The Indianapolis journal., 1894-04-27
"GEN., FRYE AND HIS GANG.

The civil authorities in Indiana are not
in the enforcement of law in novel circum-
stances or emergencies. The tardiness
shown in suppressing the White Cap out
RACES and the Roby nuisance is an illus
tration. In both cases the local authori-
ties ignored their duty for long time. and
in the case of the White Cap outrages the
State authorities during the administra-
tions Of Governors Hovey and Chase were
equally remiss Perhaps it cannot be said
that the civil authorities of Indiana are
worse than those of other States in this
regard, but they can generally be de-
pended upon to maintain the average of
American slowness In the enforcement of
law
The latest instance of violated law, and
one in which both local and State authori-
ties seem to have been entirely unprepared
for the emergency, has just occurred In
connection with the arrival in this city o?
General Frye and his gang of tramps.
called by courtesy division of the United
States Industrial Army. The seizure and
appropriation of Vandala freight train
at Brazil by these men was grand larceny.
and their use Of the company's tracks and
other property to enable them to beat their
way to this city was gross invasion Of
private rights for which somebody should
be punished. The civil authorities nave
lost an opportunity Of giving an object
lesson in the enforcement Of law and win
ming praise for the State when they failed
to nip this thing in the bud. When the
Governor found that Frye and his crowd
were about to enter and cross Indiana he
should have issued a proclamation warning
them that they would be held to strict ac-
count for all their acts within the State,
| and he should have called on all local au-
| thorities to see that no train stealing or
| other interference with private rights
| property should take place. The local au-
| thorities at Brazil are censurable for maxi
| ing no effort to prevent the outrage there,
| and we are by no means sure that those of
| this city are not equally so for not having
| arrested the ringleaders Of the gang i'm
| mediately on their arrival in this city.
| There is no law to prevent tramps and
loafers from assuming military titles and
| exploiting themselves as popular leaders
| and reformers, though the whole crew are
| liable to arrest under the vagrant law.
But they should be given to understand
that they not privileged characters with
license to steal either from railroads or
| from private individuals. So far as the
| train-stealing incident is concerned, il is
too late to prevent it, but the local author
tiles can still do something to show that
they are not asleep nor in sympathy with
vagrancy and lawlessness. The tramps who
arrived yesterday should be notified that
their presence here is not desired, and that
| they are expected to leave the city as soon
| possible. They should be further no.
titled that no more train stealing will be
| tolerated in Indiana, and they should be
closely shadowed until they leave town.
| Let General Frye be treated as the self
appointed leader of a gang of idlers and
| tramps, and be given to understand that
instead of being a hero or reformer. he
| is a suspect in the eye of the law.