Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-06-17
The Vagrant Law.

son to be a yagrant, and who
refuses or neglects to apply him
self to any honest calling. The
second section Of the bill speci-
fies who are Migrants. In the
fisst place, any person who lives
by lettering about the street
corners and saloons is vagrant.
Numbers Of persons do nothing
Except loiter about these places
-lunch-punishers, who subsist
upon free lunches, and never do
an earnest days work, and have
no visible means Of support
The intention cf the Legisla-
| ure was to reach this class Of
IidIers. In the second place, there
are others who loiter about gam
ing houses; these are Migrants,
! and the intention Of the Legis-
IIature was to reach this Glass;
! In fact this law is butam spe-
cifcdefinitiOn of section l7l0 of
! the Code of Tennessee, and en-
larges the punishment. Every
Iperson who saunters about, neg
llecting his business, is vagrant,
or having 10 means Of subsis-
ltence, neglects to apply himself
to some industrial pursuit, or
who tries to maintain himself
by undue means or by getting
the money Of others without an
equivalent in labor, are Migrants
by section 4710 Of the Code Of
Tennessee, and are, under sec
ton 2 of the act of March q,
1875, guilty Of a misdemeanor.
In the third place, every per-
4 son found about houses Of i'll
fame is made a vagrant. Thou
sands Of persons live and loitcr
about these houses who have no
means Of support, save that of
prostitution; hence the Legis-
lature intended to make these
persons Migrants. They are
loiterers about houses of i'll
fame, and are included by the
statute; and under section ITO
Of the Code obtain their living
by "undue Means" not having
an honest calling; such an one
as is recognized by the require
ments Of the law, and in COM
pliance with public morals.
In the fourth place, all per-
sons found strolling about the
country, or town, without means
of support-prowlers who go a.
bout with an old crooked staff
and a bag, and who arc never
seen at work, either in town or
country, are Migrants, and if
they can show no visible means
Of support, except that of con-
tinual tramping or strolling "a
bout the country or town, come
within the puryiew Of the law,
and are subject to arrest.
Section ) of the act Of March
a, 1915, fixes the penalty, fine
of not less than five dollars nor
more than twenty-five, or in
stead of fine not less than ten
days or more than twelve months
in the County Work-house, at
the discretion OF the court.
Section I makes it the duty
Of all peace officers of this State
to arrest Migrants, carry them
before Il Justice of the Peace, TO
be dealt with according to law,
thus comforting jurisdiction on
Justices Of the Peace to deal
with the parties as directed by
the act Of Assembly. Section
I'LL conferred this jurisdiction
upon Justices of the Peace
Under the law as laid down in
the Code the Justice had the
power to require bond for good
behavior. and in failure thereof
to imprison five days, the defcn-
dant paying all charges from
said arrest and Imprisonment.
When the prisoner was dis
charged if within thirty days
he should repeat the offense, he
was pronounced a yagrant, and
was to b. subject tothirty days
Imprisonment and pay all cost,
and if he failed topay said cost
to remain in Jail until the next
Circuit or Criminal Court, then
again to be tried, and if found
guilty by the jury the prisoner
was 10 undergo confinement for
thirty days more and pay all
costs under the late. law. JUS
tees can fine or imprison in their
discretion.
The Athens Post of last week,
reports that the army worms