Homeless Beggar's Honesty Rings Up A $100,000 Reward

A homeless American man will soon have more than $US100,000 after returning an engagement ring to a woman who accidentally dropped it in his begging cup this month.

Sarah Darling's fiance set up a website seeking donations for Billy Ray Harris, who frequently begs on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza.

By Monday, more than 6000 people had donated more than $US145,000 ($A141,600). ''I think we often jump to the worst conclusion, and it just makes you realise that there are good people out there,'' Ms Darling said.

Mr Harris discovered the ring about an hour after Ms Darling dumped spare change from her purse into his cup.

''The ring was so big that I knew if it was real, it was expensive,'' Mr Harris told a local TV station.

Ms Darling was horrified when she realised the next day what she had done. She went back to Mr Harris and told him she might have given him something valuable.

''Was it a ring?'' he recalled asking her. ''And she says, 'Yeah'. And I said, 'Well, I have it'.''

Ms Darling gave Mr Harris all the cash she had in her wallet at the time.