The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-01

outraged poor woman and her daughter
near that place. New Jersey justice is both
swift and severe and the people Of New
Jersey are therefore relieved Of many OF the
perils and terrors from Migrants which are
too patiently endured by the people OF
some other States. notably our own. We
have heard of gentleman in New Jersey
who, finding tramp on his place, who had
begun to be uncivil to the servants, collared
him, showed him to a big dog, and then
marching him to the gate said, IF ever l
see you on this road anywhere I'll take you
to the county town ut once and have you
put in Jail for year." Not only did not
the tramp reappear, but other tramps have
carefully avoided the neighborhood ever
since. There is no doubt that vagrancy is
becoming systcmatized in our seaboard
States. We have seen mysterious marks on
gateposts in the country, and on doorsteps
in the better parts ofNew York, which, there
is reason to believe, are notices put up by
tramps to warn or encourage their fellows
At such house they may safely apply
such another is to be carefully avoided; and
these hieroglyphics tell the story to the
Migrants as they wander over country roads
or through city streets.
In England tramping has long been sys-
tematic pursuit, kind OF profession which
is followed year after year, and the MEM
beers of which even divide the country among
themselves and do not poach on each others
preserves. They gather in London and
other large cities during the winter, and the
early spring draws them out to the country
to beg and steal, and to rob and murder
where they imagine themselves safe against
apprehension. 1t does not matter whether
trade is brisk or the reverse, whether work
is easy or hard to get; the tramp is not
man looking for something's do. His pow
erty is professional, and an old proverb
describes him as g Cooking for days work,
but praying to Heaven he may not find it.
In fact, the tramp is confirmed vagrant.
Why should he not be promptly and univer-
sally dealt with as such "If man will
not work, neither let him eat, says the
Scripture. Almost all our States have
vagrant laws, but they are not enforced; If
they were the tramp nuisance, which is be-
coming more serious every year, would be
quickly abated. In fact, the light sentences
which too many of our judges, in city and
country, give TOR ruffianism are fertile
cause Of the social disorders Of which the
country tramp is one example. Not many
weeks ago here in New York O notorious
rufian who had been SO long defying the
laws that ''gang" was named after him,
was convicted of having, in company with
two others, broken into tenement and out
ragged woman and her daughter, and he
was sent to prison for three months. 1t was
said in excuse that the women were Of
doubtful character, and it was shown that
they lived in a very wretched part OF the
town but it was not pretended that very
brutal and unprovoked outrage had not been
committed. To send the perpetrator to
prison for three months Tor it was simply to
encourage the rest Of the ''gang" to other
crimes We notice that the Bollinger peo-
pie, near Newark, are also said to be wretch
edly poor and debased but we hope New
Jersey Justice will not be blinded by this
plea.
The vagrant law Of New York covers the
case Of all tramps. If it were faithfully ex-
ecuted Migrants would quickly leave the
State, or at any rate the neighborhoods
where it was enforced. It needs for its en-
forcement the ready and constant co-opera-
ton Of good citizens; but this is equally true
Of many other laws. BY chapter 20, title
2, section l of the Revised Statutes it is pro-
vided that call idle persons who, not having
visible means to maintain themselves, live
without employment; all persons wandering
abroad and lodging in out
houses, market places, sheds or barns, or in
the open air, and not giving good account
of themselves; all persons wandering
abroad and begging or who go about from
door to door, shall be
deemed Migrants" Section declares that
lit shall be the duty OF every constable or
other peace officer, whenever. required by
any person, to carry such vagrant before
justice of the peace" &c. Section pro-
vides that elf such justice or other officer be
satisfied by the confession Of the offender or
by competent testimony that such person is
a vagrant within tho description aforesaid
he shall commit such vagrant,
if he be not notorious offender and be
proper object for such relief, to tho County
Poorhouse or to the Almshouse--a poor
house of such town or city--for any term
not exceeding six months, there to be kept
at hard labor; or if the offender be an i'm
proper person to be sent to the Poorhouse,"
then to the County JAIL 'for a term not
exceeding sixty days, there to be kept, if
the Justice 50 direct, upon bread and water
only" for term not to exceed half his term
Of commitment /; and section ~ directs that
no person thus committed ms vagrant shall
be discharged before the expiration Of the
term for which he was sentenced.