The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-21
AMAZING FACTS
ABOUT BEGGARS
AND THEIR RUSES
Exclusive and Wealthy Set
of Mendicants Operate
All Over Country
CAMP is DIVIDED
INTO TWO FACTIONS
Real Aristocrats Have Worsted Pre-
tenders in Every Encounter-"king
of the Beggars" Only One
Ever Broke Into 400

fin one of the hotels of New York for So
Letting aims on false pretenses. The po-
lice department had had its eye on him
for some time and soon after his arrest
discovered that. with the assistance OF
half dozen boy confederates he was
cleaning up several thousand dollars a
year. Every morning he would send these
youngsters out patched up with iodine and
bandages to appear like helpless cripples
and would allow them a liberal percent
age on their collections.
The incident led a representative Of the
New York Sun to make an investigation
OF organized mendicancy, and he discov-
cred the existence of an exclusive and
we'll to do set of mendicants who operate
in every corner of the land-a beggars'
"4oo''
1t should be said at the outset that the
nlendicant 100 like the social 400. is di-
yided into two camps. the genuine aris-
tocracy and the pretenders.
The former consists chiefly of native
born Americans They are sound of body
and are distinguished by their ingenuity
and daring. They invariably keep to
themselves. They detesr foreigners and
'f1oaters.' They have comfortable incomes
the free hand OF dssolute heirs.
The pretenders, on the other hand, are
generally foreigners who are disabled or
dishgured in such a way that they can
mot earn living legitimately. They are
beggars within the law, entitled, in a
measure, to the aims they receive. There
fore they are held in contempt by the
'1o0 They hoard their money or bury
il in real estate. They lack style and live
poorly.
Maintain Exclusiyeness
All efforts on the part of the pretenders
to break down the eXclusiveness of the
400" have been vain There has been
but one exception, that of Charlie Berk-
ovitch, the king of beggars. Even this
Incompatible mendicant had great diff
Guilty entering the ranks of the elite in
spite of his spectacular career.
In the first place he is foreigner In
the second place he has for SO years piled
the same trade. He has never observed
the changing fashions. Throughout his
long career he has without interruption
stuck to his hand organ and his elaborate
sign, advertising the fact that he Is
blind, has a large family and is penniess.
He has never shown any initiative or in
vention. He has merely proved persever-
ing
And here lies the difference between the
plctenders and the select. The latter
lave kept pace with the times. They have
been progressive and scientific.
For example, many years ago blindness
was in vogue 1t was the rage in it's day
and it proved very successful and profit
able. But today 1t is old fashioned. No
up-to-date member of the 100 would
think OF practicing it at the present time.
After blindness went out of style ii was
succeeded by the Cripple racket This
scheme was evidently the product of one
of the least inventive of the 100 1t had
short life and a scant following. 1t was
too obvious and could easily be disproved
Tile cripple would have an arm or leg
bound up in such a way as to appear
broken. As rule he would drag himself
around on crutches and would display
pencils for sale. The pencils were so
fastened that a purchaser would have to
exert great deXterity and strength to
wrench them away from the beggar
about 10 years ago one of the most dis
tingushed and ingenious of the 100 in
vented scheme which met with phenom-
email success and has proved so lucrative
that IT. is still in vogue III certain parts
of the country. This was the .throwout."
Its inventor was Fred Brooks otherwise
known as Brit" The 'throwout" was a
sort of paralysis racket" The victim
would throw back his head, drag his foot
as though it were dead member and
twist his left arm out of shape. 1t was
always the left arm that was twisted.
The right was required for collecting con-
tributions.
This may seem an easy enough feat
on the face of it, but it required unusual
talent to carry it through successfully.
The fashion artists of the 400" are al
ways striving to invent schemes that will
be not only public proof but police proof
In the hands of a novice the "throwout"
would be effective only until the police
put the victim to a test But In the hands
q "A 70 IL
only the police, but one of the greatest
surgeons in America.
Brooks Was Arrested
On one occasion Brooks, who was reap
Ing rich harvest and had innumerable
lnltatofs, was arrested and put in jail.
BROOKS was eonsummate artist and he
had made countless friends who believed
he was unfortunate victim of paraly-
SIS When he was arrested a rich widow
came forward and protested vigorously.
When she was told he was a fraud she
would not believe it, and to prove that
Brooks was genuine sufferer she had the
famous surgeon. the late DR.. Bull put
him through a thorough examination
DR.. Bull applied the usual tests. He
stuck needles into the paralyzed MEM
bers, applied batteries to the feet Brooks
withstood all these tests and DIR. Bull an
nounced that he was no falxir. The re-
suit was that the rich widow was vindi-
Gated. Brooks was freed and after re-
ceiving a money gift from his patron
ess returned to his old practices
Brooks accumulated q fortune in n
few years. The story of his vindication
gave a strong impetus to the "throwout''
and it became the rage throughout the
country. 1t had several ilustrious advo-
Gates among the 400" These have now
abandoned the throwout' for more up
to-date methods.
A few years after this episode locomotor
ataxia was the real thing among the up
per mendicants. Joe Ryan of Chicago,
better known as "Chi SLIM made this
popular. 1t was ali the go in its day and
nade~ Chi a fortune.
Early in 1909 man appeared on the
streets Of New York led by a young boy.
The mans head was thrown far back
and wavered from side to side as though
it hung only by the skin. The mans feet
we're turned outward. His entire body
shook with each step and looked as
though it were about to collapse on the
sidewalk.
Brought Large Returns
This alone was sufficient to attract a
large crowd and to encourage generous
contributions, but "Chi'' was no novice
When he approached a corner the boy
turned him completely around so that he
could step down the curb backward. Then
he was turned around again and moved
on across the street When he reached
the curb on the other side the boy once
more turned him about so that he could
step up and then he was turned about
again so that he could proceed forward
This procedure ALWAYS brought large f-e- '