Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-05
TINE "TRAMP" AND HIS SUPPRES.
SION.
lHarper's Weekly.1

The cruel and almost inconeeivably
ferocious murder Of Mrs. 4Aybee and
her daughter in q little village of Long
Island, and other equally mysterious
murders which have lately shocked the
community, have brought the problem
of the tramp" before the country in
the most startling manner. Every one
familiar with rural or village life can
readily understand the conditions which
make such deeds not only possible. but,
within not very long periods, almost
certain. The scattered population, the
isolated dwellings,, the peaceful habits,
the want Of any organized or efficient
police, With the existence of class of
wanderers, idle or half idle, and often
criminal, spreading themselves over the
country-these are the elements of the
situation from which spring with CON-
siderable regularity petty thievinR, out
rage, assault, burglary, highway rob-
berry and murder, most OF which 90 IN
detected and unpunished.
"Tramps," for the greater part, are
the overflow from city life. Their ranks
arc recruited from the vicious, the lazy,
and the unfortunate, who, driven from
the haunts Of organized society and the
police, become, as their characters and
habits incline them, beRGars, thieves, or
criminals. The greater number are
simply Ilers, strolling from place t.
place. begging breakfast hero, u din
nef there, q lodging in some clubhouse,
or sleeping Ia belle etoile, and living on
tho offerings of hen r0osts or corn
fields. These are merely the dr0nes Of
the great human hive, who drag out in
filth and disorder their miserable lives.
But with these are the men of criminal
instincts and habits, fred with brutal
lust, hungry with the greed born Of dis
sipatiOu and drink, reckless of life, their
own or others, and treined in the ter
Fible school of self indulgence Of our
large to Sns. Woe to those Who may
meet then in the lonely ways, or may
extend to them the hand of charity
Their trail aoroes the weeds and fields
10 marked with crime too horrible to
describe, in comparison with which
murder itself IL less terrible. And it ia
TO ono Of these that the rustic house
hold may at anyl moment be opened
when the ragged costume, the unshaven
face, the sunburned hands, of the sturdy
beRQar appear at the door. Il Ia with
this element that society must make up
il mind 10 dsal.
The obvious weapon with which Il
deal with it II . police force. The
average village or county community
viii shrink from this. The suggestion
10 them means an organized force Of
blue-ooats, with pereeants and CAP
tains, and the omnieoient and generally
useless detectives. But this 10 moi
necessary. What 10 needed is . small
force Of mounted mon, young, active
alert, with Just enough organization q
enable them TO aot toResher, and enough
Discipline TO secare edeltty. Thai
chief function would b prevsnti0r
rather than either the detection or a.
rsst. Patrolline the country roads ire.
quently and rapidly, keeping constant
watch on suspicious persons, appearing
often in the more secluded and exposed
places, they could soon make y ex
tssmely dangerous fog the criminal
glasses. An intimate and familiar
knevledRe Of all persons viii
Legitimate occupation 70 easily 40
Quired in . country neiRhb0Hh00d, and
that solves one-half the di6oalties d
police work. A criminal 10 far safer in
the dense population Of the cities thar
be could be in . village with suoh a
organization, einoe in the latter he
would necessarily BE- . marked man, and
could hardly move from point TO point
unobeeTvsd.
Such . force should b oeRani1ed il
0YoPV county. a it might WITH advAu