The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-18
BECGAR OWNS FARM
AND EARNS $4,000
A YEAR
Fred W. Hammell, Known as
Human Dog, CraWls About
the Streets and Accumu-
lates a Small Fortune for
Himself-Is Less Than 30
Years of Age.

Years of Age.
CHICAGO. March IA beggar
with a farm and an income of $4,000
year. A beggar who cleared SIS in
two days at the Mardi Gras in New
Orleans and complained of the small
ness of the results. A mendicant who
collected SIT in one day at the races
in Gravesend, n. Y, and bewailed his
i'll luck.
Such a beggar is Fred W. Ham
NELL known from end to end of this
country as the human dog" or the
human alligator" and against whom
charitable people have been warned
by the Bureau of Associated Charities.
Hammell, who is not yet thirty years
| of age, owns a good farm in South
Dakota, and it is known that his an
nual income from mendicancy is over
$4,000. He has traversed this country
from end to end and side to side and
is known in all the large cities.
For five years he lived in New York,
and there was arrested for vagrancy
and sent to the workhouse for six
months. No sooner was he out, how
ever, than he began to ply his trade
as usual and took up his accustom-
ed position on the street curb, and
in piteous tones begged aims of the
passing people. The young man is the
| despair Of the police officers and the
mendicancy board of New York.
The fact that he is wealthy seems
to cut no figure with him whatever.
He cannot be Shamed into leaving off
begging. He seems to have mania
for that sort of thing, and the more
money he accumulateS the more he
desires. He is miserly to a degree,
although he usually puts up at the
better class hotels while he is in a
city and does not cOnSOrt with the
riff-raff "panhandlerS." He is what is
known in the vernacular of the char
ity board as a "high-class mendicant."
Deformed From Early Youth.
Hammelf began life handicapped In
his early youth he fell a victim to
muscular rheumatism that left him
horribly deformed. He was able to
crawl about, but his movements were
so grotesque that he was called the
human dog" He has to Wriggle about
on all tours, and on account of his
pitiable condition he readily excites the
sympathy Of people.
He took to mendicancy for a liVeli-
hood and was able to make a great
deal of money. He would often Sc
cure transportation on the railroads
and at other times would take the
freight car route and thus get from
city to city. He is a good actor and
can tell a pitiful tale. Sometimes he
tells one thing and sometimes another
He was so unfortunate-Or fortunate
as to fall under moving train one
time while stealing a ride and his feet
were so badly crushed that he had
to have them amputated.
Far from despairing over this mis-
fortune. he hailed it with delight, as
it enabled him to add greatly to his
income, and. since he lost his feet he
has coined money. He has not only
accumulated enough to purchase a
large farm in his native state, but
is possessed Of considerable personal
property. While in New York he usual
ly makes his headquarters at the New
England hotel in the Bowery, a place
largely frequented by the better class
of mendicantS.
He is in the habit of crawling along
the streets on all tours and taking
a position on the curb, where he prof
ferS for sale a few pencils and in this
guise does his begging. He has a fair
ly good face, with large, pitifuI eyes,
and his brown hair and general make
! up give a rather innocent expression
that appeals strongly to the impress
Sionable.
Well Known to Police.
Hammell is we'll known to the po-
lice throughout the country. He has
been in Chicago a great many times,
where he has made money at men,
delaney. James Forbes, special officer
who has charge of the mendicancy
department of the New York Charity
Organization society, says he knows
that Hammell went to New Orleans
one year for the two days of Mardi
Gras and in that time collected $78.
When he returned he complained bit
terly of his baaAluck.
1t is also knows to the New York
officials that one day at the races at
| Gravesend he cleared ST and again
he made complaint about the small
ness of his haul. He has gulled rail-
way officials from one end of the
country to the other, and since he
lost his feet he is in the habit Of
telling trainmen that he lost them
while working on the railroad, and
in this way he is often allowed to
ride on freight trains without ex-
| pense.
The officials of the Chicago charity
bureau say that great efforts are be-
ing made in the Eastern cities to do
away with mendicancy. Special Off
GERS are employed to keep beggars
from the streets, and they are arrest
ed whenever it is possible. Here in
Chicago little attempt has been made
to weed them out, but this year there
are fewer beggars than at any time for
years. 1t is said the municipal lodg-
ing-house is responsible for this, as
the compulsory bath and funigation
| demanded there is more than the av-
| erage beggar can stand.
During the time when the policA
stations harbored tramps and beg
garS Chicago was a perfect paradise
for mendicants, and they focked In
from every place. The streets were
| clogged with human remnants display
ing their deformities and exciting pity
in the charitably inclined.
Beeaars With Bank Accounts.
Several times the officials of the
chicago Bureau of Charities have run
across beggars with bank accounts.
There is one mendicant family In
town with considerable property. The
husband is a pretty good fellow, but