The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-18
AN ARABIC TRAMP.
He Works not, Neither does lie Spin,
Yet He Goes Dressed in Parple
and Fine Linen, Alice
Samee.

Gimme quarter to buy me dinner;
| havn't had square meal for week,
was the way that an ARGUS reporter
was accosted on the corner of Second
avenue aud Seventeenth street today
noon BY young man, we'll dressed, but
bearing the stamp of tramp.
Give you quarter, ell is that what
you say? Two dimes for two drinks of
whisky and the nickle for a glass of beer
that's what you mean, isn't il? ?" replied
the reporter.
mo, | am hungry and tired. | have
tramped from afar For the love OF God
give me something to eat" replied the
tramp
IAN right, will give you your dinner
if you will give me some information
afterwards, replied the ARGUS man, which
was agreed to, and taking the lead. the
man of news lead the way to the Com
| mercial house, where dinner was ordered.
After having given the tramp a half an
| hour in which TO replenish his elmer
man, the reporter applied the tramp:
What is your namc?"
| My name is Edward Kelly, and | was
born and raised in Elmra, New York.
My age is "A. My parents reside at
Elmira. They are in good circumstances.
| attended school from the time was old
enough. | graduated at Cornell univer
siiy when was bat IS years Old. stood
at the head of my class. determined to
pursue the study Of law | entered law
Iyel's office in my native city, Elmira, and
for a while all Went along smoothly
During the time | was reading for the bar,
formed the acquaintance of the lawyers
daughter, beautiful young lady. highly
accomplished. She was but sixteen years
old. We fell in love. After brief court
ship asked her TO be my wife. She
referred me to her father asked my
emplOyer for the hand of his daughter in
marriage. He refused 10 grant
his consent unless | became "A member
of the Catholic church | was
a member of no church, but had been
raised a Protestant refused to do this
He then told rle that c0nld not see his
daughter any more, and further that he
would be pleased to have me discontinue
my studies in his office. | left his Office
on that same day. | hung around the
house where the lady loved lived.
tried to have an interview with her 1t was
all in vain. Finally, seeing was deter
mined to hang around the house, the father
sent his daughter to a convent. followed
her aud tried to see her. 1t was all in
vain. | could not find any means of com
municatiop with her Then went away
soon fell in with a gang Of ''hart
eases" One night in 1880, with three
crooks. we burglarized a house.
lstood on the outside and watched while
my companions went on the inside It
secure their booty. We were discovered
Two OF my companions were shot ant
killed in the house before they had time t.
get oat. The other burglar was wounded
and both Of us were captured. This wa
in my native city. We were tried ant
convicted. Ny companion was sent t.
| the penitentiary for fifteen years. while
being merely hoy. was let off with
sentence Of two years, | served my tim,
out-that Is, was in for sixteen months
eight months being deducted from M
sentence for good behavior. My disgrace
caused the death of mother. and when
went back home from Sing Sing, my
father babe me begone, was no child O
his. left that night for the west hav
worked in all the western cities. But
could not work long at place
My employers, in some manner, would
find out that | had been in the peniten
tiary, and would discharge me. Since
the 9Th of last November have done ~
work. | can find nothing to do. hav
tramped, tramped until my feet are sore
my body racked with pain, and my hear
grown sick. II is the same old, old stor,
wherever l go-no work. Sometimes
am tempted TO go TO stealing, but when
ever | am tempted the face of my broker
hearted mother comes up before me Cher
, the young fellow burst into tears) and
cannot think of stealing. What | shal
do, God only knows, for | don't, but Ger
tain it is that if don't find some worl
soon, | shall have to make my living som
way"
The reporter was very much impressed
with the appearance Of this tramp, ant
more so with the elegance of diction uset
in narrating the above facts. 1t is no
every tramp who comes along that car
talk so well, aud in good grammar O
course every tramp who is ION the road
4, has tale. but this is one of the stranges
we ever heard. And we are inclined t,
believe that it is true. The young fellow
as the reporter left him. said Good bye
am going to try TO get to Kansas City
tonight. and from there | am going out tt
New Mexico, where believe can regail
what | lave lost, and ouce more be
spec tab lie mem Der Of society
a Change.