The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-03
YARN OF A BEGGARS' TRUST.
COACHES CRIPPLES FOR PART
PROFITS AND DOES WELL.

PROFITS AND DOES WbLL'
Young Man Caught Fsking In l<th street
Tells the Court About It says There
Are 600 More-Boss's Names O'Rourke
Pine Imagination. Court Thinks.
Henry McGrevy, arraigned In the York
viii police court yesterday for begging
and imposing on the charitable public
by pretending to be MANNED when he
wasn't. told a tale Of a -Beggars' Trust
which he said had been formed recently
10 do business on a scientific basis and
was making large profits. The tale was
successful In securing for McGrevy a term
of six months on the Island. Folks In
court said that II IL wasn't true 1t showed
that the young man had a very fine imagina-
ton.
He Is about 20 years old and doesn't
belong here. He says he came TO this city a
few days ago from New Haven. Conn
Policemen Hartiian and Cummiskey
gathered him In on Saturday evening
nom Fourteenth street, between Second
and Third avenues. There were many
people in the street then and to them he
appeared an object Of pity as he sat on
the sidewalk. To all appearance his legs
below the knees were missing. His right
arm appeared to be paralyzed and the
fingers we're bent and twisted. The police
men watched him for twenty minutes
and in that time he took In 1857.
Then the policemen seized him. Some
Of the women passersby cried, shamel'
and asked the policemen II they couldn't
find something better to do than arrest
cripples. When the policemen pulled
the beggar to his feet and showed that
his legs were not missing and then pulled
the bandage from his arm and showed
that that member was all right, too. the
crowd which had collected changed it's
opinion and wanted to take away the
money which the impostor had collected
McGrevy was taken to court yesterday
morning and then he told his story about
the trust" He said that when he came
here he had no money and he couldn't
find work. One day about a week ago
while he was walking through the Bowery
a man accosted him and asked him II he
wanted work. He said he did and explained
that he was not particular what kin of
work 70 long as he could make a living
at II.
The stranger promised to get him work
that would be easu and pay well. He
took him TO a place In the lower part Of the
Bowery near Chatham Square. McGrevy
couldn't or wouldn't remember the mum
Der, but said he was introduced there to
a man named O'Rourke as one who was
stranded in the city without money and
was anxious to get employment. ORourk
seemed to be the boss Of the place. Nc
Grevy said he noticed about a dozen other
men in the room who looked like tramps.
He thought at first he was In some kind
Of a hospital as he saw many clutches and
canes scattered about the room and hang
ing on the walls. On shelves and tables
were bandages, court plaster. splints,
plaster Of paris moulds for arms and legs
and other appliances for cripples.
How would you like to be a beggar?
It's a cinch with big money in it, McGrevy
said the man ORourke asked him: He
tod him he had never tried that and didn't
think people would give him money because
he was strong and healthy.
Leave that to me. I'll make you look
next to a stiff, so the ladies II tumble over
themselves TO give you money he said
He consented and the BOSS called a
man named Christie and told him TO fix
this man up for business Christie was
the teacher. He had a class of twenty
men who had been recently taken In hand.
-hHN 0N y Ni'i ~ 'H' N'AoF a IildNtp
one Of the class. He was told that II he
looked sharp he could pick up the tricks
In three days and then start out to work.
The class was drilled for two hours in the
forenoon and two hours in the afternoon.
McGrevy said he saw many more men in
the place than we're in his class and he learned
that ORourke had about six hundred men
and women under his control who begged
In different parts Of the city. Besides the
men and women who did the begging there
Wnrn inGnaNfnra uhn NrGitA1 tho han1aEa
while they were at their stations and
watched the condition OF business to pre-
vent the beggars from holding back the
returns from the boss, and also to prevent
outside beggars from invading the territory
OF the trust"
McGrevy said that Christie gave him a
pair OF clutches and bandaged his arm
and fixed his hand. Then he made him
sit on the floor and look TO the ceiling in an
appealing way, This was a part Of the
injured in the Murray Hill explosion. After
he had been sufficiently drilled he was taken
10 Fast Fourteenth street and told not TO
leave that block. During the three DAYS
visited him, looked over his money and took
most ~ it, warning him that il he tried to
fool the boss he would get into trouble.
He was allowed to retain one-third Of the
money received.
Magistrate Pool heard the tale patiently
osNa Nv NBlAAiAlAANtA AhNolVNy ~ lbb itldiiu.
After him Henry Carr, who had really lost
a leg, was a%rraigned.
DO you belong to the same corporation7'
the Magistrate asked.
Il am a poor cripple and live In lodging
houses. lost my leg In the tunnel col
lision and l hope you will let me CO.
answers the man.
Policeman Hartigau informed the Magis-
trate that this beggar was in East Four
teenth street, too. on Saturday night and
excited so much sympathy that he could
not oatch all the coins thrown at him. they
came 80 fast.
'Our people are remarkably charitable,
and IL is too bad they should be imposed
on" commented the Magistrate, as he
committed the man to the workhouse for
two months.
Henry Russell, who said he lived at POS
East Fourth street, had a crutch and a cane,
but walked up to the railing without their
use: He begged to be discharged.
came from Paterson, Judge, n I
lost my home in the fire." he declared.
Are you a citizen Of this city? How
long have you been here?" the Magistrate
inquired.
Yes. I'm a citizen, I've been here three
Nnn