The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
uTM HUNGRY" IS HIS PLEA.
n,srouFITURE or 4 BEGGAR
WHOISA LARGE-SIZED FRAUD.
He Has Reaped a Rich Harvest From the
charitable in Lobster Land. but the
"sta,ers" Have Driven Him Out-Tsle
"a valiant struggle With His Meals.

Of q valiant struss'e WIN Dis "ea"'
rvervbody in he .Stayers' Club" knows
AL. beoghr and they are o doubt but
I'll mart Of his wide acquaintance. He
,,orked the same beat in tie esta rant
district uptown for so long that 1t is strange
sa can find 10 many victims as evidently
80 does for he il actually far from being
,he emacated shadow he would have those
from whom he begs believe him to be.
Rut the .Stayers" have nown him long
.,o,,oh. contributed enough TO his resources,
icen cheated by him all they propose TO be.
and are now determined to drive him out
ofhusnrss, at least in his old haunts They
bepan their campaign the other night, and
che first engagement resulted in a decisive
victory for them
He is a tall. thin very hungry looking
fellow, who usually has just enough stubby
heard on his face to make It loo tn more
eaunt and haggard. His clothes are
usually in fairly good condition. His fav-
orita beat is along Broadway from the Sixth
avenue crossing up to Forty-second street.
There are poin about his work which
reveal genius in the begging line. He does
no, SLOUGH or whine or cringe. He has no
request for ew pennies to help get a
him TO Help poor man who Is out OF work. !"
iii, game l. simpler and holder
Hi voice is full and strong end not I'M
musical He steps up to you with sufficient
energy and briskness TO avoid the disgust
that always aries at the appr' ach of the
cravlers. He speaks our clearly and dis
tnctly What he avs varies little. changing
through slight deg es of yigor and en-
lac, nd 4, hsh hoe ~ offa
victim.
Madam. I'm hungry or I'm very hun
cry, is about as far as he goes with women.
With men there a little eater variety.
II he thinks the person approached will not
be offended by strong language. he will
even go as far as an earnest BY God, I'm
hungry That is hi on side limit, how
ever, and he rarely goes that far.
He makes his simple declaration, you do
the rest. II you seem disposed to give him
something. he will step along with you defer
entially until you have had opportunity to
get into your pocket or your purse. II not.
he does not attempt to follow. or annoy
you by stalking close to you and repeating
whining story.
II is amazing to see the number of men
and women who will yield to this sort Of i'm
ne uOtr IhoSN VI Ills WOTh near
the restaurants. shifting from one to an
other at different meal hours, and seldom
working long in one place. The fairly pros
porous in appearance are those from whom
he begs Such man, going into an eating
house with an air which proclaims that he
is hungry and is anticipating a good square
meal, il much easier victim for the beggar
than the casual passerby on the street.
~. l. inf IL, tha c,,l,a Il, haN -.
has no memory for faces and therefore
cannot. or at least does not learn the regu-
lar patrons Of the different restaurants
before which he works The result is that
every little while he strikes the same man
two or three days in succession.
This was what first attracted the attention
Of some of the -Stayers- to him. One OF
them called his attention to the fact that 1t
was Q bad practice, sure TO result In loss Of
Income and likely to lead to arrest as O pro-
fessional beggar.
The panhandler admitted the fault. 1t
had cost him money. he knew. He had
tried to remedy it. He would at least not
make the mistake of again approaching
his adviser. But he did, and not only
that one but others, so at last the .Stayers'
agreed to take him in hand and give him a
good lesson. The instruction was given a
few nights ago, on this PLAN
One Of the -Stayers' is an artist. He had
not been tackled by the panhandler. so he
was selected to begin the lesson. The
bcggar was duly identified to him and then
with half dozen of the other "Stayers- not
far away, where they could see what was
going on. the artist sauntered up to the
door of the restaurant on Broadway near
which the panhandlcr had then taken his
stand. The beggar took the bait. He
.eppcd up to the artist with the old sure
manner and said:
Sir, I'm very hungry
The artist stopped and looked at the
man Hungry" he said. well, come
along with me and I'll get you something
70 eat
He turned and led the way across the
street To another restaurant. The pam
handler followed. but the watchers decided
that there was not proper spring In his
step His manner was not that Of n half
starved man going to square meal. II
was rather that OF one facing All ordeal
which for the credit OF all concerned must
be passed successfully.
The artist stopped at u table near the
front of the restaurant, where any one who
happened 10 pass by could look in and see
Who was dining. There no and the pan
handler sat down. For himself the artist
heggar IL began with thick, heavy
soup, and there was large cup Of coffee
Then there was a plate piled high with
bread Next came a beefsteak, huge.
thick sirloin. with potatoes and vegetables,
and another cup OF coffee. the panhandler
having made the mistake OF drinking the
first with his soup.
The panhandler saw that he was up
against it and he did his best To make
good. He ate slowly and made several
efforts to- lure the artist into conversation
But IL he hoped TO divert attention from
his own actions he was disappointed. The
artist smoked lcisurely, az IL he had just
finished his own dinner. and watched the
beggar eat.
Il was an extraordinary performance.
but the b-ggar did his stunt. He got
through the beefsteak ard the quarter OF
pumpkin pie that came after that, then he
struggled to his feet and thanked the artist
FOR the meal in language and with manner
that did not betoken II III the least " he had
any suspicion that he was a victim OF any
thing hut hard luck II must go that way
sometines, even will the most skilful pan
handler, and the best of them have to en-
dure their luck as IL runs.
He went away toward another part OF his
beat and the artist joined the -Stayers,
who had been strolling by the restaurant
and taking occasional gloats over their