The New York herald., 1922-03-17
Magistrate Geismar's Wife Ex-
poses Man Who Makes Bust
ness of Hiring Mendicants.
PROFITS GO INTO BANKS
Panhandler With $6,000on De-
posit Drops His Clutches and
Is Sent to Workhouse.

John Stefan OF 419 East Twenty
second street. Manhattan. admitted
when arraigned yesterday in the
Adams street court, Brooklyn. on a
charge Of vasrancy, that he has been
trafficking in the misfortunes of the
afflicted through their power of ap-
peal to the sympathies of the public.
Cash found in Stefan's pockets and
bank balances to his credit showed he
had been successful in supervising the
operations of beggars in the streets
and in other public places. He told
the authorities he had been engaged in
the business of hiring cripples and
blinded persons to beg for him. and
that he had been paying them at the
rate of So a day. with board and lodg-
ing, and, he added, with whisky, If re-
quired.
Stefan, an able bodied six footer. was
in the shopping district Of Brooklyn
Wednesday bossing one Of his employees,
John Schlachter, blind and armless, also
OF 419 Easl Twenty-second street. Man
haitian, when the actions OF the two at
tracted attention. Mrs. Alexander Gels
mar. wife of a Brooklyn Magistrate,
stood for several minutes watching the
unfortunate Schlachter as he sat on the
sidewalk in front OF a department store
holding a nat Into which persons were
dropping nickels, dimes and quarters.
Plants Cripple mt subway.
Finally she saw the able bodied Stefan
arms as though he were a baby and
carry him down the street a short dis
tance and set him in front Of sub
way exit. Subway travel was heavy at
of business strategy.
Mrs. Geismar called a patrolman and
he arrested both Stefan and Schlachter.
In the pockets Of Stefan the police found
S63.92 in small change. s11 in bills and
two bank books showing that he re-
Gently had made deposits aggregating
s700 in Manhattan banks.
wooden box found in one of the
pockets of the blind man, contained
s11.54. 1t was thought by the police that
the cash that was found in the posses
sion of the two men was the receipts of
the day whose business schedule was
interrupted by their arrest A bottle
containing a liquid described by Stefan
as being whisky was found in his pos
session He said the whisky was a
necessary adjunct to the business man
agement OF the blind man.
Stefan said that Schlachter was the
only person in his employ at this time.
Once. he admitted. he had two crippled
women and a little boy begging for him
at the same time.
Magistrate Folwell sent the two to the
Raymond Street Jail until Monday.
Meanwhile he ordered an investigation
to learn just what their conduct has been
in the past.
$4,000 Panhandlcr Sent Up.
Nicola De Donito So. OF Nepperhan
place. Yonkers, was a pathetic and
woebesone spectacle when he was taken
into Night Court last evening to an
swer a charge OF panhandlng at 1S1st
street and st. Nicholas avenue. He
seemed to be 70 years old. his clothes
were old and patched and dirty and he
nc billed along at the side Of the police
man with one good crutch and another
which had been whitfield from an old
plank.
When De Donito was called TO answer
the charge he left his crutches on the
floor and stepped smartly forward. Po-
lceman Herman Ringen told the mag
istrate that De Donito had been
searched at the police station and that
IN a bag slung over his shoulder the
police found a bank book showing n
balance OF 5000 and a life insurance
policy for $500 The bank book showed
that De Donlto had deposited on an
average OF $40 day for the last week.
Magistrate Sweetser sentenced him to
thirty days in the workhouse.