Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-23
THE HOME OF SIMPLE SOULS
BY frederic ,. Haskin

had any dificulty IN going over ,hs
top with It's contributions. whs,hsr
the. campaign happened 70 be a isst-
innate ono or not. Undoubtedly. the
majority OF thern we're. but they
brought in their wake tho ineyitalls
host of swindlers. For awhile, anybody
with a fctitibus btisinoxs card. a
guarded money-tox and a pathetic
plea for the starving Patagonian. or
Persisns could raise enough Tnersy
20 keep himself IN luxury for a coap.s
OF years Even today, these unorlsisi
appeals ara often successful.
/ Tho other night, for example, a tail,
broad -shouIdered figure In amszing
feminine garb appeared in sn EleyT-
ted waiting room with a small ptiono-
I graph, and pia cod II on tho floor. IN a
few minutes the waiting passengers
were listening 10 n jazz record enf %
the snne time TO an appeai for sterv-
ing babies. The collector was dr.s.ed
in Spanish regaiia, including a yorns-
what tsttered shawl and a cheap
Spanish comb which set of quantity
OF neatly y-dressod black hair This ex-
otic appearance pleased the public, and
they gave generously 70 save tho bs-
bies. 50 that tho contribution box oon-
tained very nearly $40 when a police
man came along and gazes az tbs
phonograph and tho Spanish vision in
some estonishment. Then ne drew near
or and gave a playful yank 70 tho neat
ly-dreseed black hair. II came or.
Hello. John." said the policeman
calmly. II thought that was you. Cot
new game, I see. Lost time I ran
you in you were playin' larns Down
On Forty-eecond street. Hog long h.vs
; you been here-z0 nninutes7 Gosh. sof5
in 20 ninutesl Hov the public does
, love a fraud"
Another beggar, recently arrested.
has been IN the habit OF errrinx a verr
, good living by throwing fits. His
/ technique is something ike this:
r Choosing a wsll-populated corner
somewhere In the Bronx, he fops care
) fully down on tho pavement, ernitting z
= a loud groan. This act Immediately
, draws a crowd, because. contrary 20
. popular opinion. New York pedestrians
, do not pass coldly and indirerenrIy
, on their way when something unusual
; happens. They stop etii IN their tracks
and eagerly investigate q, Just a.
people do In smaller and presumably
less sophisticated towns.
Fake Fit Nets IS.
For few seconds the man Iie- per-
2 fectly quiet. before q sympathetic aud
: ience; then he begins 70 twitch con-
vulsfveIy. The crowd becomes alarm
: ed. Someone suggests sending FOR a
doctor. But at that, the man slowly
n RECEIVERS. opens his eyes and sits up
: A few OF the bysa nders press FORWARD
g 10 ask II they can be Of help. SloviY
n and painfully, they drag forth IN.
> mans sad story. He is the father o
Is six children. who are starving II.
l. cannot get work because he. alas, I.
J. subject TO fits. He coughs greusornely
4 The crowd is tcuched-quite literally
-s Someone picks up the mans dilapidAf
X ed hat and passes It around. When rs
turned Il cften contains over s5
n Just at this point the other af.sr
IT noon, however, a fat and indignan
n iniddle-aged lady. accompanied by
n policeman, pressed through the crow
, and demanded to be heard
!, That man Is fraud she an
a nounced distinctly. II saw him pull tn
same trick day before yesterday. Z. An
= she named the time and the plao.
? Maybe I oughtn't to interfere. bur
. don't like 10 stand by and SEQ lc
= If kind-hearted people taken adv.r
s. tage Of"
ne Thus. Il IS plain that tho yc
ct Yorker IS not the hard, fiinty-sye
ms suspicious individual he is represent.
ed to be throughout the provinces. Il
Ut stead, he Is a simple. trustful so
40 who is easily deceived by appearanc
and whose sympathy IS readily srou
ed by hardluck story. Every once
awhile. the legislature at Albany b
ed comes much concerned about him al
ar promises to pass few laws for h
ew protection. But they never 8 esm
on mater1aiize. Perhaps the assemb
Die finds It comfortable 20 have -ssssa
-er simple. good-natured constituency.