The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-25
Observation-Disclosures
AND kL0NDLKE JEAN TRIMS HTs
GRAFT AT TEE WALDORF.

~ 1po nun ~ 8Cn1 SUa
The weather the day before Christmas
was q bitter disappointment bo the mop
ers,' the -ioppers,' the mouser beatsrs,'
and oil the rest OF che ~pAnhandlsrs N
fake beggars who usually make Q good
thing u Of the holiday season. Tho
singing cold shat drove tho mercury down
b q few degrees above zero drove most
Of the brotherhood Of 'pingers' OF the
streets, and few Of them savs aristocrats
like Kid Mccoy or Klondiks Jean
Dawson were In cheerful spirits. The
rest took In small change with growls and
curses and lodged up and down Broadway
with sullen faces as they were chased from
Madison Square 70 Lonsacre by Hayes.
Platte. Feess and Walsh Of the charity
squad.
The plingcr, or professional beegar, 10
. particular person. very sensitive 20
extreme cold, and he will not go out and
work his lay whom the weather does not
please him. Those that were lucky enough
TO have high heels.' or women who will
60 out and panhandle for them, or boys
hired for the same business, roasted in their
nests In the East Side streets or along
the Bowery, and sent their assistants out to
graft. Many Of the members of the brother
hood who weren't fortunate enough to
possess high heels or kids went to their
old haunts On Broadway, Fifth avenue,
Twenty-third and Fourteenth streets and
other parts Of the shopping district to
pick up enough easy money for booze and
a little stuss gambling. None Of them
stayed out for very long, as the charity
slsuths observed.
10 wa different with aristocrsts OF
the fraternity, gentlemen like Kid Mccoy,
who has borrowed the name of the pugi-
list and is something Of a handy man him
self with his fists. They work the big
hotels, especially the Waldorf and the
Holland House, and do their panhandling
comfortably in warm Hobbies and cosey
bars. A dozen Of the gentlemen plingers
we're very busy yesterday afternoon and
last night. handing out smooth conversa-
ton TO the guests Of the big hotels n
getting away with the graft.
The Kid was at the Holland House vee-
Cerdsy afternoon, looking like a prosperous
Wall street broker he wore a silk tile, a
long overcoat with a fur collar, Iatent
leather shoes and gray spats. Among
the guests in the lobby and in the bar he
was as inconspicuous as any other we'll
dressed man Of pleasant manner and a
van DYko DtdTu. len TDOINlS III Iue wear
the Kid ia a satchel thief, one of the smooth
est In the business, although he is not above
a little second story work in the provinces.
He ia an Englishman, was once a phnr-
maoist, aud found our that he could do
better in another profession. The Kids
specially is trimming English tourists,
and being an Englishmnn himself, with
excellent manners and a cultivated sd-
l-..u L.. T.a ran@a IN ha-o.. - " -
$40 banknotes.
He was buying drinks at the Holla nd
Yesterday out Of a fat roll Of bills, and his
appearance was that of a man with whom
times are good. The Kid is great on strik-
ing up an acqus intance with the British
stranger and then handing the new found
friend a tale that he has carelessly neg
lected to put his wallet in his pocket, and
would be obliged for a loan OF IS or SO.
While the Kid was busy at the Holland
House his pal, Klondike Jean Dawson.
was working the Waldorf. Jean is an under
study for the Kid, with a slightly different
lay. He makes up as a Frenchman, n
with his good command OF the language
and a very Gallo looking beard, besides a
certain foppishness in dress, Jean gets away
with the goods more often than not. He
was busy in the Waldorf cafe yesterday
afternoon until Billy Walsh of the charity
squad dropped in and spotted him. Jean
rose hastily from one of the tables and faded
ont Of the Thirt y~-fourth street door.
~It's a cinch that he was telling some OF
them that he had Just got over from that
dear France and that all his money was in
his trunk, so unjustly held mp by those bar
barous customs officials" said Walsh.
However, Jean looks prosperous. Maybe
I'll get him with the goods on yet" |
Big Spanish was doing the hotels around
Fourteenth street that are much frequented
looking South American. who came here
originally from Venezuela posing as a
Spanish gsGisiiG : a high card. once he orsanizea
a iunta here for the purpose Of turning
Castro out Of Venezuela and was running
the junta for all there was in it when the
charity people tipped oil a few Venezuela
fireeaters that had been listening to Big
Spanish's orations.
The slickest OF them that we're out
to-day said Walsh, was Rudolph, an
Austrian plinGer and crook The rakers
call him Prince Rudolph, partly because
Of the way he spends his money and his
high play al stuss and poker. Primo
Rudolph is a high roller in the fraternity
and il takes a good deal Of easy money 10
keep hin going. The Prince is another
tourist who has been the victim of the
customs officers, or else has been robbed
OF MS pOCkct UlOilty, II 10 ROOu NJ RettlnH !
a phony check cashed or negotiating a
small loan"
Gold Tooth English and Hoboken Dick,
both mopers, OF gentlemen that lounge
along Broadway striking any easy mark
that happens TO come along, were pan
handling in the Broadway restaurants
yesterday afternoon until the charity
squad sighted them and sent them on their
merry way. They cant put up a good
enough front TO play the gentleman at the
big hotels, but the graft is pretty soft for
them, especially at holiday time, along
the street and in the cafes. Billy Boyle,
the plingers call him nobody knows his
right name), was on Broadway showing
the same old artificial sore on his right arm
that he has exhibited for years.
Most of these fellows live at the Mills
hotels said James Forbes. the mendi-
canoy agent of the Charity Organization
Society, "and most of them are 'mouser
heaters or crooks that make a living by
Matchmaking queer people. Broadway
Madison Square to Thirty-eiHhth
street il their ~favorite haunt these days.
watch for 'mousers' TO come along,
and they can tell at a glance If the 'mouser'
is morally queer. II he is they'll nail
him and in nj ne cases out OF ten they'll
hla ckmail him. and the victim doesn't da re