Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-02-26
PUT THE TRAMpS TO WORK.
Judge Ball Takes a Tramp Labo
Bill to Dover.
If This Bill is Passed, Buns and Tramps
viii Have to Break Stone Instead OF

If This Bill is Passed, Buns and Tramps
win Have to Break Stone Instead OF
Spending Their Time In Idleness.
Tuesday morning Judge Ball went to
Dover and took with him bill to pro-
vide labor for the tramps and "bum'
prisoners confined in New Castle Jail.
Before drawing the bill Judge Ball
made careful investigation of the
tramp labor system in vogue in Boston
and other New England cities, and pre-
pared II measure which he thinks will
work to advantage in this community.
The full text Of the bill is as follows:
An act TO provide employment at hard
labor for certain classes of prisoners in
New Castle county jail.
Be Il enacted bD he Senate and Iione Of i'ep-
reSeptdtjges Of HE State or Delamare IN Cen
erdi assembly met.
Section l. Ii shall and may be lawful for
any court in New Castle county having
competent jurisdiction in the matter Of
| assaults. drunkenness, disnrderly conduct
and vagrancy to sentence any person or
| persons convicted of any Of the above
| offences to imprisonment at hard labor in
addition TO the other penalties prescribed
| by law; provided nevertheless, that such
| imprisonment at hard labor for drunken
ness disorderlv conduct and vagrancy shall
not exceed 60 days.
Sec 2. 1t shall he the duty of the levy
| court of New Castle county, after the pas
sage of this act, from time to time to fur
| nish as many pcrches of stone of Il
| character suitable for being broken into
road macadam as the sheriff of New Castle
county shall require. Such stone shall be
| delivered in the iail-yard,. there to be
| broken by such persons who shall have
been sentenced to imprisonment at hard
labor under the provisions of section | of
| this act
Sec 3. Eight hours shall constitute a
1 days work at hard labor and such hard
labor shall be performed between the
hours of O'Clock in the morning and !
| O'Clock in the evening. No prisoner sen,
said labor except through physical IN
ability properly certified to thu
sheriff by the Jail physician. Should
any prisoner or prisoners prove
refractory and stubborn and refuse
TO work or to perform his or their work il
a proper manner, the sheriff shall hay,
power to place such prisoner or prisoners
in solitary confinement, there 70 he KEEP
on bread and water until he or they shal
submit to perform his or their tasks ant
obey his orders
Sec. 4. The said levy court shall provid,
teams sufficient to haul away daily from
the Jail yard all stone which shall hay
Dteil broken lIltO size Sullltltnl LOT IldC
adam, so as to keep the yard free from tn,
accumulation of such material. Sucl
material so taken away shall be depositet
on such of the county roads AS the sal,
levy court may, from time to time, direct
The levy court shall further furnish TO tn
sheriff, on his reqHistion, stone hammer
suitable for breaking the stone to be use
by the prisoners. The sheriff shall kcel
or cause to be kept an account of each loa
Of stone deposited and of each load 0
broken stone taken away, and shall trans
init the same on the first Of each month t
the clerk of the peace of New tastlecounty
to be by him laid before the said levy cour
at its ensuing meeting.
Sec. s. 1t shall be the duty of the sherit
of New Castle county to receive all person
who may be sentenced under the PROV
sions of section of this act, and to kee
them at hard labor as herein provided.
Sec 6. That all bcggars and vagabond
who roam about from place to place, Will
out any lawful business or occupation
sleeping in out houses, barns, marke
places, sheds, or in the open air, and NJ
giving good account Of themselves, sha
. be deemed Migrants and liable to the pei
alties of this act.