CRIPPLES MADE TO ORDER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11462, 28 December 1897, Page 3

CRIPPLES MADE TO ORDER.

The St Petersburg correspondent-of* on* of the London daily newspapers- 'recently sent particulars of the arrest of an individual named Theodosy PraarjfcscheEflro, in South Russia. He was the -chief of a beggars’ league in the district, and conducted a factory for turning out" cripffas" of sufficiently pitiable appearance to moVn passers-by to give them money, of uduchha received a share, amounting to 75 per cent. ' ! .

Pranjtscbehko is said to.havedived’iaear Kieff during the- winter in a large boose, furnished in the mostduxnriona-stylo, and was generally regarded as a wealthy and benevolent capitalist. Although it is extremely doubtful whether this branch of the meodicant’s profession in England is sufficiently remunerative to allow of its-followers lining in large houses and luxuriant style, the ‘'pads's doctor ”is by no meansmnlnown in the ranks of vagrancy. , :

“ Standing pad " is the tecfairicabacfiression applied to those vagabonds-who solicit! charity By the display of a real, or assumed injury, and the term “pad's doctor "therefore explains itself. He is usually a. medical mam whose wrong-doings have brought bim into disgrace, amd r mnlike his Russian colleague, he charges a fixed price for each “operation,” rather than risk the uncertainties of a percentage of the takings and the doubtful honesty of hie client.

“Weak and failing eyesight” is a popular “lay," albeit a dangerous one. The rims and lids -of the eyes are-deKeately painted by tbe “ doctor ” with a mixture bflard andred ochre,.giving them a most painful and pitiable appearance. At the same time, however, what is at firstasham sften becomes afterwards a real fact, and many beggars now entirely or partially blind have rue the day they first tried the application. The one-armed, organ-grinder is another impostor whose deceptiemirequentiy brings its own punishment. In this case the ;arm is strapped tightly across: the chest underneath the clothing, in a position which when maintained for several-hourabecomeg to say the least of it, painful. A constant repetition, day after day, brings on numbness and paralysis, and whole--or pai?» tial amputation of the arm sometimes, follows. • - : y-«

A broken arm is the simplest thing in the world to imitate, splints and bandages only being required. A policeman, hesitates about questioning the lona fides of a beggar whose arm he can see is bandaged in a proper surgical manner, and as the “pad’s doctor” is usually qualified to -do his work well, his customer is left untroubled.

Ordinary wounds are easy to acquire. A good blister is first raised on the part desired, by the aid of a strong mustard plaster, and to this is then applied a piece of rag, covered with potash, which soon eats away the flesh and leaves a ghastly sight. 1 '

Of course, if the police discover that the -injuries are self-inflicted, and not the result of a terrible fire or other suggested cause, the impostor is promptly " pub away,” but even then he frequently contrives to prevent the wound from healing by a piece of soap or salt, or any irritant he can get hold of, and thus escapes the full penalty of his misdoings. The stereotyped "suffer from fits ” subject can get no help from the "pad’s doctor,” beyond a few general hints as to his behaviour during the proceedings/ such as clenching his hands and shut-* : ting his teeth.' The foam and, blood around the lips, which usually accompany this performance, ■ are the result, of a mixture of a well-chewed piece of raw steak, with a fragment of soap. The legs are rarely tampered with by the impostor-beggar, as those members are too useful in case of a little difference with the blue-coated representatives of the law. Occasionally, [however, the judicious application of a strong plaster or the use of a blowpipe under the skin will evolve an .apparently terrible case of rheumatic gdut : or dropsy, but here again the professional appearance of the fresh, clean bandages is usually sufficiently convincing.