The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-10-20
BEGGARS MUST GO.
Police Are Determined to
Drive the Mendicants
From Jersey
City.

The lower section of the city has of late
ecome so overrun with beggars that the
attention of the police authorities has
been repeatedly called to their presence
by citizens who have been held UP. Cap
tam Cody of the First precinct police sta
t1on, has had considerable trouble with
TINS class of humanity and he has taken
the matter up with determination that
podes no good for the panhandler. AL
ready number of arrests have been
made and others will follow upon provo
cation.
Those who have been hailed to the po-
lice courts have been dealt with summar-
lily, and already several are in an excel
lent position to form opinions on the city
and county prisons. No one of them has
been consigned to Jail for less than thir-
ty days.
Only a few people regret this manner
Hof Kidding the city of the beggars. The
few are naturally the prisoners and the
Keepers of the several lodging houses
that have sprung up in this city recently.
The lodging house keeper loses as many
times Is cents as there are beggars in
JAIL and he feels that he has a kick
coming.
The methods used by some of these beg
garS are interesting. One who was ar
rested few days ago was an object of
pity that made many generous citizens
pass him change. He carried a card and
was apparently blind and fell against
fences and houses in way that led sew
eral to offer their assistance in guiding
him to his destination.
Where do you live?" he was asked
tween sobs so well controlled that he
was apparently making a manly effort
to restrain tears and bear with his lot
despite the awful handicap he suffered.
with. Men left and others ojined the
circle and quite nice little purse was
made up for the unfortunate. Then the
man Strengthened up, took firm hold on
his cane and fed, throwing several of
his sySapathizers aside out of his way.
With great speed he turned a corner
and disappeared just as a policeman told
the crowd to disperse. "Sold'' said one,
VINO enjoyed joke, even on himself,
That man was caught, however. The
officer told Justice Hoos that the man
was gathering aims from crowd be-
cause he was blind, but when he saw me
coming he ran away"
Thirty days., said Justice Hoos.
A popular game is for a beggar to tell
of long journey from the West. He
wants to get to New York and was for
merly a member of some honorable pro-
fession and a victim of drink but he has
reformed and is endeavoring to again be-
come useful member of society He gets
dime usually, but does not go to New
York. Done of this kind when arrested
had 81 in small coins in his pocket If
people would understand that the police
pie over to New York if he is deserving,
that game would soon become unprofit-
able and discarded
The sT-am-hungry- haven't eaten-any-
thing-for-a-Week' game is old, but is still
worked with success. Some do not 'hand
up to .lnese people and many buy them
food, but the consensus of opinion of
those who buy food is that the apparent
ly needy mes have lost their appetites at
the sight of food
The game that gets to- the men about
town most directly is that used by the
man who simply wants a drink and says
to be wise people" and says
NOW, fellers, this amt no hold-up. I
want drink. D o get it? No. Good
day. Yes, I'm obliged to you boys. Yes,
little steam, Mr.. Barkeep,'' and he takes
his drink and leaves to get another crowd
who look easy.
These people should be discouraged at
every opportunity, said Captain Cody
with success and when they are refused
become abusive. If this city becomes a
good field it is only a question of a short
time when the city will be over-run and a
harbor for the scum of the Bowery The
discoura cement of this class means driy-
ing them out of the city. Then the lodg-
Ing house becomes a losing business and
they must quit. The sooner they quit the
better
1t is fact that many of the criminals
now filling cells have been taken from the
lodging houses here. 1t is safe to say
that they have been attracted to this city
by the lodging houses. There are so many
in New York City that the field there is
overcrowded and here there is not so
much competition. The police have de-
cided that there will be the most deter
mined opposition.