Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-21

MEAS, THE VICIOUS LoAvsp SxD nm BOZ WHO
WANTS 10 Bz BAD-sExBEp sKRrssKNr laws
Csmplain1s ne being received By ths police
concerning the large number Of tramps whs
are now appearing here, sad an eGers will soon
b made ts rid the city Of them. From the OBJ
ssrvstiuus Of the police it il evident that there
are several classes Of persons denomiuated
tramps, and the police think that the vagraucy
law Is not suited to meet all these dizerent
casss- Under the present Law ill that can bs
done with them ordinarily is to require them
TO give bond in the sum of S20 or sentence
them for . term not exceeding ninety days
down on the farm. The imprisonment, the
police argue, suits many Of thsrn, for il is Just
long enough to provide for them comfort
ably during the severest weather, when
outdoor life is not desirable. In
iact there are many tramps who
could not be pleased better, for they like TO
have a short period in the year for rest and are
confented In place where they are not re-
CURED to hustle for their living and beg from
door to door for something TO eat. Then,
again, when night comes they can lie down and
sleep beneath a covering where there is no
danger OF getting frost-bitteu toes and no fear
lest some one Will rout them out with a shot
gun they also avoid the dangers encountered
rlaing between freight cars and jumping on
and on trains while in motion. There are hum
9reds OF tramps, so the police say. who are
happy. in the winter, when they can come here
and i've on the farm. During the severe
weather. when the ground is frozen, the men
are unable to do mnch work, and consequently
the pirds OF passage who stop here in winter
have an easy time of it.
THE GENUINE TRAMP.
Those who are willing and anxious to stop
and put up with the work house fare are the
genuine dyed-in-the-wool tramps, who spend
all the rest of the year on the road and who
carry their beds as they walk. All they pos
sess. except what they carry on their backs. is
their name. and seldom does that amount to
much, except when the authorities are in pur-
suit OF them FOR depredations on property or
some other trespass on the laws of the country.
among this class of men there are many who
have sad tales to unfold and who tell of unfor-
tunate circumstances or a streak of bad fortune
causing them to take to the road They 90
almlessy through the country year after wear
without hearing word from their families or
friends, II they have any. Many OF them assert
that they have both, but are unwilling to return
and some frankly admit that they tramp be-
cause they are not fond Of work and do not
lnpend 70 perform any labor. One individual
arrested not many months ago asserted that
the Lord made something for every mouth and
be believed he would get his share These
people, the police learn have some good
traits after all. Most OF them speak
nothing but kind words and their charitable
deeds are often shown to each other when they
meet here in the lodging rooms in the police
stations. Those who are sick or who feel unweII
are looked after by others, and they are al
ways ready and willing to share their food II
there happens to be one hungry man in the
room aud another who has food in his ragged
traps the latter will open up his traps and feed
a hmm Al
those who pay no attention to the others and
whose actions border on those of insanity
They seem to have no idea that there 10 any
body else In the world except themselves aud
DO not realize In the slightest degree that there
Is anything to live for in this world Ii rarely
happens among this class of people, who are
citizens of nowhere, that one is vicious. al
though many crimes are laid to them. Usually
they are peaceable and will submit to almost
any lndignity without resenting it. but when
one with bad temper is found and he gets on
the warpath he will NOT stop much short OF
murder.
ANOTHER CLASS.
Another class Of tramps mentioned by the
police are the men who are known as 'bums"
They include persons generally younger than
the other class, who live by begging and steal
ing and who seldom sleep in the police dodgers
rooms. although they are sometimes forced BY
circumstances TO accept the hospitality of the
police. Their nights are mostly spent in cheap
lodging rooms, where they can get accommo-
dations for 10 cents a night and have a red-hot
stove to hover about in cold weather. Ii is AT
these pnces that the police find them when
they are ou. in search of them. During the
day these men go about the streets either beg
ging or offering for sale some small article to
give them an excuse should they be caught in
anypodys house near new overcoat, hat
or some other movable article. Past experience
shows that the blind has worked etfectually and
prevented many OF them from falling into the
hands OF the police. Some who beg during the
day for the support Of other members of their
gangs. Rs we'll as themselves use other means
of enhsting the sympathy Of the charitable
people. The most popular means with them
seems to be that OF bandaging an arm or leg
and pretending that they are crippled while
some go so far as to really cut themselves or
use acids to make a bad appearance. Then,
again, crutches are used, but when policeman
comes their way they drop around corner off
the much-traveled street, take their clutches
In their hands and run until they get safe dis
lance from the blue-coated guardian. Then
they are soon back again, looking for other per-
sons to rob. This class the police consider as
the worst among the many families of tramps
and the best to get rid of.
THE BOY rRAMPs.
Another class of persons who are classed |
among the tramps are the boys who start out |
on the road in tender years, who are attracted |
to rowing life by reading dime novels and |
cheap literature. They imagine they want to |
become highwaymen, train robbers or toughs |
in general. With this class of tramps are many |
boz who run away from their homes because |
Of their inability to get along with parents or |
step-parents or because Of some grievance, real |
or imaginary. They often land in police sta |
ton or aims house and are glad to accept |
ticket for their return to the places they once i
thought were not good enough for them.
AN EARLY MIGRATION.
There are more tramps here now than ever |
before SO early in the season, 50 the police say,
but they do not attempt to account for their
early arrival except that the elections are Just
over and the illegal voters are scattering. Per-
haps it is because a severe winter has been pre-
dlcted and short cold snaps are driving them
to warmer climate.
''They certainly constitute the worst sort of |
0 nuisance" said Lieut. Anliss of the first pre-
cinct to STAR reporter, but how to keep the
city rid of them with the present laws cInnot
imagine. The law as it now stands is beneficial
to the tramps, and for that reason many of /
them like to come here. This class of people
give New Jersey q wide berth, because Of the
laws there. Ii there was a more STRINGENT law
here the citizens would not be annoyed 40 they
are now. In New Jersey when q tramp is ar
rested be ID not sent to q warm prison. where
he can idle away his time eating two meals a
day and looking out the windows, but he is put
in fol- a long period, usually covering q part of |
the year when he most likes to be ON the road. |
Then. too. he is compelled to perform manual /
labor that requires more exertion than he cares |
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