Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-08-13
A FAT TAKE


Seventeen Tramps Gathered in-Seut to Jail
for Various Terms.
For Il long time the farmers and other
residents OF New Danville and vicinity,
southwest OF this city, have been annoyed
by the presence and depredatiOns Of
tramps, with whom that neighbOrhood
seems to be u favOrite stamping ground
Tho barns are invaded, hen rOOsts and
orchards robbed. COWS MIXED and spring
houses stripped. women and children in
timidated and men threatened by tho beg
gars. For Il week or two the city police
have been securing the country there
abouts and finally gathered in ard lodged
in Jail some seventeen Of them, who
were taken before Alderman Spurrier
at 9a. m. to-day for hearing" As it
was market morning, the farmers and
cOuntrymen who had been subpenaed
were present in force to testify. The men
were marched to the temple Of justice ON
the corner of the alley in twOs and threes,
fastened together with handouts, and
they presented i motley and interesting
appearance. Among them were some old
offenders whose faces arc familiar before
the alderman's bar and ut bummers' hall.
They were young men and old, shOIt men
0uu OssAls l0C IuCiI sSlISt Gulus SOIuC VCIy
dirty and none very clean Irishmen, Ger
and none very villianOus, nearly all able
bodied and apparently strong enough to
work. They were lodged in the inner circle
Of tho alderman's office and after
some consultation anon. the officers and
the alderman, the latter called and exam
ined q number Of witnesses from the
neighbOrhoOd Of the alleged depredatiOns.
Frank Harnisl. BeDj. Kre,ler. BENZ. Bech-
tel, Henry Kesh, j. Ii. Landis, Mr..
Tshudy and another witness testified that
for long time time tramp depredatiOns
had been common in that neighbOrhOod
the bummers shook the apple trees and
slept in the barns, got Il crock somewhere
and drank thick milk out of it; begged
meals and talked ugly when they didn't
get them; the children were afraid Of
them a; they loitered in the woods and
built fires therein, winter and summer,
and altogether annoyed, disturbed and
terrified the people down that way.
One of the accused spoke up and asked
if he could have something to say.
The alderman told him to keep quiet.
he would have an opportunity to be heard.
But no did not get it.
After some more consultation tho alder
man announced his decision to be that they
were committed to Jail for periods Of from
90 to 40 days, and if he got them before
hi,n again he would give them 30.
In detail ho announced the commit
ments of the men as follows Jacob Ensel
20 days, John Fisher 90, John Miller %,
John Ferguson 25, Patrick Mcdonnell 25,
Jos. Jackson 80, Samuel Dawson 30, Chas
Benson 40, Fred Dais 35. Ed. Sticf 20,
Gustav Lushner 40, Robert Brown 30,
Patrick COrcOran 40, James Martin 10,
James Kelly 12, VIM Findley Is, John
OBrien Is.
In explanation of tho different terms
the alderman said some Of them had been
before him therefore, and he graded
their sentences by their incOrrigibility.
The men we're then marched out to
Jail.
The names given were rs likely rs not
fictitious part Of them certainly were
aliases.
There were, VIC understand, separate
complaints, warrants and subpGnas in
each case
The examination and testimony, how
ever, were all in lump
Very much of lump, SD to speak.
There was no pretense ut an identiiica-
tiOn Ol any of the accused. Not even an
officer testified to having arrested any ono
of the men arraigncd in the alderman's OF
flee. Indeed the officers could only have
testified to finding them in tramp condi-
tiOn, whereas they were rairOaded bv the
summary processes of "dsOrtlerlies," and
not as tramps.
1t was funny hearing SD funny for
the men who were not heard.