The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-12-23
TOMMY, TIE TRAMP.
A Sketch of the Life and Travels
of the Diamond Kid" as
Told by Himself.

Tom Duncan, better known 70 the broth
erhood VI chronic and voluntary tramps as
the Diamond Kid" is, for his age. one of
the hardest and most disso,ute characters IL
has ever bsen the fortune, or misfortune, of
the BAzOo reporter, who pens this sketch i,
10 have met Though but SIXTEEN years of
age, this boy Is at least Seyenty-hve in way
tina, are dark, aud already he has run tn e
whole gauntlet OF those minor otfenses
which are bat steps to the larger and blacker
fOras of crime. 1t viii be Remembered
that the day alter Barnum's show was n
Sedali Z, the police >rr. Sled gang of youn 9
hoOdlums, hailiIg from Kansas City,
who were touSd guilty of stealing
shoes from some Of the shoe stores in this
city. Tommy Duncan was the boss of this
gang, and bis part of the work was the TAX
ing OF pair of slippers from George Gal
br ath's store, then on the corner of Main
and OHIO stress. For these offers the
young thieves ware sent to the county il,
under a sentence of thirty days, while
Tommy was given two mouths. Last Tu. y
day his time was out, but whether he vas
released or not, or II so, whether he has
left the city, the reporter does not know.
The weather is too cold TO pursue inVesti-
CATION in that direction
This led was born, so he says. in Lee
county, In the state of Virginia. At an
early age, his father, an honest shoemaker,
removed 10 Chicago, that hotbed of all
immoral as Well as moral forces, and
there TCmmv fell into ways and
cultivated associates which seemed entirc-
iy congenial to his nature. He was without
parental restraint, his mother having died
some time previous TO the advent of the
family in Chicago, and bis father being
kept too busy to supply the daily bread.
And thus the youngsters depraved tastes
were given full rein, and day by day he
was borne into the depths of the most de-
grading influences and habits. At the in
fantile age of ten years, Tommy says he
made bold break for liberty and hahd-me-
outs. The father hammered the last sole,
jerked the last wax end through the leather,
driven the last pegs, as he had pegged out
and his soul had passed into the hence of
the beyond. so the bars were down, and
the kid was free TO so where he pleased.
BEHIND THE BARS.
II is impossible. in hastily written ar
ticle. to follow this young tramp In all his
He seemed from The first Ca
pable of taking care OF himself, and could
bum grub or clothing or a ride on the cars
" tn the sang froid ard cheek of an old
timer. His warmest friends were the cy-
prians, for whom he has the tenderest at
lection, and with whom be lives, as q char
lty patient, whenever he abides In q city
for any l.p2ih of time. "De's de b.
frien's ever had," he said.
But Tommy is born thief, and has no
hesitancy or conscientious scruples in e..
eicising this peculiar and predominant
trait. At Louisville, KY, he managed, by
reason OF this weakness, to gain his first
with prison officials and taste
for the first time the delights of prison lif'
From a secondhand merchant he gobbl
two suits of clothes, and for this be wss
given eight months In the workhouse Of
that city.
That was Ill.," said Tommy, in
speaking of it.
SDe whipped me more dan onc't an de-
Land il On in 6ne style, tell you"
"Fcr what were you whipped? ?"
"Cussin' an raisin' de devil generally. But
didn't take to dat treatment very we'll, so
let up on my chinnin' an was good
little bow"
The description he gays of this work
house was really graphic, and il the half he
says OF its management is true, il is q
Eeritabls Black Hole, and disgrace to
There was, however,
,ne good thing connected with the
institution, and that the Sunday
services conducted by
BROTHER" JAMES,
who seemed to have been a very pious and
devoted man. "He gave me a suit of
clothes and 3, when got out" said Tom
my. "But had plenty more of dust -
lore / pulled out of town. / went among
lie girls an told dem was just out of de
an was hungry. De never eat
1T home, an / knowed dis, so de gave me
money to buy chuck. wasn't empty for
grub, so put de cash in my pocket. Say.
gimme a chaw terbaccur." The "chaw''
was supplied, and the kid again set his
tongue to going.
~ went to Cincinnati. and from dere to
about every town in Ohio. You'll see my
name, de Diamond Kid on every depot in
lat state, an on lots OF dem in dis. I
broke into Jail in Memphis, but / didn't
ike de quarters, so broke out an left de
70 wn on de fly"
Ever been in any other iails ?"
a-a-s, drawled out the Diamond Kid,
It the same time winking at the reporter in
, most significant manner. "I've been in
about every workhouse in this state an in
Ohio, an some in illinois an Kentucky.
Oh, Pm bum, am, an never spects to
De anything else. See desc Shoes" at the
iame time pointing to his feet, on which
we're good pair of almost new CATERS. "I
,ummed dem, an I'll bum me a suit of
clothes fore leave dis town. That's de
lind of a traveller is"
This assertion was finished off with a
7ery blue colored oath, as was the whole
ak OF the 10y, he being an adept in the
Use OF very sulphurous explosives. The re-
;hurch or Sunday school.
NAV" was the sarcastic reply, "nor new
II 'speets to. Dere's no "stuffh In dem pIs-
tor mo-