The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-28
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH TRAMPS?
Superintendent Travis Favors Whipping
Them If They Can't Be Made to Work.

What steps should be taken to keep the army
of Migrants away from the city is becoming a
very perplexing question to the authorities. ut
is being advertised all over the country that we
have big work-house. and nothing for prison.
to do" said Superintendent Travis the other
day, land the result is the worthless are drift
ing here in large numbers. Something will have
to be done to keep the Migrants away"
At present there are over one hundred men
being kept at the work house, and the entire ca
pacity of the prison is only one hundred and ff-
ty Already the management of the institution
has had to refuse to receive Migrants committed
for want of room, and If the prison continues to
fill up they will ell have to be refused admit
tance. Speaking of the vexed question yester-
day a member of the Council said There is but
one way to keep Migrants away from the city and
that is to make them work. That being the case
sort of employ ment must be provided at
the werk-house. If arrangement cannot be
made whereby the men can be utilized in break
ing stone for the streets of the city, some other
arrangement must DE made. believe the work
house should belong TO the city, and the pris-
opers could then be taken out and made TO do
all kinds of street work. Until some better
plan can be agreed upon / am in favor of put
ing the prisoners at work improving Garfield
Park. 1t should be done even if the city
is required to pay the county some
thing for the services of the men. One hundred
put to work In the park at laying out
walks, drives and such other labor as will
beautify and adorn the grounds. would soon
make the park resort that would be credit to
any city. / am opposed to renting the park for
dairy purposes, and believe everv other coun-
Gilman from the South Side agrees with me.
The action of the Council in authorizing the
city clerk to rent the park should be reconsd-
cred at the next meeting OF the Council and an
effort made to arrange with the commissioners
for the service of the men,
Sunday night twenty two tramps slept in the
station house, and during yesterday afternoon
two of this number were arrested for drunken
ness and one for petit larceny. A squad of half
dozen passing along East Washington
street during the afternoon, when one of the
number, who gave his name as James Dalton,
snatched q coat hanging in front of Guerstner's
clothing store. He captured by Mr.
Guerstner. after n chase of several squares. and
taken the station mouse. T,a
AT rol-call last evening Superintendent Travis
instructed the patrolmen to arrest all the tramps
they accosted and charge them with being
Migrants. The city is alive with them, he
said, land we will have to take some steps 10
get rid of them am of the opinion that they
are doing the most of the plfering around town
/ hardly know what is TO be done with them, as
there isn't room for many more at the work
house. and those who there are
not being worked: but want
them sent in, and we will keep sending them 10
the work-house. Anyhow, i do not k2ow hut
what il would be good idea resort to whip
ping them again. We tried that once, and in .
very short time had trarnps ia the city,
During the evening about twenty five Of the