcoat
..os of this winters style, and alto
thor his appearance was that of a
'non entirely unused to financial dis
tress of the acute type that forces man
10 beg. He stopped me by going
souarely at the point.
~rm Mcdowell he said, John Nc
powell. of Milwaukee. My father is
Jobn Mcdowell, of 65 Wall street, Mil
yankee. get remittances at 1876
Broadway, but 1t hasn't come, and l
haven't cent He laughed an embar-
rassed but pleasant little laugh. This
Is absurd. he said, and by that he won
me. 4 don't know what my father
would say if he thought l had to ask
any man for money He pulled out a
card case as put my hand in my pock-
e. II you'll give me your card he
said, III be very glad to see you.
There's my card He offered me a
card, but | said didn't want it, it was
all right and was glad to help him out.
Then gave him dollar. 'Ill be glad
to send ii to you he said, If you'll give
me your card. Well, them as | said
again that it was all right, I assure you
I'll give 1t to some poor devil who needs
II worse than do ordinarily
"Now. that's a fairly complete report
Of our conversation, and realize as l
think it over now that the least ques-
tioning probably would have poked that
young fellows story full of holes.
There was no explanation at all salts
factory of his reason for begging. For
the small sum he needed to tide him
over until that remittance from Mil
waukee' came along, he surely had
something to pawn. There was no rea-
son apparently for his being absolutely
without money. 1t was his manner
that got me. He seemed so frank and
honest and so genuinely embarrassed
that he convinced me. I suppose if |
met him again I'd give up another dol
lar. 1t has always been my theory
that the man who begs for the first time
is very much embarrassed. know |
should be, and if man began to ask me
questions should just go on. This fell
low acted Just that way"
That isn't a sure test" said the
clergyman, "as | know from expert
enee There came to my house not long
ago a cIean-shaven, smooth-looking,
Well-kept young Englishman who told
me a perfectly straightforward story
sut as soon as began to question him
he replied az once that he wouldn't
trouble me, but would try to get along
IN some other way. He had been but a
lew days in the country, ne said at first,
ana ne was en- route to a little town
near Toronto. He had carried his
money in wallet, and he had lost the
wallet He had letters to persons in
toronto who might have been persons
OF Importance, he said, for all / knew
well he won me. largely as your young
man won you, by his manner, though
.na' was not the actuating considera-
uon' | was about to send him away
win the advice that he try the British
CONSUL when the thought of the posi-.
Oe SITUATION of my own boy came to
me- My son had been in the west for
some 'ime and was coming home. had
teiegraphed some money to him al
council Bluffs, where he was to stop
over TO see his uncle. Well. there was
al epidemic of some sort at Council
n'uns' and while I was talking to this
nmn ,' | suddenly thought:
"na' II my boy should get caught out
snere and be unable to get his money
suppose ne should go to clergyman OF
MS 'a'her's church, as this boy says he
mas done, and should be turned away.
Ven. | d'dnt pursue that any further
just gave the Englishman the money
nc needed and sent him away. OF
course he made the most faithful as.
'u'ahces that at once after his arrival
toronto, where he had friends and
1u'es' ne would return the money
anu' OF course, he hasn't sent cent and
never will"
mat was good game" said the
newspaper man. HE didn't have to
"ork II very often, because every time
ne succee ded he got good sum. The
map Observation-Disclosures beggars
ana get good many coppers
lu o'her coins, but they have to work
W. hard for it and endure too much
hardship. It's the odd story, the new
g.. game that tells ard produces substan-
la results. There was the fellow who
,au go' job for that day but hated to
uhshaVen, and got Is cents 10 go to
TO-. Oaioer shop before he appeared be
.O,e MS new employer. That fellow got
:. lot of money until he was exposed
thoroughly.
met man in Broadway late one
~s snt VINO had very good game. There
w vas hardly flaw in it, in fact there
$50 po' one, and that one most persons
t %euiu not notice. But to me It was
,a saw him first when went up
s, ."n AFTER a late night at the office. j
we ppea at restaurant for supper. and
Saas n ! started on in the gray early
. ,. saw my beggar leaning against
th.. %p post and looking so detected
S;a ' | wondered If should read about
nas.a suicide In the evening papers. AS
s sassed him he Strengthened up little
N. Deg your pardon, sir, but I--well,
ese, iast swell. can you let me have 40