The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-11-05
CITY NEWS.
Horse.Thieyes Still Operating Around
the City.--MayOr's Court Notes.
The Fall Races.
A Lot Of Tramps Jugged-..The Varied
Experience Of one of Them.
Soliciting Charity for a Poor Swedish
Family..0ther Interesting News.

A Ouartette of Tramps-One of Whom Gave
a Sketch of His life
Deputy Sheriff Preston in passing the
havstack beyond the city limits in East
Dallas al an early hour this morning, he
observed some men in a sleeping posture
in the hay. He went closer and had them
TO come forth. There were four of them,
and they were about the Notwithstanding
set of tramps that ever struck Dallas, The
officer took charge of them and
took them to jail They registered, James
Simpson, James O'Leary, John Kelley and
Henry shelton The last was negro, and
he had story to tell. He said he was
born and raised at Mayfleld, Kentucky, but
that six years ago the grand jury indicted
him for stealing a horse which was false.
He has never stolen horse in his life. But
me thought it would be prudent to skip the
country before the officers got
hold of him, for if they could
indict him for q thing he has never done,
they could lust as easily convict him on the
indictment, and he left the place, and stop
ped near Urbana, Illinois, and went to
work for a farmer by the name OF Laughing
house This gentleman hired him with the
understanding that he was to remain with
very glad to get the job, and right willingly
did he 90 to work. When he had worked
about two weeks fire broke out in the farm
er's barn and while the family were out try
ing to extinguish the fire the house was
rebbed of over $1,000. Henry was accused
of setting fire to the barn while another
negro man robbed the house. He says
while he was as innocent as lamb
of even having a thought OF such a
thing he concluded he had better
get out of the country. But he
was too long about starting, ana deputy
sheriff was right at his door before he could
get away. lie went out the back door and
ran through a swamp. The officer followed
and fired several shots at him, one of which
hit the little finger ofthe left hand. lie
made his escape, and went to La Belle, Mis-
souri, where he was arrested on suspicion
of being one Sam Ford, who had few
weeks previous murdered man under
circumstances most foul. He lay i'll Jail
ten days for the parties to come and lden-
tify him. 1t came out that he was the
wrong man and he was liberated. After
this he had but little heart left to try to
make an honest living. He was a fugitive
from Justice and was guilty Of nothing. He
might as well steal as be regarded as a
thief. He resolved to tramp and pick up
his living as best he could. From that day
forward four years ago, he has tramped
and Evel by begging and stealing.
The only work he has done was when he
was arrested and fined and made to work it
out on a rock pile or on the streets. He has
travelled over the larger part of the Union
and has picked up good deal of informa,,
ton in his travels The officers here will
write to the places where he was falsely ar
rested and see how he stands in the commu7
nifty. All four of the prisoners were taken
before Justice Edwards and fined five dol
lars each, and in default of payment were
sent to the poor farm