Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-25
HABITS OF "YEGGMEN"
Paper Describing the Pro-
| fessional Mendicant.
THE CRIMINAL GLASS
CHIEF OF POLICE TILLARD RE-
LATEs EXPERIENCES.
Information Regarded as Of Value to
Those Charged With Detection
of Wrongdoers.

OF Wrongdoers.
One of the most interesting papers read
before the convention of police chiefs, now
in session in this city, was that of Mr.. j.
N. Tillard, chief of police of Altoona, Pa.
This paper attracted the undivided atten-
ton of the chiefs, and is said to have fur
nfshed them with valuable information
concerning yeggmen, "throwouts," profess
sional mendicants, fake cripples and others
of similar Xix. The paper follows:
Flock Of Professionals.
About seven years ago. while employed
as private detective, I began to make
the acquaintance of a class of criminals
and beggars whose operations at that time
seemed to be confined to New York city.
l sometimes found them stopping at cheap
hotels. but more frequently at lodging
houses in the lower Bowery. My business
took me into the mining towns of PENN
sylvania and Ohio, and gradually | began
to meet my crooked acquaintance of Chat
ham square plying their vocation all about
the country. They were crooked in every
sense. Sometimes their deformities were
real. but for the most part they were
purely artistic.
zone night while occupying, for purely
professional reasons, most uncomfortable
cot in Bowery hotel, l saw roommate
in disrobing for the night remove from
what to the casual observer appeared to
be the stump of a wrist a casing of paste
board and muslin covering a very we'll
formed and normal hand. He was wear
ing the paper carton for business reasons.
few months later, while a visit
to my family in Altoona, l met the same
gentleman industriously displaying his
handless arm and selling small cakes from
bars of cheap laundry soap for anywhere
from five cents to quarter, as the Grip
pied arm happened to move the sympathy
of the guileless purchaser. Some time later
l saw the same fellow roosting on tile
pile in my own town, in company with as
good a bunch of 'Petermen and Strong
Arms as ever mended an umbrella or ped
died courtplaster while keeping cover to
rob bank-a stunt by the way, this same
crowd pulled off shortly after.
Thereby hangs tale; but the telling
would interfere with an investigation by
the Pinkertons still in progress.
Reasons for Going on Road.
II learned that the reason for these gen.
try forsaking their accustomed haunts and
taking to the road was in a large measure
to be found In the active work of the men
delaney squad of the New York Charity
Organization Society, headed by Mr..
James Forbes. Shortly after I had re-
sumed the duties of police chief in Altoona,
In 1903. Mr.. Forbes sent out his confiden-
tial bulletin which called attention to the
close connection existing between profess
sonal beggars and thieves After consid-
cradle delay we succeeded In having passed
ordinance under which these people
could be committed for maximum of six
months at summary conviction before
police magistrate Acting upon the theory
that the first duty of a policeman is to
prevent crime, we began to gather them
all in under whatever guise they happened
to present themselves, and 1t was astonish-
ing to find the relationship between the
whole bunch. This procedure has had
most salutary effect upon the order of the
town. We have not In the past six
months had a single serious burglary or
hold-up. Keeping the f1oaters on the run,
we find it much easier to handle the local
talent.
Among the large number arrested as
dangerous and suspicious persons we have
had some of the best-known criminals in
the country, the catalogue of their crimes
running anywhere from petty larceny to
murder
For illustration, note few cases tend
ing to show how closely allied are all
classes of yeggs, beggars, street fakirs,
peddlers, etc, that live off the country.
Fake Paralytic.
Zone of our first arrests Of this kind was
fake paralytic who walked with crutch
and cane and presented 'dockets' or beg
gfng cards He had but little money on
his person when arrested, but a number
of money order receipts from various post
offices in the state for large amounts indi-
Gated that he had been doing some bust
ness. He was scarcely locked up till he
asked for a telegraph messenger. We
managed to learn the address and contents
Of the message 1t was an appeal to
party in New York for money and counsel.
The money came promptly by wire, and
just as promptly appeared one of the
ablest attorneys in the city without any
direct communication from the prisoner.
IN
one hour after the arrest of any New York
panhandler without any messages being
sent, but his clients in our city, of this
class, are fewer and fewer. as the word
seems to have been passed that we are
hostile
AN investigation by Mr.. Forbes in this
case showed that the party to whom the
message was sent, or the telegram adj
dressed, was doing business in one of the
most exclusive buildings in New York,
and another firm had offered $1,000 per
was himself tubereular hip man, carry
ing a crutch. He freely admitted acting as
banker for out-of-town peddlers.
Female "Throwout."
1.-THE next crowd that 'blowed in intro
duced the Pathfinder or female 'throwout'
or fake cripple. woman was arrested
while panhandling the Pennsylvania rail-
road offices, and short while later her
male companion was arrested at cheap
hotel They Dragged that two other cou-
pies had been smooth enough to duck u.s.
By exchange of photographs with the Phil
adelphia police department we learned that
this fellow. known as 'Cockney Peg and
under a number of other aliases, had in
company with a number of yeggs, blown
up a lodging house in November 1902,
while mixing soup for safe-blowing pur-
poses. They had number of maps in
their possession, made by the women,
showing location Of safes in post offices,
etc..
These people did not all come from
New York, however. One morning in De-
cember last a smiling lassie dressed in
deep mourning and walking by the aid of
two crutches entered my office. She said
she had tuberculosis hip and requested
the privilege of soliciting aid to reach
and stores / recognized the graft and
put the stock question. She said her home