The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-23
PLUNDERING THE FREIGHT CARS.
Frequent Piiferipg by Tramps from Trains
Running Into Jersey City.

All OF the railroads running into Jersey City
and vicinity have suffered more or less during
the past year from depredations committed by
tramps and other sneak thieves. who do not
steal much at time. but steal so frequently
that at the end OF year the claims for dam
ages by customers OF the various railroads
amount to n considerable item. A SUN re-
porter called at the freight offices Of the Penn
sylvania. the Erie. the Delaware. Lackawanna
and Western. and the Jersey Central railroads
few days ago in order to ascertain II possi-
BILE. the nature OF the thefts and the probable
amount Of damages each road would suffer
from such petty stealing during a year.
The officials Of tho different roads were very
reticent. and did mt want to give anv figures.
neither did they care to say much about tho
stealings. giving e. a reason that customers
would hesitate to send freight over their lines
II they should hal pen to see an article in q
newspaper giving full particulars OF tho rob-
berries. with All account OF the loss sustained
by the different companies printed also. They
admitted. however. that their freight trains
had oftentmes been broker into by tramps and
sneak thieves. and that articles OF value from
a side OF beef to q ladys lace handkerchief
had been stolen. The great army OF the I'M
employed had contributed In a great measure
to the ranks of the shieves they said. and dur
ing tho last summer petty thieving had in
creased all over the different roads on that ac-
count. No largo robbery OF freight has taken
place. however. on the New Jersey roads in
side Of two years. and tho general impression
among the officials is that the motive in most
cases Of the small thefts was hunger and the
necessity Of securing wearing apparel
The method employed by most OF the Offend
ers was to secrete themselves aboard u freight
train when 1t left some large town or city. and.
when any stop was made on the road at night
to break the seals. open the doors OF the cars.
and secure anything they could lay their hands
on at the moment Their success depended
somewhat on the vigilance Of the train hands
The orders OF the road are that all train hands
shall patrol elon gside OF the oars when the train
comes to q stop. but the dark ness has aided the
thieves to q considerable extent. and they have
oftentimes had the doors broken open and
lot Of freight stolen by the time the train came
fully to stop and thetrain hands commenced
their watching.
About a week ago an incident occurred that
showed the extreme necessity that mpelled
the thieves in many cases to robbery. Early
one evening an Erie train halted Just outside
OF Jersey City. and before the conductor or
train hands were acquainted with the fact a
door had been broken open and they saw two
tramps sitting in field a few hundred yards
from the train. eagerly munching away on a
side OF beef that had been taken. Another
equally audacous robbery occurred on the
D. l. and W. road. when nearly half a car load
of all kinds OF fruit was stolen by parties who
were hidden In bushes alongside Of the track.