The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-16
THE NORTH AMERICAN LOAFER
TWO SPECIES OF THE BEAST.

TWO SPECIES OF THE BEAST.
GANGS OF YOUNG THIEVES PRowLING FOR
PREY-THE GENTEEL CORNER LoAFER AS
THE INsULTRR OF woMEN-THEY ALL FEAR
THE POLICE.
The Brooklyn Eagles essay on corner
loafers is so true to life that several extracts
are selected for the Sentinel readers, who
will readily recognize the picture: The cor
ner loafer is generally young man from
eighteen to twenty-five. He belongs to
one of two classes. He is either a thief
or misguided, thoughtless youth, who de
votes his leisure to parading his worst quail
ties, and succeeds in disgusting every re-
spectacle citizen who crosses his path with
his reckless blasphemies and Impurities
The first class prey on the populace for
money or its equivalent; the second class
lie in wait to ins ult modesty and to ensnare
innocence. Both classes are vicious
and abominsble, but the latter, de-
spite their gay plumage, are the
THE sLoUcHY LoAFER.
AS soon as darkness settles down upon the
city. the slums, vomit forth these vermin,
and they shy around some favoTite corner
generally the site of somehow rum shop, and
await an opportunity to ply their calling.
Sometimes they boldly assault passerby
and rob him openly, but their usual course
is for one of their number
to pick a quarrel with an intended VIC
tim, and then for the whole force to fall
upon him under pretense of resenting an
injury or an insult, and having mauled and
bruised him, to relieve him OF all the valu-
sbles he may possess. All ofthis class carry
knives, and they use them without hesits-
ton when occasion arises. Having Sc
"a nj vanish Mt
and by-streets with the agility of Italian
brigands and the police hunt in vain for the
perpetrators of the outrage. This class do
not insult women; that is not their clay"
It would subject them to annoyance from
the authorities without any profitable re-
suits. They may be easily recognized. They
are dirty in their apparel. They don't wear
collars. Many of them affect blue flannel
undershiTts, and nearly all of them wear
skir-tight pantaloons, with bell bottoms.
Among themselves each one is ambitious
to be considered pugulist and clog dancer.
They can he seen practicing under the lamp
post, shutting and Tapping their feet, or
wrestling and sparring in angles-the ad-
miratiOn OF small boys, who hope by and by
to be corner loaiers themselves.
THE sNoBBY LoAFER.
The second class of loaters have yet co be
dealt with. They are well dressed and
more's the pity-some OF them are attractive
in their appearance. There is the mustached
swell, with the bold, bad stare OF licsntiou-
ness and vice, and there is the smooth faced,
boyish beginner, smoking his first cigar, and
trying 10 put on the airs of manhood and
profligscy. Between these, there are youths
of ali ages and positions. They are attired
with more or less taste. They wear their
Sunday clothes, for most of them are clerks
and young men at work all day, and when
night comes on they rig out in their best
and betake themselves to the fsvorite
corner. Their pastime consists in making
not always fisttering remarks on the female
sex, and in giving utterance to insulting re-
marks, intended to be beard by the passers
by. Manv of these young ruffians will
audsciously walk by the side of an unpro-
tected girl and whisper insulting proposals
into her ear. AS a class, these genteel cor
ner loafers are utterly despicsble, and merit
the most severe punishment. They are
towards, for they cast insults on those who
can not resent them. or an ordinary school
boy, with pluck and a club, they would
fight shy, but little 12-year old schoolgirl
would be legitimate target for their shafts
of insult.
ETERNAL VIGILANCE OF THE POLICE RE-
CURED.
There ought to be remedy for this state
of things somewhere. The thieves clear out
when they see the policeman coming, and
only return on his getting out of sight.
The greatest loafers stand still and brazen
1t out. Many OF them have relatives or
friends who are in with the ward politicians,
and they don't fear arrest. Others of them
if arrested, will pay fine and go on their
old beat again the same night. One thing
is certain, the one class don't assault and
riot within sight OF the police, and the other
class refrain from insulting passers-by when
an officer is near.
A lady who was staying at hotel in Cor