Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-24
THE YAGABOND TRAMP.

THE TAGABOND TRAMP.
Not the honest journeyman or laborer who |
has been compelled to engage in wearying,
half hopeless search for the privilege Of earns
ing livelihood, but the vagabond tramp we
mean-who would rather steal than work.
The chief of the State detective force of
Massachusetts has lately published some re-
liable information concerning these tramps,
which he obtained by sending out two of
his detective force to live last Summer and
Fall with them The adventures of these
two men were Of uniform character.
They had no trouble about joining
the guild. AT first meeting few ques
tons were asked and fewer we're
answered, but in the condolences resulting
from few days constant association with
many different parties, the detectives learned
enough to show that they are all of about
the same character and disposition. The
first two tramps they met were shoemaker
and a tailor, one of thirty and the other forty
five years old. They said they could get
work but they preferred to tramp; they only
worked when they wanted money to buy
liquor, but not then if they could steal either
money or liquor. The younger one had
tramped five years and the other eight years.
He said he tramped through the country
during the summer and fall, going to
one of the larger cities when cold weather
came on, where he generally managed to get
arrested for some petty crime, which would
keep him in comfortable confinement during
the winter months. He had with him q
valise containing four bottles of gin, which
he had stolen. On one occasion the detec-
tives were of party of twenty, who camped
together in the woods, subsisting on provis-
ions obtained by detail of five each day.
The first detail brought in a small pig, nine
chickens, a quantity of eggs and bread-al
of which, except the bread were stolen. When
the locality was marked out they divided into
four parties taking two routes, the party first
passing over each route chalk
marking prominent points for
guidance of the following parties. On the
23d Of July they met gang of eight tramps
on their way to join the rioters. By stealing
rides they expected to go from Massachu-
sets to the scenes of the riots in about one
week. That night they encountered four
others also tramping towards Pennsylvania
!; The first of August they joined party OF
twenty-three in the woods about twenty miles
from Pittsfeld and learned that they were
, waiting for strike on the Boston & Albany
railroad, and that there were, scattered about
| 41,o4 fill Of
waiting for the expected strike, to inaugurate
riots and plundering. The strike did no.
take place, and various plans were dis
cussed for raising disturbance, but the
majority were SO confident of the opportu
nifty coming to them, that they did not care
to go the trouble of making an opportunit,
for plumber. In all the time these detectives
3 were with the tramps, they made it thei7
business to enquire whether it was the wan
of employment that made these men ant
boys There were boys among them wander
. ers and Migrants, and out of the large mum
J. Der with whom they conversed, they fount
only two who did not scout the idea of work
Q ing for a livelihood, and they doubted wheth
0 er even those two would engage in an.
i laborious employment Their conclusion
was that the tramps are little short of brig
ands. They have cut themselves loose iron
9 all restraints of society and friends. The
. are full of passion, and destitute of mora
e principle. They have spread throughout tn
y rural portions of the East feeling of inse
curity, particularly among women, whic]
|
- dents to abandon their homes, and which
= justified by the insolence and recklessness Q
:, the banded ruffians wherever they encounte
y an unprotected woman or a timid man.
Fortunately the Northwestern States ar
less plagued with the tramp than are tn
> Eastern States, but the remedial and repress
, i've measures proposed by Mr.. Stephenso
the Massachusetts chief detective, ma
y be Of interest even here. He pre-
poses first, passport system fc
the protection of travelling workingme1
- and, secondly, rigorous vagrant laws, to t
: rigidly enforced against the vagabon
e tramps. Especially he dwells upon the in
portance of compelling these Migrants to |;
Dor. Imprisonment without labor has Il
20 terrors for them. But if it was understoc
70 among them that labor was the legal penalt
70 of their life in Massachusetts, he thinks tt
n State would be freed Of them in short tim
If the Eastern States should succeed in dri,
ing out their vagabond tramps, the We
"a would soon be more afflicted by them, an
,e the early adoption and enforcement of Law
ic properly designed to abate the nuisant
or would do no harm and might save much al
or noyance and loss.
THE PROBATE JUDGE OF RINSE
COUNTY AGAIN.
q. Ever since the immortal Croweu had
". step down and out of the Office of Judge
IS Probate of Ramsey county, certain Repub
A. cans, and others who know no more abo
or the duties, labors and responsibilities of tn
tie Office than they know of t
IL principles of law and common sense al
ar common honesty, have, ON all occasion
all been snarling and tinkering at and trying
Id. lower the Office in public estimate
to reduce the salary of t
~ a.