The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-17
OUT THE TRAMPS
MAD KILLED FARMER sToTER's
'N HOLSTEIN COW

,.,pk on AprieInet-The Farmers
I'll, surrounded Their Retreat aud
Hard FIGHT Took Them Captive.
,.-nors OF Union county. Nj have for
lho two weeks suffered severely from the
h e OF tramps. A gang is located In
oelputuiIotsd house on what was once tho es-
Amos Clarke OF this city. This mousse Is
'aT v Mills about Ave miles from Fab.
I,mberts Mills ia the only place In
N county where appleiack Is distilled. and
U,oduct of Ito and John Lnmberts distil-
~ s tho pc. drink among tho farmers In
i.., .octon. 1t also seems to have been the
VI" ". dripk OF the tramps. Judging from the
p Wv o, times recently that the mills have
hssu broken into
,,otber gang Gourishcd until Saturday last
-, ANAL cabin in the woods nerr Oak Tree.
ANAL settlement about ten miles from
o,hv,y. on the Lohigh Valley railroad For
.s 49,, reeks they stole right and LEFT. until the
,.ruors held an Indignation meeting ana re-
lived 10 drive them out Iho result OF the
s ,S.s,., determination was pitched battle
h.,rean them and the tramrs. which finally
.udsd in victory for the farmers.
william Jones. u farmer who mnkes
..,.in,y OF raising fine poultry. was the
,Dr fortnight. ago. he found dozen Of his
s..., h,ntams had been stolen. Two or three
n,s.r hans lay around the yard dead. Their
Ssots had been twisted, and they had been
%s,wn aside by the thieves. The presence OF
M,tranps in the noig hborhood was not known
that time. and Mr.. Jones and his neiGhbors
",rdared who the thieves could be. That day
...dsuohter OF a farmer. who had been on an
.e pe,nS came rushing homo with startling
,nav While passing through the woods she
s,1ier ISronRd a fire. They yelled at her and
n M" abe ran away two OF them chased her.
NJ Shes screamed for help. and they gave up tho
Ths mex. night the tramps got hold OF key
of,ppleIack. and. taking 1t out to their cabin.
SSr.nt until they were in wild state OF intoxi..
ss 81 over tho settlement. and the farmers were
Afraid 10 GO to bed for fear the gang would de-
seend on the village and set some OF the barns
vinninc OF tho trouble. A couple moro tramps.
one Of them known through New Jersey as
Wssry Willie Hobbs. and particularly bad
lie robpcries continued. About ten days
ago Lewis Cole. Il, poor farmer; who bought
small strip OF land from fHe Sey s es.ae sons
His only COW dead on the ground. The cows
throat lad been cut and then the hind quar-
S ss rav over his loss and when the news
not around the settlement it was resolved to
drive the traups away.
sonnG tho wsnderai
ever they could lay their hands on. They stole
as st' confiscated everything they could carry
away. For days they terrorized the neighbor-
hood. Tho farmers wives and daughters
day dine and the farmers themselves were
Iifaid to venture away from home at night.
Jast where the tramps got the applejack on
.,NN - all MI nnf
En know, but Is thought that it was supplied
By their companions at l.ambeIts Mills.
On Saturday the end came. The farmers had
been thoroughly, aroused BY the raids Of the
tramps. but had fcarcd to attack them. as they
we're supposed to he armed and were known
to be desperate. That morning. when it be-
Stovers valuable Holstein cows had been
slaughtered In the Same manner as Farmer
Indignation ran high, and word was sent to all
quickly as they could to stover's house. bring
s S sas n 1 W6o ia not With dbey Hs sRs
call. In m hour there were twenty stalwsrt
men. some young. some ,mtddle-agcd. and
rs ss G saihor s in stovcrs front YARD Some
Of the farmers brought theh dogs with them.
and old Pop Green had along his big hound
Towser. the terror OF tramps and hunter ia
nous In Union county. Several OF the farmers
made speeches and every one agreed that the
ramps must go.
D
house to the cabin in the woods. and 1t didn't
take the farmers long to walk the distance.
SSome 0. tbe trnmrs wero sitting outside OF the
farmers coming. noticed thu rifles and dogs.
and then deciding that discretion was the
better part OF valor. retired into the house.
Nhen the farmers cano up they found the
doors ami windows tarricaded. They called
10 the tramps TO open the door. but the latter
teered at them and dared them TO attack the
house: The farmers held a council OF war and
aascusseI the nest way to get the tramps out
was decided TO try. to frighten them into
opening tho door by firing or rifles. This WAS
Gone, but tho tramps simply Bwore and dared
The farmers to come on.
Twas finally decided that the only way to
getthe gang out of tho house was to smoke
them our. ard accordingly heaps OF green
brush weto gathered and placed under the
aoor aad Under the windows. In every part OF
we old cabin whore the boards wore cracked a
heap Of the crush was placed. and then It was
~! set on hre, Tho tramps shouted defiance
hnrst but their shouts became weaker ne the
coughing inside.
:, They'll be out soon" shouted one farmer.
s sao was bus!ly engaged In replen:shing tho
soon the most horrible oaths could be heard
E s.I inside The farmers graspcd their guns.
sai some picked up clubs. The dogs were re-
tsat which the farmers knew was coming.
SSsn nnS WIN bang. the cabin door hew
t Tia sm mpa the sFamps. pale and choking from
mem aI once. The dogs were not slow to fol-
@Ttheir masters. and old Towser got TAM led
~ ~ ~ more Than one pair 81 trousers during
VIZ .ne ray; The tranips fought back with fists
NY CLUBS. but they were outnu mbered. aud.
.sng also weak from the elfecrs Of tho an oke
.nu ihelr numerous applejack drinks. wero
-. .naiiy forced to surrender This tbey did with
AZ VI grace. rursing the farmers as they did
SSIIa n AZ OF the lHrmers watched the tramps.
s snIie me other half searched tho cabin. They
, seie amazed Mt what they found. Bushels
~ III oushelS OF potatoes, apples. and yege-
SsS.es o. all kinds were strewn around the
EOot, while In corner lay the hinduuarter OF
ttatnet stoNer'S valuable Holsten. Then
sbi were numerous saddles and brides
sa mfSn haa been stolen from barns. to say
s sUSti n OF couple Of empty applejack kegs
al, Alter he search was over the farmers gath
fio, .oHether 70 determine on what DISPOSE
sss,s "a make ake ot their prisoners. Several sug-
trsatoua mat the tramps be tied to trees and
tra sn vathe very near being carried out Tho
f nsIIvys Geggei tor mercy. however. and were
t tssity released on condition that they make
ennn Ns lhineliatc!y for some other part OF the
minm,y, rms they agreed to do. and in Eve
Tb autes the last of them had disn ppeared.
Foot aismeTs then returned nome. taking the
to9iI 70 tho hut with them
hs w. VI me battle between the farmers and
lie ,a,mnips having reached Lnmbert's Mills.
SitSa ~ hers there are considering the advisa-
tmiiar' EiVlng the gang on the Clarke place n
has IVA dose: ms gang is led by man who
lame IL III n mat neiighborhood for years. He
TeSsr.o On account Of the length OF his hair
be,we.nn nkely TO be another battle before long
tlswsoorrh iratnps and farmers, and this time
CIs,I'ne OF mo Tray will probably be on the