The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-12
HERE IS A RICH BEGGAR.
"OLD GEORGE" COULD RIDE HOR,E-
BACK IF HE On USE.
Said TO He Worth 500, 900, which He Ac-
cumulnted by Begging and Clever Invest

can hardly have failed to run across at one
time or another a small. weakened blind man.
who sits on the curb 10 Broadway or Twenty
third street or Sixth avenue. playing fragments
oil tunes on a pitiful. piping little hand organ.
which rests on the sidewalk in front OF him
and occasionally quavering out a thin-voiced
appeal for aims. About tho mans blindness
there can be no doubt, one look at the staring.
upturned eyes Is enough. 1t does not. how
ever. follow that he lie deserving Of the charity
which he receives In large measure. lie is
Old George Burkowitz. sometimes called
King Of tho BeRgars. and he is undoubtedly
a richer man than 80 per cent. OF those whose
aims he takes. He made one OF his periodical
visits to Jefferson Market Court yesterday az
a'prisoner. but was fortunate enough to get
of free with a warning that next time It would
not 20 go easy with him.
This time the charge against Butkowitz was
that Of obstructing the sidewalk. Policeman
fleming OF the West Thirtieth street station
had found him seated In the middle OF the
Twenty-third street sidewalk lear Broadway.
on Wednesday night, grinding ava at his or
gan. The policeman told him to get of tho
sidewalk. and Burkowitz's blind eyes began to
stream with tears.
I'm Il poor. blind man. he faltered. Il
amt doing any hahn"
You'll have TO move out OF there said the
officer.
That's always the way" went B~urkowitz.
There's no pity for the misfortunate.'
Come. are you going to get outt' said the
policeman.
oh. my poor starving family walled the
beggar. his voice rising in volume. How
shall l make q living? Ny poor wife! Oh.
dear! Oh. dear"
People began to gather from all sides and
as Burkowitz declined to move or do ANYTHING
else but mourn the hardness of the police
heart In stentorian tones. he was lugged off to
the police station. leaving n trail OF tears.
During the. night his tear reservoirs had n
chance n TO- M up again and he had a fresh SUP.
Market Court. Standing in line before his
urn came to b 9rraigned; 10 tried to enlist
but F fuieS'phn had 9 seen IoI linn ot there ' 6aiare fo anj
didn't take any stock in his lamentations. As
Burkowitz randi ed on u woman rose from one
spoke to Foley. asking what they were going
to do with her husband. pointing to the blind
beEgar. Foley noted with surprise that the
woman was well dressed. wore "A handsome
bonnet nnd good quality gloves and had a pair
You seem to lie comfortably we'll or"
said he to the woman. Why don't you take
sars Of your husband and keep him of the
Il don t have to:take. care of him." said she
IN SURPRISED tones. He takes care OF me and
She pointed to two ,clean-taced. smartly
dressed Youngsters in the seat she had lust
ltlS' L OlSS ItI u llNI hIlsbdIll SuIpOTItu
her on the proceeds Of his beGgary.. buG. she
became silent at this and returned to her seat.
attention. As soon as BuriowitH was ar.
raigned he began to cry, lifting this streaming
I'm 4. poor. Blind man, your Honor" he
went. The police Eersecute me. They wont
l got me q little organ to make music for the
IL a very ,hard iii[e;, your Honor. and I hay. a
Ing at this minute. Oh. for the love Of heaven.
your Honor. let me 60 and get a little money
THAT will do. Burkowitz." said Magistrate
Simms., Il know all about your wife and fam
~ Seen ! i yna IN ! t Fn9w o fG tIs rand i1 Cept iiaye stat
'ioR%" 'Ou - 'SoA' o. tho ul1nu .sA'I"' ''a-
And w at 143th street. on the west side?'
And on broadway. near Twenty-third
- go wherever can get a little money. your
"Burkowitz. you're q SCAMP. I understand
that you have a large sum OF money invested.
What we're you doing in the middle of tho
"A hey took me there and left me; yonr
one instant ceased shedding tears. Il thought
We'll. III discharge you this'time. but next
time you're brought before mo I'll deal with
you severely"
MumbIinG out thanks and blessings the
out Of court. where HE wife and children were
awaiting him..
Magistrate Simms was not wrong in his sup
position about the blind heggar's money. Just
how much, he has nobody knows. but he il
rrG baby the M most successful mendicant in
as 100000. 1t l. known that he owns. a ten
ement house on Eleventh, street. and he is said
to own two Others on the lower east side. This
property he has acquired through the pro-
ceeds Of beggary and sharp investments. His
lis organ and walt with an occasional appeal
TO the public. Ills ,wrstched appearance and
upturned. and sightIess eyes. enlist the sym
, pathy Of the passers-by particularly the women.
. and he has 9ssn found; when " arrested to have
= pocket. 1t was his practice to remove:quicSl
! all silver and nickel coins from the IN eur
l and all that was ever on view therein was a
COPPER Or two, Among that eIass 81 women
bid for fortunes favor to drop a dime or a
quarter in 0ld Georges cup and hear MS
= Quavering.. Good luck to you. lady" For the
. RESPONSE. God Bless YOU. Kind lady" lie
coSld d tHW mss1hfe ,hie sn spo m9m sr se s'sntisss t rom
a the other has: always been something OF a
In Columbia street. where Burkowitz lives,
, he is regarded with that respectful awe which
the east side accoIds to wealth, without refer,
man. 1t is related. as an Instance q how
: lie became entirely blind he cams across a
broken-d0Tn peddler's Tagon: laden with as,
h sorted 1rult. one hOt. AFTERNOON. lnere was
a every PROSPECT that the fruit would sDoil be
3 tore the wagon could be repaired and ths
a BurkowItz made the peddler an offer for hi.
. stock. 1t was a very low offer. hut the peddle
took It. Whereupon the begGar hired Romt
wheelbarrows and with the aid Of two neigh
bors. whom he hired. sold the stock out before
paid for it. This was on ono Of the days Of
had been chased Off Twenty-third street anc
. twice arrested, on Broadway within ten days
K he took a week of and disappeared. On hi
return he said that he had been to Philadel
phia. but that the people there took up a man
y time asking questions and then didn't give
5 him anything but COPPER. and that the only
decent raise he had made was on the traiI
coming back. where he collected about s.
y from the New York travellers. That was hi
last attempt to do business outside of this city
He has been arrested probably a score o
.. times and has been in Jefferson Market Cour
n ten times within three years. Once when ar
y rested lie was seen To hand some papers from
o his pocket to a man who stood near by. They
were securities aggregating nearly $4,000
. When fined he would always pay his fine. but
with every evidence of extreme mental agony
ittinU down his niokpls and uuartprS wit