The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1886-12-14
A TRAFFIC IN TRAMPS.
4 Profitable Business Carried on by
Shcrifrs in Pennsy lvania.

4 PRO fitable Business Carried on by
Shcrins in Pennsylvania.
The tramp question has been foi
years one of the most serious Difficult
ties the administration of Cumberland
county has had to contend with, writes
Carlisle, Pa, correspondent of The
Philadelphia Times. Every fall hordes
of Migrants flock up through the valley
from Delaware, Maryland and the
south, where they have been employed
during the summer months in peach or
berry picking or in the bay fisheries.
These all 90 into winter quarters IN the
various almshouses and jails of Penn
sylvania. As the county allows so
much per capital for tho support Of
these gentry, former sheriffs have not
failed to perceive their opportunity
and to profit by it. A year or so ago
the farming of tramps had assumed
such proportions THAT the better ele-
ment in both political parties became
alarmed, and steps were instituted to
suppress il. The county Jail here has
only thirty-six cells of ordinary size,
and yet as many as four hundred va
grants have been crowded into them.
AS many of the cells were occu-
pied by prisoners condemned to
solitary confinement it necessitated
the herding of as many as thirty men,
women, and children into one cell,
where the most abomnable practices
were carried on. The sheriff. bill that
year was some $4,000. The returns
from the almshouse also showed that
thirteen thousand people had been fed
during the year. BY judicious manage
ment profit of 10 or 10 cents meal
could be made by the sheriff, whose
office has sometimes been worth So, 900
or $4,000 a year. The justice who
committed these prisoners also received
u considerable fee. II has been COM
mon practice to c0mmit persons to
thirty days and after ten days to take
them out and recommit them. thus
making clear profit of twenty days.
The constables have been specially in
structcd to hunt up characters OF tins
kind, and it is well-known fact, by the
attestation of the prisoners themselves.
that they have been offered induce
ments in the shape of tobacco, whisky,
and other creature comforts, to consent
to take up their abode in the county
house for the winter.
Within year these practices have
been in a great measure suppressed.
Judge Sadler. however, in the term of
court, as it was the commencement OF
the season, specially called the atten-
ton of the grand jury to the subject.
In their report to-day they find that the
ventilation, illumination, and sanitary
arrangements of the Jail are bad, and
recommend the building of IN addition
or to erect new Jail. The sexes are
not properly separated. with attendant
results. The Jail proper is one long
corridor, with the cells in two tiers.
The prisoners congregate in the cor
ridors during the day. and wordy alter
cations and vulgar and profane
language are often INDUCED in. The
tramps in the lower tier mingle freely
during the daytime, and at night all
ages and sexes are often herded to.
gether
There are now about fifty Migrants
IN the Jail, twenty-nine of whom were
committed by Justice j. b. Martin and
sixteen by Justice James A. Green,
both of Carlisle. Among them are
Willie Albright, aged ? years; j. Gro
mer. aged 9 years; Louisa Kof, aged 4
years: Martha Davis, aged IA years.
and Laura Davies, aged 4 years. All
these children were committed by the
justices with hard labor, and are forced
20 mingle with the most hardened
criminals and witness the most horrible
sights day by day. The jury do not re-
fleet upon the sheriff and his assistants.
Il whom the prisoners all speak in the
highest terms. bpt strongly recommend
change in the jail arrangements and
. breaking up OF the tramp traffic.