Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-15
MELANCHOLY DAYS
ARE COME, SADDEST
FOR CITY BEGGARS
Hard Times for Mendicant
Amy, Due to the Police.
Jimmy Conners in Correc-
ton, Stats Despondent,
"Shoestring Mary Gone.

,o he Men who once made IS to 81
dov have been either driven from the
,,reets or are serving sentences in the
House of Correction.
Even Jimmy Connors, who was the life
y, saloon near Eighth and Callowhlll
,,reets. is In the House of Correction.
and what grieves James most is that
ho cannot get out, although he hired two
,cwvers to accomplish the object.
,omes got out Of the Correction"
no. lust for brief breathing spells
ytiye his attorneys argued writs in the
corrts but each time James was re-
turned. He Is mourned by his valet and
bis companions. Yes-James, the beggar
has a valet.
In some manner Connors lost both his
arms II happened when he was child
and he does not know exactly how the
accident occurred, but 1t was lucky
accident he thinks, for since then James
has not worked. He had a valet and the
fnds to keep more or less In state of
drunkenness.
Connors is only one of nearly 300 beg
ears who in the last few months have
beer driven from the streets or sent to
the House of Correction. He 1t was who
onenly boasted that he never had been
locked up for more than an hour or so.
He always had an attorney whom he
Maid TO keep him out Of jail. The attor-
new, generally one who could draw a
nathetic picture of Connors' affliction,
30 pathetic indeed that Connors himself
believed him when he was arralgned in
court. but Connors afterward boasted to
william Won Bevern. an agent for the
philadelphia Society for Organizing Char
tiles, that he would not change positions
with a man who was whole.
WHERE CoNNoRS RULED HIS KIND.
Near Eighth and Callowhill streets is
a barroom. 1t Is dirty and dlngy. but 1t
harbors the men who never work. Here
they assemble to drink seats" a five
cent whisky, when times are bad: to
drink a better grade of whisky when
fortune is more kind. Times are now
bad-never were worse.
1t Is here that James Connors met his
cronies. 1t WAS here he carried the tin
box which hung about his neck during
working" hours into which money flowed
from charitably inclined persons James
would empty the box on the bar, and he
and his companions would drink until
long after daybreak. They would not stop
until the money from kind hearts had
gone in debauch.
Then James would mark an unsteady
course toward his room on Callowhill
street, accompanied by his man. The
man would undress Connors and see him
safely In bed. If Connors happened to
be in that frame of mind that he did not
remember or care how much money he
had the man would return to the saloon.
II Connors was peevsh and could re-
member to a nickel how much he had in
the box fastened about his neck, the man
would not return. He would dance at
tendance upon James, and James was no
easy master.
Jacob Schmidt is known TO the police as
Stats" He expressed his opinion OF
organized charity, its agents and the po-
lice today.
JIMMY's FRIEND STATS"
Stats" is personal friend. even when
he Is sober. OF Jimmy Connors. When he
is drunk he is even more than a friend of |
Connors.
You can say what you please. but cops |
amt no good. society agents are worse.
and Philly is going to the dogs" Is quot |
Ing Stats" in an expurgated manner
Stats gazed mounrfully into the |
empty whisky glass before him. He then |
looked hopefully toward his interviewer
and at nod from the man he was con-
verslng with ''Sats'' raped the glass on
the bar to be retilled He frightened per-
ceptby after two or three drinks and in
an optimistic mood prophesied that
Jimmy would soon be out OF the "Cor-
rectlon' and the police would soon forget
thelr anmoslty to the men who do not
labor.
lNQUIsITIVE PITTSBuRGHER.
a Few weeks ago the Society for Or
ganlzing Charities received a telephone
message from a young man. He said
'nat he would like to make call at the
society's rooms If he was sure that he
would not be arrested. He was guaran-
iced Immunity II he visited the rooms. A
Gay later well-dressed young man en-
tered the office and introduced himself
he gave a fictitious name at first and
later said that he was known as Myers
ana was from Pittsburgh. He lost a foot
car.
ne was perturbed by the crusade made
asalhst heggars, He wanted to know just
SHat the object OF the crusade was and
no" lohs II would last. At first he was
no. i,o 'sken for beggar. but he did not
"eep Won Bevern In ignorance long.
- am from Pittsburgh. My people live
HoFe DStn III t'nilQQelpnla Tor |
Two Two months, I want to know Just how
.GSns lhls foollshness of the society and
s,s sns ponce Is going to continue. had
b,t tT'eu 10 make Philadelphia my home,
'It NJ, can't II this thing keeps up
SueStoned, Myers said that he never
olAed' When a boy ne had learned
a''. .hosraphy. He could take dlctatlon
1nu pn was fairly fast at shorthand. Won
ta listened to Myers, and then Of
a 10 y |
atop begging. = "e "0"'N
l. h eh Myers said that he had a few
naolls That would make steady employ
~ ,msnt something OF a hardship. He drank
nlsky and to a certain extent he used
He did not want work, he
his plans. VII"
He, he was Informed that such assurance
v"n IGu.u not be given to him. Myers thanked
'aI In severn for the Information. and
1au u that he would leave town. AS he
rs rs avoided arrest here, It is believed
nat ne kept his word.
Z" "heh the police began to arrest the |
y y ssars IN the central part of the city.
nc opponents OF work shifted their |
'S.'es or endeRYor to West PhiladaInhia
80 80 germantown, although they contln-
III lLi 70 i've in the Tenderloin. In West
phla they became SO numerous |
ne 'ne West Philadelphia Business-
ba leagues took up the matetr with
be ponce Few arrests were made. but
h. 1ssars' when seen by members OF
Ss league. We're warned 10 leave ana
tsy needed tha uyarnir,., - - |