Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-08-09

Some Of their Devilish Doings
Shown Up.
Cedar Rapids Republican.

CEDAR Rapids Republican.
AT present some of our exchanges
are wasting considerable sympathy
on the poor unfortunate tramps, as
they choose to designate them. Some
are even attempting to make political
capital of the fact. that there are
tramps in the country, but so long as
they continue to commit such fiendish
deeds as they are committing all over
the land, we have no sympathy for
them and all the political advantage
that any paper can make out of them
they are welcome to.
Who know that the greater number
of them will not work, for it has been
tried here, at Marshalltown and a
hundred other place in the State
No; their business is soaring chill
dren, insulting women and THEY
ing.
One night last week three of these
cut-throat rascals broke into school
house near Fairfax and slept all night.
When morning came and they. dis
covered the school mistress coming,
early in order to get the room swept
before the school commenced, they
hid themselves until she entered, then
boiled the door and barred the win
dows, bound and gagged herrand
each one violated her person.
After accomplishing their hellish
purpose they left her unable to raise
the alarm because of the the thongs
that bound her, They locked the
door and she was not found until the
children came to school. E 45
We understand that the young lady
was a resident of this city. The vii
lians made good their escape. If
caught they should be put to death by
inches. No means of torture could
be devised, severe enough to pay
them their just deserts.
Wednesday afternoon Mr.. Ransom
Davis, his brother and two. sons were
harvesting near Western. About an
hour before shutdown Mr.. Davis, his
brother and eldest son were running
the Marsh harvester and the younger
son, . boy about IL years of age, was
shocking up, when something broke
about the machine and the boy GOT
up with his work, so laid down nn.
der the wagon on the opposite side
of the field from the men. lie had
not been there long when two bnrly
tranps jumped out of the corn near
by, and with revolvers drawn order
ed him to pass over his pocket book.
The boy had no other alternative
and did so. After riding it of its
contents, $3.50, they took pair OF
new boots belonging to one of the
men and went back into the corn.
The boy at once ran to his father who
raised the alarm and soon 80 men
surrounded the field but darkness
coming on the thieves eluded them.
Mr.. Davis offers 500 reward for
their capture. The search was con-
tinued all the next dug but was fruit
less. 1t would have been a serious
matter had they fallen into the hands
of these men Wednesday night, for
it is believed that they would have
been pounded nigh unto death.
In this city mason employed a
tramp to carry hod for him shortly
after noon. The fellow worked we'll
for few minutes, then said he had
had nothing to eat for ID hours. Tue
mason being humane man at once
took him into Browns Hotel and or
dered the cook to give him a square
meal. After waiting some time for
him to return he went in but his man
was yet ct the table and said that he
had just begun. The mason went to
work and after waiting for him a
while went back and found that he
had taken his hat about ten minutes
before and skipped out. The mea
cost him so cents. His confidence in
the honesty of tramps has weakened
considerably. aa
The above are few of the man,
tramp occurrences which are happen.
ing about the country all the time
How 1t is that people will persist il
harboring them, how it is that news
papers can take their part we do no
see. Talk about their being pool
men out of work. Why four-fifihs o.
them would not work if they scould
get the best board and wages. They
are the dead beats of the large cite
and should be treated as such.