The Topeka state journal., 1900-09-15
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

AFTER every great disaster like the
Galveston hurricane there is a class of
people who go about the country and
impose upon generous people, using the
disaster as an excuse for favorS asked,
sald man from Iowa who is here on
business OF course there are different
kinds of frauds OF this sort, but was
thinking of tramps and beggars when I
spoke and not Of the bogus relief agent
VINO invariably bobS up A little in
cident happened at my home which
illustrates how quickly the beggars are
TO catch on to current events and take
advantage of them. I live near Des
Molnes and the tramps and professional
beggarS from that place frequently visit
my home and ask for food, clothing and
some times money My wife always
questions the applicants closely and if
she is satisfied that they are willing to
work II the opportunity is given, she
will not turn them away. She has be-
come quite expert in detecting profess
s1onal beggars from honest people in
hard circumstances, and seldom misses
in her conclusion, although she fre-
quently gives a man food and clothing
when she is sure she is doing wrong
she has not a great deal Of confidence in
her own judgment. Last Wednesday
tramp with his arm tied in a sling came
TO the mouse and asked Tor something
to eat and little money. My wife gave
him breakfast and as he was eating
talked with him. He said he was trying
to get to his parents home in Michigan.
He had been working in Galveston and
when the storm struck the city his home
was wiped out of existence and his wife
and baby were killed. His story was
an evident falsehood, but he would choke
and sob as he told it. When he had
finished his story my wife began her
questions. 1t was plain that the tramp
did not know the date of the disaster,
for when she expressed surprise that he
had been able to get SO far in such a
short time he looked puzzled He
saw that he had made a poor out of
his story, but he was determined to
stand by it. Let me see, lady, he said.
I disremember when dat storm was
My head has been sort of dizzy ever
since When was it?' She told him and
added: I know you are lying to me
because you could not have Travelled this
far in SO short a time He backed to
the door and said, No, / amt lying
me clean to Kansas City, purity near
When I lit I broke me arm. OATS
honest We both laughed at him, but he
went away declaring OATS honest The
next place he worked he probably had a
better story to tell for he got lot of
information from my. WIFE
81 don't mind that style of imposition
so much" he continued, but 1 do think
that the bogus relief agent is about the
vilest creature on the face of the earth.
The man who will take advantage of
the misfortunes of others as the dis
honest or bogus relief agent does, should
be promptly taken out and shot, just
as the reports say the ghOulS who
L.
The man who collects a relief fund and
appropriateS the money to his own use
robS both the sufferer for whom it was
intended and the donor who gave from
a generous impulse. I knew one in
stance in which the bogus relief agent
got what he deserved. It was shortly
after the Johnstown flood, and while the
people were still talking of it, a man
appeared in the neighborhood in which
I lived at that time and gave it out
that he was collecting money to be sent
to the Johnstown sufferers. He had
cleverly forged papers to show that he
was a duly authorized agent, and
claimed to have been IN the flood. He
rented hall and gave description of
the disaster. which he recited very well.
The admission was ten cents, He also
carried a few relics which he said were
picked up in JohRstoWn. His lecture
was all right, and no one would have
complained If he had kept the receipts
at the door, but he would get the hall
rent free and also get his board and
lodging on the strength of doing charity
work. He also had q lot of ribbon
badges on which were printed Johns
town sufferers fund, and would sell
them at 25 cents apiece. He must have
raised lot of money, for everybody in
the town and surrounding country had
three days-just one too long. for some
one who did not believe the business |
was regular, had taken the trouble to |
telegraph to Johnstown concerning the |
and that evening a committee called |
upon him at the hotel. He was terribly |
and denied being a fraud, but |
finally offered to give up all the money |
he had If they would let him go. They |
took the money all right, but when he |
went it was with a beautiful coat of tar |
and feathers. The money was sent to /
JOhnstown.
1.-The life of a railroad man in Mexico |
is anything but q. bed of roses" said |
an ex-railroader at the Fifth Avenue. |
II have just returned from a trip to /
that country, and am glad that l am |
not working down there. You know, or /
have heard, that the Mexican laws are
not made or construed for the benefit
of the railroad man, and if accident
happens on the road the trainmen are
held accountable. OF course they can
get out of it if they have not been
careless, but it takes months
and sometimes years to get clear even
when they are not in the least to blame.
AS a consequence If a serious accident
happens the conductor frequently comes
to this country just as soon as he pos
Sibly can While I was coming home
on the Sonora railroad I heard of a
which happened there last
week which shows how the railroad
men will leave to dodge the law when
they get the chance. conductor was
arrested charged with pushing a Mex
lean off a train while it was in motion,
with the result that the man died from
MS injuries Inc coHuuclor was ar
rested at GuayInas. the southern terIni-
nus of the road, but was released at the
request of the officials in order that he
might bring the train to Nogales, which
Is on the line between Mexico and Ari-
IONA. He was to be rearrested when the
train reached Nogales. The trainmen
knew that if he was once in jail it
would be a long time before he would
be released, and they also knew he
stood a very good chance of being con-
victed and shot The conductor was
of the charge for which he
was arrested as the Mexican killed |