Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-19
AN EX-TRAMPS STORY.
WHY HE NEVER CAN REFUSE 4
POOR FELLOW A QUARTER.
He Went ia See His Sweetheart and Had to
Steal n r de Home-An Escaped Convict
Exchanges Clothing with Him-Ris FIX
perience In Actual Trampinc.

",
had once besn a tramp himself He was i'm
medately asailed by a Storm OF inquiries,
and finally told this story of his strange ex
periences:
You gentlemen may not know, he said
that at one time was IA clerk here in At
lanta. didn't like standing behind counter
all day and found it especially hard work
70 keep my mind on my business, because all
my thoughts we're taken up by dear girl
who lived long way of 1t was my habit
Tn 60 down twice a month to see her
would leave Atlanta Saturday aftern oon,
spend Sunday with her and return in time
for work Monday morning These little
trips used up all my spare cash and ! was
Kept in constant state of dead broke
time came v hen had TO buy a new suit of
Clothes, and when had paid for them had
just enoue1 money left to buy a railroad
ticket to the place where my sweetheart lived
and return. thought nothing of that, now
ever, as | WIS in the habit of staying with
the young lady's father over the one night
remained As bad luck would have it, when
| reached the place the house was full of COM
pany and was Obliged to go to the hotel
didn't sleep much and didn't have a very
good time. The next day ] was thinking ali
the time how | was going to get back.
thought would borrow the money from the
girls father | hated that so much that
concluded TO jump my hotel bill instead.
RESULT OF A BRIGHT IDEA
Suddenly g. bright idea occurred TO me.
could pay M bill, leave like gentleman and
then hide in an empty freight car, and so ra
turn to Atlanta. That night said good-M
at the usual lime and left for the depot. But
instead of taking the passenger train slipped
around and Crawled into box car. After a
long wait heard some one running over the
roof of the car, and soon after we pulled out
IL was rough riding, but finally grew sleepy
and, placing my travelling bag under my
head, lay down. | could see the stars through
the open door and lay there and watched
them, thinking of the dear girl had left be
hind me, until, worn out by anxiety, fell
asleep
| must have slept very soundly, because
had only an indistinct sensation of stopping
several times and backing, with occasional
severe jolts. After one of these stops must
OF half avail ened, because seemed to see a
mans head looking into the car Just as we
were moving ahead again the head rose until
a complete man seemed outlined between me
and the shinil Is stars outside started up,
feeling sure some one was in the car besides
the open doo-, and could distinguish moth
ing. called and asked if any one was there,
but received no answer. Then l thought it
was all a dream and lay down again and
went to sleep
i was rudoly awakened by a kick in the
ribs, and as tried to rise something struck
me on the head, knocking me fat. Then
heard voice out of the darkness, telling me
falra .,Rr Sfl l.
knocked out | tried to demonstrate, but
another blow on the head was my only an
swer. When / came to myself was quite
naked, and 81 ting in the door could see the
figure of msLn. As moved he sprang up
and came to where | was lying. He kicked
towards me the clothes he had himself taken
off and told me to put them on 1t was too
dark to see an thing besides was bewildered
by the blows On the head and very cold, so
did as was told. This figure which l could
indistinctly see stood by with a club ready to
strike until the train began TO slow, then he
ran to the door and jumped out.
IN TIGHT FIX
Finally we reached a station, and | saw
a man run ont from the depot and say a
few words to the train hands. Then the
whole party came toward the place where
was concealed, and they did so heard q
few words, among them ''convictn-''tele
graphed" - escaped" - this train"-were
plainly distinguishable. Suddenly bright
light flashed INTO my car and heard them
all cry, Hes here" Then half dozen men
jumped in. seized me and dragged me into the
depot. For a moment the hight in the room
blinded me af Jer the darkness. Then caught
sight Of my own figure In a small glass over
the mantelpie,e and started back with hor-
ror. was Ill essed in the striped clothes Of a
convict / tried to explain, but the men
would not listen to me. They threw me into
a small closet and locked the door / could
hear my captCrs talking on the outside, and
the station master told how a notorious Grim
inal had escaped from a convict camp down
below, and how he had been telegraphed to
search every train for him, as it was thought
he might have concealed himself in n box car
TO get away.
The next me rning a man came who said he
was a sheriff, and put handouts on me and
took ms to jail. tried to talk to him and
tell him all my troubles, but he would not
listen to me. 1e told me- however, that some
one from the prison camp from which | was
supposed to have escaped, would be up that
evening and AXE me back My situation
was very hard | entered that car only in
tending to steal ride, and was taken from
it a convicted md sentenced burglar.
That night the convict camp keeper ar
rived, and as soon as he saw me he began to
swear frightfully. He told them l was not
the man he wanted. Then they began to be-
lieve my story, but even then they only be-
heved it in part. They concluded that / was
a tramp tryinl; to steal a ride and secuted
the idea of ny being a gentleman. Early
the next morning they gave ms some old
clothes, very ragged and dirty, and pair Of
old shoes, and told me to clear out. i didn't
knew a soul il the place, and every one
asked for help turned away from me with
some remark about the cheek of a tramp
Finally | was forced to really become a
tramp and made my way home on foot
tried to steal another ride on u freight train,
but they founo me and kicked me off, so
walked all the way home, begging a little
food by the WY. 1t took me two days to do
1t. Fortunately it was night when arrived
here. slippel into my room like thief and
| did not feel like an honest man again until
I had taken u osth and burned my tramp's
outfit.
81 suppose" remarked one Of the listening
senator's, ''thaj that little trip cured you of
going to see hat particular sweetheart"
"No, it didn't" replied the ex-tramp.
"She is my wife now, but can never refuse
fellow a qua ter when | see he is down on
his luck "-I H. W. in Atlanta Constitution.
Cause and Eject.
countrymau was ordering tombstone
for his brother