El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-10
CLUB.
UNIQUE AFFAIR
How Men and Women Make
a Profession of Begging
and Die Rich.

New York, May 10.-Unless the pO-
lice have made it unpopular since tho
last time 1 was there, New York pos
sesses one Of the most remarkable
beggars' club in the world.
It's members gather every evening in
a rather quiet chop seuy restaurant in
midtown, almost under the third ave-
nue. elevated.
4 stranger might enter, eat his va
ka-maI or chicken ome1et, and depart
without noticing anything unusual.
But If one fingers and engages in
conversation, t is not difficult to get
acquainted with the gilded panhand-
lers. Here are some of the more re-
markable members:
The Immaculate Stranger.
% The president of the club. He is
dressed Immediately and in good taste.
He might be taken for a Wall street
man."
He changes his game often. but there
is q favOrite. Approaching a stranger
with a confident smile he politely re-
I quests a few minutes conversation He
is a civil engineer and has come to the
city with a liberal check in his pocket
to take charge of a big job.
Well, like many others, he has been
foolish. He has dined and wined not
wisely but too well. In fact. his last
cent Is bOAlEs &OAAA N0u Held MINI get
in touch with his friends and lend him
enough to keep him for a few hours?
Glad to take your address and hope
someone will do the same for you some
day. Thank you again; good day.
Always Lives "High."
Working this and similar schemes.
this beggar prince has made his way
from coast to coast many times, always
living on the fat of the land.
% A typical westerner. He is tall.
well built. about 80 years old. and
wears a flannel shirt and a large,
broadbrimmed nat
He takes his stand near a railroad
station and tells his victim of his I'll
luck prospecting for work. He can't
find a friend In New York and is
he had stayed in Montana. or perhaps
New Mexico
plays "soIdier Game"
go A man in a United States army
uniform. He. also. is tall, well-built
and strong looking. He is clean shaver
and his uniform fits him like a glove.
His spiel as the beggars' lingo
dub il. tells of u years in the army and
an honorable discharge. Here he is. 90
man who has served his country well
and. if he had been injured. would re
ceive a pension. But nobody wants a
man without a trade, and, indeed. dis
charged soldiers are looked upon with
suspicion anyway In these days Of
preparedness, his game works WelE
4 Woman and IN Cripple"
90 A soft voiced. well dressed. in
g~ratiating woman Of middle age. She
~frequents hotels and tea rooms, always
behaves well. and is never ousted. be
cause the detectives can't get anything
on her"
90 A deformed cripple. At least he
appears so when he drags his mis-
shapen body through the door. But a
moment later he has become an upright.
%sprightly man. who briskly steps to a
table n orders a good meal.
II is his remarkable double joints
which do the trick. He takes his stand
on the landings OF elevated railroad
stations or like places and holds out
his cap, with a few cheap pencils
cloutched beside IT. He is really out
of date, though, and few members OF
the club would descend to his crude
methods.
City Divided Into Districts.
The begging brothers have the city
carefully mapped in their minds as TO
its revenue producing possibilities.
For instance, Broadway. from 14th
to 23d street is worth 20 to 30 cents an
cents to IS cents: and from 42d to 59th
street, so cents TO IS cents.
This does not count strikes" as the
beggars call Unexpectedly large gifts
and, OF course. tho weather and the
hour of the day affect business"
A persistent OegEar arrested and
searched here this week was found to
have $3.50 in his pockets and Pas
quale Caruso. a Brooklyn professional
left $4,000 in the bank when he died