The Winslow mail., 1898-04-23

! Four Clever Beggars
All Had Good Stories, and Two We're
Successful.

q ONEHOW the talk drifted around
to the devious ways of the pan
handlers, the lcafers who prey upon the
sympathies of those persons who be-
lieve that it is better to give money to
many undeserving professional beggars
than to let one poor fellow go in actual
want. Each of the four men had had
more experiences than one with street
beggars, and among them they had met
some unusual games.
''The other night as 1 came down off
the bridge at the New York end, said
the merchant, 81 was approached by a
very good-looking young fellow, appar-
emily about 25 years old. His clothing
was all apparently tailor-made, and he
locked like a man in fairly comfortable
circumstances. His hat was good and
his gloves were not much worn. He
wore a little mustache, and had been
shaved within 36 hours. His overcoat
was of this winters style, and alto
gether his appearance was that of
man entirely unused to financial dis
tress of the acute type that forces a man
to beg. He stopped me by going
squarely at the point.
I'm Mcdowell he said, John Nc
Dowell, of Milwaukee. My father is
John Mcdowell, of 65 Wall street, Mil
waullee. I get remittances at 1876
Broadway, but it hasn't come, and I
haven't a cent He laughed an embar-
rassed but pleasant little laugh. This
is absurd he said, and by that he won
me. L don't know what my father
would say if he thought had to ask
any man for money He pulled out
card case as put my hand in my pock
ct. IF you'll give me your card he
said, I'll be very glad to see you.
There's my card He offered me a
card, but said I didn't want it, it was
all right and I was glad to help him out.
Then [ gave him dollar. 'I'll be glad
to send it to you, he said, IF you'll give
me your card. Well, them as / said
again that it was all right, 4 assure you
I'll give it to some poor devil who needs
it worse than do ordinarily
"Now, that's fairly complete report
of our conversation, and l realize as [
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 I should just go on. This fell
low acted just that way"
THAT isn't sure test" said the
clergyman, "as 1 know from expert
ence. There came to my house not long
ago clean-shaven, smooth-looking,
wen-kept young Englishman who told
me a perfectly straightforward Story.
But as soon as began to question him
he replied at Cnce that he wouldn't
trouble me, but would try to get along
in some other way. He had been but
few days in the country, he said at first,
and he was en- route to little town
near Toronto. He had carried his
money III wallet, and he had lost the
wallet. He had letters to persons in
TCrcnto who might have been persons
of Importance, he said, for all l knew.
Well he. won me, largely as your young
man won you, by his manner, though
rhat was not the actuating considera-
ton. l was about to send him away
with the advice that he try the British
consul, when the thought of the posi-
BILE situation of my own boy came to
me. My son had been in the west for
some time and was coming home. I had
telegraphed some money to him at
Council Bluffs, where he was to stop
over to see his uncle. Well, there was
an epidemic of some sort at Council
Bluffs, and while 1 was talking to this
Englishman, 1 suddenly thought:
What if my boy should get caught out
there and be unable to get his money?
Suppose he should go to a clergyman of
his fathers church, as this boy says he
has done, and should be turned away
Well, l didn't pursue that any further
I just gave the Englishman the money
he needed and sent him away. Of
course, he made the most faithful as
surances that at once after his arrival
at Toronto, where he had friends and
relatives, he would return the money,
and, of course, he hasn't sent a cent and
never will"
''That was a good game,'' said the
newspaper man. ''He didn't have to
work it very often, because every time
he succeeded ne got good sum. The
cheap 'few-cents-for-a-lod beggars
undoubtedly get good many coppers
and other coins, but they have to work
too hard for it and endure too much
hardship. It's the odd story, the new
game, that tells and produces substan-
tial results. There was the fellow who
had got a. job for that day but hated to
90 unshaven, and got Is cents TO go to
a barber shop before he appeared be-
fore his new employer. That fellow got
lot of money until he was exposed
thoroughly.
81 met a man in Broadway late one
night who had a very good game. There
was hardly a flaw in it, in fact there
+Jo4