San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-24
SOME OF THE TOUGHS,
WHERE THEY COME FROM AND
HOW THEY ARE RUN IN.
Their Little Games-How and When
Worked-The Tramp From
Sanitary and Industri-
Standpoint.

Sanitary and Industri-
lStandpoint.
For the past week San Antonio has
been literally over run by that most
undesirable, but highly interesting
class of free and Independent native
born American citizens, known as
Migrants, tramps, toughs, knock
abouts, orwhatever you choose to des-
ignate them. They have come to the
hospitable arms of the Alamo city in
great swarms, and since their advent
there have been perpetrated some of
the boldest, and crookedest of crooked
crook edness, that has ever been
worked ON the people of this city.
Such, at least, is the opinion of the
police. They ought to know, for it is
said that they have most convincing
proofs.
Not only have quite a number of
minor thefts been reported but also
slick burglaries and successful safe
crackings have been performed since
their appearance, one of the nerviest
thefts committed, being the recent
unsaddling of horse of one of our
mounted police almost under the
very noses of the authorities.
Where all of these good people come
from is hard to determine, but there is
no doubt that most of them have
focked to San Antonio from the Dali
las fair, with the intention of dispos-
ing of their plumber in this city.
These Migrants roaming about here
are nearly all we'll supplied with
money, while q large lot of articles,
such as jewelry, knives and weapons,
that can be easily handled and hid
den, Is being disposed of by them.
The police, however, are laying for
the Migrants, bringing into the bat
cave punches of the trampish indi-
viduals, and quite a number of them
are now busted pegging away, with
axe in hand, at the city wood pile.
The art of running in these vaga-
bonds is not so easy to master, for
tramps are some of the slickest kinds
of people that the police have to deal
with. Sometimes a good round up or
raid is made when an officer STUN
bles on to them while in their rOosts,
which sometimes are cosy hooks
along bitches or streams, old deserted
houses, and ofteper still, lone and un-
disturbed open box cars. Some times
they are caught while in the act OF
prying about premises, when they are
promptly arrested as suspicious char
acters, and very often they are taken
while begging.
An officer will sometimes attempt
to arrest them when they are quietly
and unassumingly walking along the
streets, unnoticed by the busy, jos
thing crowd that walks alongside of
them. The observing policeman,
however, eyes his men, and if he
thinks that he has q case, he follows
them up and begins to question them.
In such a case an officer has an OPP
portunity to test his mettle and dis
cover If he has any latent talent for a
successful detective. Usually some
such conversation takes place:
"What are you knocking around
here for, why don't you 60 to work."
1--WE didn't git time yet, we've jest
got in on der train. But we % going
to, soon as we kin git er job"
"What are you going to do until
you get work, beg. You had better
come with me, l won't have you beg
ging around here"
With a smile of triumph one of the
seedy trampish locking fellows reach
es down in to his pockets, and SHOW
ing q hand full of silver and green
backs under the officers nose replies,
yves don't have to work or beg
either. We's got money"
But the effect does not turn out to
be what the tramps expected, for the
officer grows amazingly inquisitive
and wants to know how and where
the money was obtained.
1--WE are mechanics and the money
was earned on the railroad in Dallas.
We are on our way to Orange,
Texas, and thought we would just
drop in and look at San Antonio
ventured the third man in the sus-
pected party.
'Say, are you not q little bit out OF
the way In coming to San Antonio on
your way from Dallas to Orange, and
then you are not looking about town
for q job are you? You had better
come with me-" and the men are
marched off to the old bat cave, where q
personal search usually reveals pile
of cash and numerous little valuable
articles. A statement taken from
each separately, gives very contra
dictory tale, and the men are as q
general rule good for twenty or thirty
days In Jail, it being hoped to find the
owners of the jewelry in the mean
time.
Almost every one knows more or
less of the remarkable wandering
nature of the tramp. He is ready,
able and perfectly willing to travel
any where, at any time and under