The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-25

, morning, but that be Is ashamed to ap-
pear in soiled lineiA All he asks is a
small amount TO ge1 his laundry
Another has beerll told of a good posi-
tion which he knows he can secure; but
good clothes and shoes are required to
he worn. These tpleas are the ones most
s"eqrently used and are susceptible of
many variations They bear / close re.
lation TO the dope fiend" and "drunlSard''
problems. for in about 99lb per cent OF
The instances UIe clothes are sold and the
Ii oceeds go fer drugs or liquor. Where
money is giverI the result is the same.
Closely akin to these customers is the
man on wom IN who has been expecting
Toney from nome; the letter s overdue.
and the hotel,or boarding house bill must
be pad
SICKNESS.
The pleaiWf sickness is most fertile
one In itsjresults. The customary form
Is that oqla sick wife or husband. and
hungry children at homel no food or med
icine and, no money to get a doctor; IN
cold weather, the lack of fuel is added.
The MIST pathetic form of The appeal
and one, almost certain to be remunera-
tive, istfhat made by the little girl. Her
tale is tDitiful in the extreme, the picture
she pafIts OF suffering ana want at home
is calc plated to extract coin from the
rochtt jof the most hardened. This act is
often most deliberately staged, and the
actorsl letter perfect. A visit Is antici>
patedt so the properties are all on hand.
AS, an illustration of this, 2 care is re-
rallc1 where the application for help
was made by a woman who asked for
morley to take home her husband who
hadi lust died Her story was TO the eff
feot that they had started home and
upon reaching this particular city. tho
nj had been suddenly taken III: she
had rursed him for the weeit rrIor TO
+ Is death and all their money had gone
~ DR. food and medicine. The tale war
E1tausible and dramatically told. but the
one to whom the appeal had been made
Rad had experience. so offered TO so with
IIthe woman The offer was gladly accept
fec, and sure enough there was the man.
| laid out ON the bed with a sheet over
! him. No further evidence was needed
SC money was left for immediate needs.
and promise of additional assistance
| given.
| After the giver had left review OF
| the situation revealed a few false notes.
A return was made to the house, the door
| quietly opened and the dead man found
sitting up, laughing and counting the
money that had been given his wife.
! OF the many other forms OF fraudulent
appeal adopted. few are: The street
| prtBdit WHO scars ana
deformities, easily and cheaply produced
| the sc-called travelling evangellsts" col
| lecting money for n ''home Tor fallen
| women" an "orphanage" which il Is
! proposed to found in the city where the
solicitations are made: the one seeking
employment, who returns saving that a
refusal had been met with when a phone
I call VIII usually reveal that work had
ieen promised or that no one had been
| there Then there is the woman who
needs just dollar or two 10 make I'D
| the amount she owes for her rent to pre-
vent eviction. Usually sickness enters
into this plea.
But why continue? The list is longt
md is calculated to make one dlstrust
humanity The lesson II is desired tc
teach Is the use Of the facilities at COM
rnand in every city. An inquiry at ar
| accredited institution which makes bust
ness of eliminating the frauds and help
tag the worthy cases, has but one result:
Driving from the community the parasite
and giving aid to the deserving.