The sun., 1900-08-26
THIS PASHANDLER AN ARTIST.
Methods Of a BeEEsr with a Pathetic Tale to
Tell in Central Park.

Probably the most prosperous as well rs the
most skiful panhandler in New York confines
his operations exclusively 10 Central Park Ha
seems to be alone in the business there and hs
income IL larger than that Of a steady workman
with a good trade. He does not have to work
In winter because he takes I'm enough In fha
warm weather TO keep him in comfort for tho
rest Of the year. He doesn't look like tho or
dinary panhandler. and his method of Extracting
coin from his victims is so far superior 10 that
Of Pink Whskers Blake or any Of the other mud
horses Of Park Row that he would probably hA
insulted by comparison. Many citizen
who has made II an invariGble practice IN rc'ect
all appeals for money from street beggars and
who thinks he is too wise 10 be taken in by any
sham tale Of woe. has given up his coin 10 this
panhandler and has gone away feeling sure
that at last deserving person has been found
This Central Park panhandler is a short
stoutly built man Of perhaps 65 years, His
eyes are small and shifty and his moustache 0.
rather scraggy. He wears a brownsh summer
suit and youthful straw hat One Of his vic
tins, young man who could not possibly 10
fooled by the Park row brand Of panhandsrs.
has this to say about him.
The first time saw the man was five years
ago this summer. II was one Of a series Of very
hot days when the town seemed To be one vast
oven and went into the park in search Of a cool
tpot sat down on a bench on tho West drive
opposite Seventy-nfth street. Pretty soon I
sew n little man coming along and he seemed
to be suffering greatly from the heat He sat
down ON the bench beside me, but for orc
time he did not say word He hooked .
thoroughly done up that felt sorry Tor INN.
Finally he spoke Of the intense heat ard tie
number Of people who were killed ~ "vcry sun.
accent. but his grammar was good and he talked
like an intelligent man. There wa~ q sort OBJ.
pathetic strain in his conversation and must
Interested in Nluf lt snII although
am not given 10 striking up aCUuairtauo"' N
tho park. Most i"en who SIT down h"-d. r.l
low journal editorials on trusts and the money
power, hut this man was different
After while hc got around 10 ner,ona' r.1'-
ter- and said he wa, ON his way, on foot. 30 80,
Brooklyn Rridga, II" also said that T." h1t
walked from l?5th HtrCnt, and thqi the heat
expressed surprise that man ot hi appear
ancc should be- compelled Ia walk ~ far 90
hot dny. MheIeuron he launched forth ng2n
told il with consunmate skin. I assure Won II
was all about his long struggle 10 keep h's 'ar'-
lily together, the death ot his wife which tr.h"
his heart and the ingrntitude Of his ch ltr"n
who turned him out Of doors after he had worn
himself out bringing thcm up ana was 20 longer
able to work My, but I was moved and o'
course ncw to his aid He took the hair do.Hr
J offered him il was all had in my po'Er'
but shook his head mcurnfuliy ard said thl' ie
grave. There wasn't anything thcgirng. r
sloppy about the story aud il was told lr most
natUTil way Nnrn n' go' M To 70 ioIp I.In
to cheer up as things were bound 10 como h|
way before long never gave aims with more
satisfaction In NV life and for several day ''s
old mans pathetic story was often IN my nIIr'.
About week later ras m the para near
Ninetieth street. A. ] WAS going mp som" S'"rS
cut IN the natural rock saw nicely Gi"s-'n
old woman with glasses sitting on VI" ir' g
above BY her side -at the man who had i'i
me tho pathetic story. Tho woman 0sh"d son@
silver from her purse and handed u 20 MN
just a. got within .ar>ho' she said Now, you
mustn't give wav to dcspair n YOU lCse h"iS
you lose everything The man shook Gi~ l"N1
mnurnfullv. pockctcd the money and went IN.
"Since then ! have seen him more than INV
times In the park and his mission was always
the same. How he keeps the run OF the peol .
he has touched once is beyond me. but ApCat'
emily he never makes the mistake of tacIlrc
the same person twice. Several times have
sat on a lonely bench and tried TO trap him. but