Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-08

arc tempted to part with a dime or n
quarter to some unknown solicitor of
aims for Belgian babies. or wounded
French soldiers. or tu%bercular Hindocs,
or to the alleged representative of
some day nursery. or home for the
aged or to some deaf muto. one-armed
chap. wounded soldier. or blind man
hesitatet
mat you arc contributing to the sup
port OF soma clover fax who has n
nahN count, wears good clothes In
INC evening. and despises you for an
easy mark. Especially since tho war
gan. the fake solicitors of aims and
professional boggars have multiplied.
Inc police intituted a campaign against
thefn last winter. and the mendicancy
SQUAD was ~disbanded In March be-
cause the evil seemed to hayo boon
ainlost stopped. But now hopping"
- on the increase again, and the po-
ice VIII probably take the field against
INC iakes and bcggars as soon as the
weather cools. WV
ONE OF RICHEST
APPEALS To SYMPATHY
me war is one OF tho richest an
peais to public sympathy that the pro-
IsSonai iakes and beggars have hit
upon In a long time. ANYTHING con.
hected with the war attractg nromnt
attehtfon.. Not long ago a man with
nIs arm heavily ba ndaged was OH
eol'ea ny n policeman RECALLING n large
IIU~" GOWN on Fourteenth Street with
80 OF ms experiences in the Rus
Gan army where no had been wounded
VI course his spiel ended with an an.
peut Tor aims. which brought a ron.
stous response. The policeman recor-
H'<cn mo wounded Russian as an
TTSS."hlle deaf mute and arrested him.
~ croWo set up a howl of protest
ana Tried to induce tho oncer IN 30
I"Se inc man. but he was taken IN
me police station where about rortv
s OF oandaEc was removed from
waa a.n. revealing tho fact that Il
var As good as ever. -
seems to be a large amount o,
miSolrected theatrical ability amonr
the 'Gophers." rs tho bcrr,r .ons
ca on the East Side. They are can,hio
y, paving blind. deaf, DUNN mr. 80
re win convincing consistcncv -,
.housh n sudden surprise viii occs-
Siohaily throw the best Of them IN.
- character. This happened when a
u.anP,e VINO explained to the Judge
nat ne was barely able to drnr hIm
self out Of the barrel where he sIan,
vas nailed into court with n big dn.t
mute. both charged with hnrrinH
ny were a bit pcevish after a n;ph,
% conhnement. The cripple stepncd IN
n deat mute's toe. Whcreupon m.
nu'e uttered a roar OF rage, and tho
S''pNu IKE a cricket
INTERESTING FACTS
FOUND M POLICE
ponce roundup OF fakes and
,neiGants brought to light several
very interesting facts. By far ~
greater part of the begears ~ all L,nne
are professionals Most Of them arn
poor enough. but not a few have h,rL
accounts and some OF them accunu-
lu.e small fortunes. They arc or.
san'zed to n certain extent, and have
recosnized leaders who direct their ~
Us strangely enough some OF them
seem 10 follow begging for = love -,
the business. rather than hec,u.o 80
need the money.
The person who Is actually con,.u
ed 10 beg by unfortunate circums,ancn.
seems to be really rare In New yorL
rms is shown by the fact that % nor
seh' Oh tho persons arrested for men
o.cancy were convicted. Practically all
OF these were professional beerars
aho most or them fakes. One pathetic
o!o man was discovered begging IN
save himself and his son from st.,
lion. was cared for. and turned over n
a CHARITY. One man OF education who
had been a professor OF theology uns
round begging in a subway, and star
tied the police by spouting Latin ouo.
tations at them. An artist of abiiitv
,hirty-nine years old. was found So
i'ci'ine aims as tho sequel TO a pro-
longed spree.
These were tho exceptions. Nearly
All or the rest were professionals. Ono
Richard Welsh, forty.nve years old
ana prematurely gray, so that he was
very successful In the part of a de-
crepit old man. was said to be rho
.recognized leader Of all the begCar, in !
New York. and TO direct their Efforts
even when in Jail. The actual extent
or his decrepitudc may be gagged from
the Tact that he beat off two policemen
with his walkinB-stick the last time
ne was arrested. and did not surren-
aer untli reinforcements came up. He
Is said to have a considerable amount
NJ money OF his own, and to be mar