Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-25
INFESTED BY TRAMPs.
A Great Army OF Marauders Moving
Between Philadelphia and New York
Citizens Compelled to Arm.

PHILADELPHIA, April "a.
= Residents of the numerous cities and towns
lying along the line of the Pennsylvania rail.
road, from this city to New York are expe-
riencing perfect reign of terror from
great body of tramps who are moving out
from Philadelphia and New York to descend
upon the country and carry dlsmay into farm
houses. These marsuders have appeared in
such numbers that the peaceful residents
have been compelled to take up arms in de
fence. and are now waging bitter war against
the intruders. The number of tramps is es
tima,ed at several thousand.
At Frankford the citizens living near the
railroad station have FURNISHED up the old
family fire arms to protect themselves from
the nomads. The tramps nightly visit their
back yards and endeavor to get into the
kitchen to procure food or whatever they
can lay their hands on. Many of them are
very young, some being scarcely over ten
years old, and these are said to be even
more malicious than their older colleagues.
On Friday night last the Frank ford police
captured FIVE or six OF hese youngsters, on
whom terrified citizens a opened fire, and
they were sent up for six months to the
house of correction.
Bridesburg has also been infested. Dur
imprisoned for short time in the police sta
ton there and then ordered to make them
selves scarce. A popular rendezvous this
season seems to be at Tscony, where the va
grants have committed several depredations.
MIR. Titus, who lives near the railroad, was
awakened on Thursday night by six tramps
trying to rob his house. After he had fired
several shots at them from his revolver they
hos IN fhnr m
named Douglass was also visited on the night
previous, and before the police could be
summoned the thieves had stripped his PAN
try.
As Holmesburg is so near the home of the
house of correction the trsmps are only seen
there in any great number during the night
For the past two weeks the police of that
district have been on the lookout for them
and say that they capture a score of them
nightly. They Immediately hand them over
to the house of correction authorities, who
give them a bath and set them to work
Master Warden Mcbride stated yesterday
that the house is being rapidly filled with
tramps and that he has fully $50 of them as
inmates
The principal rendezvous for the maraud-
ers is at rullytown, near Bristol, where they
rob the freight cars and terrorize the peace
full inhabitants They board the freight
trains there for the different points along the
line.
This stealing of rides has been done lately
in such defiant way that nearly all of the
train employees have been compelled to pro
vide themselves With arms TO fight the tramps.
One freight train few night, ago carried
fifteen such passengers. and the employees,
being outnumbered and without weapons
were forced to allow them to ride to New
Brunswick.
AT Bristol the tramps have been making
things lively for citizen. who have no FIRE
arms. The mayor of the town last week is
sued an order to the police to arrest any
trimps who dared to enter the place. Th.
order has been carried out so strictly that
for the past few days the Bristol inhabitants
have had a chance TO get breathing spell
Scores of vagrants pass by the place early
every morning.
Trenton, New Brunswick and other points
along the line of the New York division of
the Pennsylvania railroad, are also afflicted
with armies of tramps committing depreds.
tons. The number has assumed such slar m
ing proportions and so many are stealing
rides on the freight trains, that the railroad
authorities have hired n special corps of de-
tectives to assist their regular force. under
the command of Capt John Brown, arresting
all the trsmps found along the line.
Detective Brown stated recently that he
had never known trsmps to be so numerous
as this season or so hard to handle. HI has
been compelled to wound several by shots
from his revolver in order to get them of
the trains or the railroad track. Lately the
railroad authorities have run a special car
attached to the l2.05 train from this city
containing tramps for the house of correc-
ton. The principal migration of the tramps
so far as can be learned, is toward this city
many hailing from New York and Newark