The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-16
TERRORlZED BY TRAMPS.
Hoboes Hold Up Town in True western
Style

HODO98 n
Style.
New York, Dec. 10.-All New Ro-
chelle, so to speak, stood at its guns
last night. Monday night a gang OF
tramps held up the town in true
Western style, and as result there
was not man in the town yesterday
who didn't admit that he was afraid
there would be repetition of the raid
last night.
New Rochelle has long been favor
lie stopping place for tramps bound
for New England. The town force OF
blue-coats is only six strong, so it is
easy prey for the hoboes.
An average of twenty tramps are
rounded up every week even by this
meaere force, and once during the
height of the tramp travelling season
this autumn sixty were put in the
lookup in two days. Things have
been rather quiet of late and the peace,
full suberbanites and commoutors did
not expect anything like a concerted
raid.
Those tramps were nothing if not
bold, They reached town at dusk
and began their work at once, not in
quiet by.streets, but in Main street,
the heart of the business quarter.
"Gimme an overcoat, an be blame
quick about it," yelled frowsy, tat
tered Individual, bursting into the
clothing store of Samuel Cohen at No.
327 Main street. "If you don't I'll
smash the whole place upl"
Cohen yelled; his wife screamed.
Upstairs lives a policeman, and the
shop keeper lost no time in leaving
his wife to face the tramp while ne
summoned help. The tramp didn't
wait for his coat but disappeared down
the street, while two other hoboes who
mad kept guard outside made off too.
Smash, crash, bang! 1t was stone
ripping through the window of the
home Of Mr.. Wells in Home Park. A
second later in piled a grimy tramp,
who knocked over table and chairs,
yelling for money. The family was
sitting in the next room. He didn't
frighten them for cent, and when
they made a concerted rush for the
intruder he got out quicker than he
came in.
Robbery was holding high carnival
down on Main street all this time.
William Weinstein had case of rub
bers stolen from under his nose. Two
silk waists were taken from the coun-
ter of a dry goods store. Butchers
and grocers were streaming into the
police station and telling of sudden
onslaughts by hoboes, who made off
with whatever they could lay their
hands on. Other people were COM
planning that tho hoboes had been
holding up passers-by and demanding
money. Altogether the town was de-
moralized.
"Catch him! He's run off with
coatl" cried small boy, running into
the clothing store OF another Cohen
at No. 243 Main street. ''I'd have told
before but he said he'd kill mel"
Sure enough, there was a tramp
making off with one of Cohen's $50
overcoats. He couldn't be caught.
Then the other Cohen up the street
had another visit from tramps. They
demanded hats all around on pain of
demolishing the place, but they were
frightened off.
At II p. m. a strapping big fellow
walked into Meyer S. Nathan's hotel
No. las Huguenot street, woke Mr..
Nathan, who was doing in chair,
and rosred "Gimme drink; I'll hook
my shoes for It'll"
Nathan was thoroughly terrorized
and handed out a glass of beer. Then
the fellow began to curse everybody
and started to clean out the place.
Nathan got back. his courage, and
with the aid of his waiter threw out
the invader, who put up stiff fight.
The next minute stone came crash.
ing through his SIPS plate.glass win
dow.
"Help!" yelled Nathan, and the
tramp was arrested and locked up
after half the force bound him hand
and foot.
He was James Gordon, twenty. eight
years old leader of the gang. He said
that he was from Albany, and that
he been drinking acohol. The po-
lice got Fritz Miller, Mount Vernon;
James Bybee, of Cincinnati, and John
Kenney, of No. 8 Laight street, New
York City.
Gordon was identified as the man
who had broken into Mrs. Welles's
house, and yesterday Justice Lamb
den fined him $50 and sent him to Jail
for six months. The others got fifty
nine days apiece in the Westchester
County jail at White Plains.
All day long the tradespeople talked
of their adventures. Then they pol
ished up their old guns and pistols,
prepared to stand any sort of a raid
New York World.
Killed His Assaflants.