Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-08

SaniZed "DeggarS' trust has just been
unearthed through an Investigation
which was inaugurated by the officers
of the Indianapolis charity orsaniza-
tons. and the developments have been
followed by a sudden hegira of the
members of the trust, who are now
possibly operating in some other city.
says the Chicago RecOrd-Herald. Sec
rotary GrOut of the Associated Chart
ties had his attention called some time
ago to marked increase in the num-
Der of house to house and street beg
CARS, and n little investigation con-
WINGED him that the mendicants were
being brought TO indianapolis and, aft
er working it for awhile. were sent TO
other cities and their places filed in
indianapolis by new men and boys I'M
der n regular system.
Officers were detailed to investigate,
and it soon became apparent that ev-
cry beggar that came TO indianapolis
sooner or later reported at the home of
AIphonse Hoover, n blind musician and
beggar. He lived in one room with his
wife and two daughters and had one
boarder. He went to indianapolis from
Pekin. Ill, in 1899 and had been there
but Il short time when he applied to
the county for aid. He had been assist
ed from time to time and piled his
trade of begging and playing the accOr-
dion without hindrance by the police,
but the inquiry developed the fact that
he was receiving Il part of the earnings
of other beggars and that he was in
communication with all who came TO
the city.
Charles Hall. who played Il fiddle
about the courthouse, gave the business
of the trust partly away. and the Off
GERS expected complete details from
him, but lie was married to q good
looking young woman one morning and
went away on his bridal trip and has
never returned. Before leaving he
turned over Il paper to John Devine, n
one legged young man who went TO
indianapolis from Cincinnati, which
proved to be u letter from Hoover, in
which the writer told OF the easy
gratis which existed in indianapolis
and where to call when he came for
further information and directions
who to strike"
Devine said that Hall had 5000 when 4.
he left indianapolis with his bride. |
Devine admitted that he, too, had re-
ceived a letter from Hoover and that |
n friend named Lancaster, with whom
he had Travelled, gave Hoover his Gin
cinnati address. The authorities had
Devine's record looked up. and it was
learned that his sister in Cincinnati
had received 4 letter from him in which |
he had Enclosed 81 and said that he |
had just struck Il new graft" with |
prospects OF good results, and he would |
send her some more money soon.
The officers of the Associated Chart |
ties, under direction OF the board of |
children's guardians, then went to |
Hoover's house to take his two daugh- |
tiers away, but Hoover had heard of /
their coming and managed to secrete /
his children until he could arrange to |
get out of the city. and he left the next |
day for Kansas.
In the house. however, the officers |
found typewriter lists which contain |
cd the names and residences of Il large /
number of citizens, and these were di-
vided into sections which were regu- /
larry allotted to certain persons, the \
vided for by leaving certain blank
spaces to be filed in later. The lists
of residences at which beGgars would
receive something contained the names
Of many well to do citizens.
- When the lists were shown to De
vine, he admitted that Hoover had fur
nished him one like it when he first
went to indianapolis and that he had
paid him a dollar a week for its use till
he had learned the houses and names
OF the owners, n total of So He said
that Hoover furnished lists of people
in different parts of the city and that
his wife had had a large number of
them made on the typewriter for the
use of the "boys." He also said that
Lancaster, at whose instance he went
to Indianapolis from Cincinnati. had
one of the lists. but he had paid 50 for
his and had taken it with him when he
left the city. AS rule the lists were
not sold outright. but rented at dol
lar week, the borrower putting up a
forfeit. which was returned to him
when he gave up the list before going
away.
Devine said that Hoover was arranG-
ing to extend his system to other cities
and was having lists made for use in
those cities when the board of chill
dren's guardians got after him, and he
was forced to leave.
A peculiar thing which came out in
the investigation and which was an
eve opener to the Associated Charities \
officers was the fact that these profess
sional beggars were acquainted with
others of their class in nearly all the
large cities and were regularly in COM
munication with each other. Devine
could rattle off the names OF forty or
more professionals in different cities,
and he said Hoover had a list "as long