Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-04
.BEGGARS BEGIN
ANNUAL SIEGE
WINTER INFLUX HAS STARTED
EARLY
Police Believe Their Coming Is Indi-
cation Of Presence Of Profess
sIonal Criminals and Are
ArrestIng Them

Beggars, whom the police believe
are lieutenants of ''yeggmen," safe
blowers and crooks, have begun a siege
of Los Angeles.
Louis Conrad and John Mcfarland,
who use their deformities to prey upon
the sympathles Of housewives and
children, were arrested last evening.
Conrad was working" on East Twen-
ty-second street when arrested by Of
ficer r. C. Humphrey. Conrad answers
the description of the beggar who has
been entering houses in daylight, hold
ing up young children and making a
plea of illness to secure money enough
ito go back to Riverside"
Only yesterday afternoon, few hours
before Conrad was arrested, reports
flooded the police station OF man,
lame and "sick," who had been at
tempting to force school children to
give up their pennies and had been
found in house on Lake street by a
woman.
Mcfarland belongs to different
class" said an officer last night. Like
all of his class, he is so bold that he
VIII grab women's skirts, curse them
and even strike at them as they pass
along the streets without needing his
appeals.
Crippled beggars are d necessary
adjunct to the business of a profess
sional burglar, safe cracker and crook
and many OF these deformed criminals
are carried about the country by their
masters to seek out information as they
hobble around on the streets, sneak
In and about the residences of wealthy
citizens and along crowded thorough
fares.
Particularly below Spring street re-
Gently there has been great trouble ex-
perienced from the "yegg" beggars
Several times women have been struck
with the canes or orutches in the hands
of these deformed solicitors and in rare
cases men have suffered
The police say that crooks are flood
ing this city early this year, much ear
Her than they are wont to come. From
the number of yeggs' and these street
beggars," said an old policeman yes
terday 1--WE are able to get a pretty
fair idea of the number of experts that
are in the city"
Capt. Auble said regarding the beg
gars: I'VE have had but little complaint
so far this season about beggars. 1t
is early for them, but I am told that
they are coming to the coast from the
east this year much earlier than they
have formerly. I consider the ordinary
street beggar and the class that work
In the residence districts very danger
Gus, and I think they will find this a
hard town this winter if they stay
here"
When asked to give his opinion about
the "yeggs' and beggars, Judge Cham
bers said: THAT Is rather a general
question. There are some of the unfor-
tunates that are to be pitied and there
are others who are not to be pitied. AS
a rule I should say that they are gener-
ally a bad lot"
While passing along Second street,
between Alameda and Spring streets,
one man was accosted by five beggars.
Three of Them upon his refusing to give
aims, began to curse him, and one
struck at him with his crutch. Even
along Spring street yesterday there
were two or three of these social para
sites at work.
Saloons are crowded every evening
with beggars Of a cheaper type. These
men stand about the barrooms and
bum" everyone they see for drinks 1t
is to them many of the "drunks" owe
the absence of their pocketbooks when
they awake from sheir temporary
stupor.
Switchmen and trainmen in the
Southern Pacific yards tell of a little
girl, thin faced and apparently half
starved, who frequented the yards until
week ago. when her game was dis
covered. The railroad men gave the
little girl much money and grew to look
for her to give her aims.
One afternoon one of the men who
had been very kind to the little girl
saw her making her way along San
Pedro street in front of him. Because
of curiosity to learn where she lived.
always kept secret by her, he followed
the child several hl0ckS
Just as she was about to turn in an
ill-kept house large woman rushed
toward the child and rudely grasping
her by the shoulder snatched money
from the childs hand.
The next time the child appeared
about the yardmen's haunts the man
who had followed her asked her about
the incident.
The sweet smile on the child's face
turned to sneer and she answered:
"Youse is onto my game Is youse. Well
I guess 1 will leave" Since then the
little girl has not been heard of.
Continual reports of this kind reach
the police. When the officers are asked
what they are doing they reply that
most of the cases that come to them are
picked up by the police and that the
victims generally do not report their
troubles to the police.
"If the crippled beggars want to live
an upright life, they could easily do
so,' said Police Judge Chambers. "Thn
county institutions are so thoroughly