The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1895-05-22
. WHERE fRAAPS RULE.
COLONY OF THEM TEBRORIZES
NOR. ,ISTOWN, N. j.
Their Chief q Dependent Tailor-He Oc-
cupies an Eight by Twelve Palace and
Works Them In Organized SQuads-The
Residents In Constant Fear.

Residents In Constant Fear.
Residents of Morris county, N. j., are
terrorized by regiment of tramps, who
have been preying upon them for a
month past, and who threaten to remain
IN the vicinity until next winter Sher-
If Edmund A. Backer has been appeal
ed TO to drive the tramps out of the
county, but thus far he has done moth
ing. and the people are afraid to raise
their hands against the vagabonds, lest
they retaliate' by burning their houses
and barns or commit crimes of even
worse character.
There have lately been a few addi-
lions to the company, so that there are
now close to 80 tramps at large in the
neighborhood.
The tramps have leader named Cal
lahan, who used to be d respectable tail
or in Morristown. He is about SIS years
old and resembles Napoleon Ill He
has a son, who is a law student, and
two daughters, who are employed in
Newark as typewriters He lost his
business and in fit of desperation took
to the road. He was elected leader of
his fellow tramps because of his expert
ence and intimate knowledge of the
roads and inhabitants of the county. He
knows them ALL and every morning the
gang meets at his hut and receives or
ders.
All do not forage on the same day. It
is not necessary for more than third of
their number to 60 out at once They
take turns. so that all will have done
their shares Of work every three
days
Only few of the tramps are accom-
modated at night in Callahan S hut 1t
is small affair, about 10 feet by 8, and
not much more than feet high.
The hut is mainly constructed Of sto-
len lumber and is fitted up with few
shelves, which serve as seats by day and
hunks by night Mats and pieces of car
hardness:
Callahan has his regular dodgers, who
pay him extra for the privilege Of sleep
ing in his foul den The rest have had
to find sleeping quarters elsewhere.
They accordingly have appropriated to
their use several barns. which they pre-
empted as if they had natural and legal
claims to them, and the owners do not
dare to object. There is not house
within ten miles around that they do
not visit regularly. Four or five will
sometimes call in one day at a single
house and beg for victuals or money, or
both. They are quite dainty in their
tastes, and if food of inferior quality is
offered them they will reject it, and If
they are refused aims they will threaten
to use force. They often ask for cloth
ing, but they are so independent that
they will accept only garments that are
in good condition. One fellow told
Morristown woman who offered hin her
husband S castoff suit that he coul. 4 Z
take it because it was too much wclL.
"Reggars, he said, must be well
dressed and make good appearance, or
they won't succeed. If your husband
hasn't got a better suit than that, let
him come with me to camp, and III
get him one that viii look respectable. "
The tramps have already made friends
of all the dogs in the vicinity of the
camp. The dogs visit them and are we'll
fed, and consequently when the tramps
call at the houses the dogs do not mo-
lest them.
The tramps make no secret of their
purpose They say they intend to remain
in their camp all SUNNI Sr,- and they ex-
pect to have a good time if they are not
driven out. New York Times