The New York herald., 1922-09-04
BEGGARS RUSH HERE
FOR EASY PICKINGS'
Magistrate Hating Says City
Encourages Professionals by
Maudlin Charity.
COURT CASES PILE UP
Army Of Mendicants Refuse
Organized Aid as Street
Business Thrives.
COURT CASES PILE UP

The current warfare the police are
waging against the army OF beggars
that troop the streets OF New York city
has disclosed the fact that the word
has gone out around the country that
the pickings are easy here. Therefore
hundreds OF mendicants, from the blind
and lame to the stalwart panhandler
have descended upon this city This Is
the opinion of Magistrate Hating who,
in Night Court, Saturday disposed OF
considerable batch of unlicensed beggars
fetched in by the police.
Magistrate Hating last night warned
the city against misplaced sympathy Tor
the beggars. He declared that there are
scores of pathetic cases where help IS
necessary. but that such help must come
from those organizations that care Tor
the blind and the crippled. In some OF
these cases, he said, the beggars are
quite willing to be taught trades ana
otherwise made self-supporting by IN
dustry other than begging.
But, he added, there are far more
who do not want to learn trades; VINO
would rather go to the workhouse for
a month or so than devote their time
to such occupational industry that their
physical conditions permit; who VIII 90
anything rather than give up profess
sional begging, which, according 10 the
Magistrate, fetches an average or any
where from SIS to $50 a week.
The Rush to New York.
Magistrate Hating is the president
OF the relief committe of Bronx county,
421 East 14Sth street. He says that
his committee is able to place many
crippled and blind beggars in institu-
tions where they can learn trades that
will make them self-supporting. But
the Magistrate runs into the fact that
the ma iority of the professional beggars
refuse such aid.
1t was learned yesterday. too. that
DESPITE the fact that the raid upon beg
gars made Saturday by the police re-
suited in the capture of none but the
blind and the crippled, It will continue
and the police are now cut after the
able bodied panhandlers who, in times
good and bad, plead unemployment and
hard luck.
Every one OF these cases" said
Magistrate Hating, must be judged
on its own merit or lack of merit.
There has been a general rush of beg
gars to New York. Several cases that
came before me were put over for in
vestigation. There was one man who
was blind and had a paralyzed hand.
Just what we can do with him is some
what of problem.
But the most remarkable case of des-
titution | have come into contact with
a young woman who is not
beggar. We shall have to do something
for her. She has been blind from birth.
Her name Is Martha Byers. Imagine
this young woman, who is highly odu-
Gated and is qualified to teach English
q
is first class 1, list. Naturally she
could not beg. I only call attention 10
her because she has equipped herself to
be self-supporting despite her afflic-
tons.
The MaudIin Danger.
Il had before me an old sailor who
is crippled ahG took to begging. l have
turned him over to the authorities who
have the power to get him into Sailors
Snug Harbor. There was another case
OF man, vino claimed to be war vet
Gran, who presented rather flagrant
case of begging He was not sent to The
Workhouse but given the alternative Of
4 fine.
But there were. and still are. many
many of the old professional type of
panhandler for whom there seems to be
no cure. l sent one old fellow up for
Ills ElAlh vi siShtH tlip " liic w VI
house. When he comes out he will begin
begging again. There are innumerable
fakirs, too
1T would be we'll not to become maud
lin about these people. The vast ma
jority of them will do nothing but beg.
1t is their profession"
To-day detectives purpose investigat-
ing several places said to be equipment
stations for professional beggars. One
OF them. in Seventh avenue, above Thir-
ty-fourth street, will be visited. 1t was
closed yesterday and. due to all the ex-
element. may be closed to-day.