There were shelters throughout the city, but many chose not to go or marry have been in the wrong part of town. This way, police could forcibly take you away from the dangerous cold even against your wishes.
It was a problem with a particular homeless family that lived under a bridge, they fought to stay in their camp and it created a big discussion surrounding the issue
For those interested, this is a serial number assigned by museums called an "accession number". They indicate when the artefact joined the collection and how many pieces it's connected to in order to guide researchers to the relevant paperwork.
The ink, as a standard, is completely removable.