Waterbury Evening Democrat

SYMPATHY WASTED.
How Street Gamins Fooled Many Kind-Hearted Persons.
It is seldom that the New York street urchin fails to get amusement out of anything where he sees the chance. Some youngsters saw an opportunity recently in the union of the following elements: A pair of trousers, an old jacket and vest, a hat and some straw. The straw was put in the other elements, and the whole, when completed, made a very fair specimen of the genus 'tramp.'
The boys carried the figure around to a neighboring church, and placed it in a position which was skillfully intended to give the impression to passers-by of a fellow-being in agony. Then they hid to watch developments, says the New York Times.
A lady and gentleman passed the church. 'Oh look at that poor fellow, John! He seems to be ill,' remarked the lady. The small boys didn't say anything, but kept their eyes on 'John.' 'John,' he was a courtly cavalier of the olden days, benevolently went up and touched the figure, saying: 'What's the matter with you, my man?'
He did not wait to get an answer, but left suddenly, and his departure was punctuated by various cat calls and scorning remarks.
Many persons passed the figure, and many, overcome by emotions of pity, went up and spoke words of kind encouragement to it, patted it on the shoulder, shook it, and then went away quickly, accompanied by cries of 'Git de ambulance fur de man, boss! Call der cop! He's McGinty's brother, boss!' and various other expressions of Americanized Anglo-Saxon that were more or less forcibly understood by those who heard them.
The urchins kept it up until one of their number suggested carrying the figure to the park and 'make a soo'cide or murder.' The idea was seized, and the poor agonized figure was hurried from the church steps and borne off into the surrounding darkness with a yell that made a nervous old lady who was standing on the street corner shiver and exclaim to her aged companion: 'Landy! look at those boys a-tormentin' that poor man.'