Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-20

|
THE POLICE REPORTERS TALE.
| "What is the yuse of living on the square,
anyway? l might just as well stick up some
guy or do job an so to the pen as to be
thrun in the calaboose all the time for
moochin' an bein' vag. There amt nothin'
in it, When | get out agin the fly cops II
pinch John the vag fur somethin' else
sides havin' no vizble means of support
and ben' drunk"
John the Vag, as he always appeared on
the police court blotter and as he was known
to the police force and his acquaintances,
who had '0rgotten that he ever had any
other n .,, .nduged in this silent soiloquy
as he / to find a soft spot on the hard
bench ia his cell at the city Jail. He had
| just finished the last of his thirty days on
the chain gang, but the cold weather and
| The labor of shovelng the snow on the
streets had added such zsst to his appetite
that he was glad to accept the turkeys in
vitation to remain for the prisoners even
ing meal
The prisoner was a typical specimen of
| the hundreds of his kind who are habitues
| OF police stations and courts the country
| over during the winter time. He one
| of the men born of the hard times Nothing
| more than hobo, he was unable to turn
! his hand to anything after the panic swept
| away his means of employment and he
| shortly drifted into membership in the so
ciety of the great unwashcd. He became
| a tramp pure and simple and then con-
| frmed drunkard. He gained the few dimes
| that he required for whisky by "moochin ,"
| or begging. He obtained his food at free
lunch counters and his lodging at the police
| station.
| Dirty, unkempt, ragged and trembling, the
wretch first appeared before the police judge
! over a year back AS it was his first time
| the police Judge discharged him, but when
| he came up again on the following day to
answer to the charge of drunkenness and va
| grancy. he was given few days sentence
| After that he became a periodical prisoner
| on the same charge and thus gained his
nickname from the policemen, and ii spread
out among his acquaintances. There was
usually very little surplusage in the trial
| proceedings when he was called before the
| bench.
Here again, john" the judge would say
| "Ill give you ten days this time. | don't
| want to hear you talk he would add hur-
riedly, John attempted to make his stere-
| otyped promise of reform, and then would
| turn to the desk sergeant frequently and
say: "There ought to be some home to take
| care of drunkards like him."
On Johns last appearance before the court
| he was either more than ordinarily full OF
| bad whisky or the judge was not in the best
| of humor, for he was sent to the chain gang
for thirty days. Daily he marched out with
| his shackled companions and scraped and
swept upon the streets. Often ii was cold
and he shook and trembled beneath his
| scanty coverings. AS the days OF his SEN
tence passed and he sobered and returned
to his sense. he became bitter toward the
rest of the world and turned toward positive
crime as a possible means of escape from
his condition.
Jais are most successful schools of
crimes and there are any number of in
structors In all branches that no student
need lack for pointers. The graduates are
many.
Sorry you won't be with us at our Christ
mas dinner tomorrow John but you will be
here on New Years" was the jaler's laugh
ing farewell to John after supper he
turned over TO the vagrant his one posses
Fsion, a broken-bladed knife. John mumbled
a good-by, but his heart turned more bitter
yet at the words. and beneath his breath he
cursed the officer
The sorry figure stepped out OF the police
station into the darkness. Snow was on the
ground and II was bitterly cold The home
less being shiyersd and hugged his ragged
coat more closely to his breast, but the shafts
OF the wind penetrated to his bones. For an
instant he hesitated debating whether II
might not be better to apply for lodging in
the Jail, but his hatred of the "coppery
prevailed, and with an imprecation he moved
Tho retail business section was alive only
as IT is on the one night in all the year
Christmas eve. The stores were all alight
and were visions OF the fairyland of toys
and gifts. Happy crowds filled them and
jostled to and fro along the payements. Men,
women and children were on the hunt for
gifts for the morrow and their faces were
indicative of the far greater happiness that
comes to the given than to the receiver.
John could mingle with the crowds only
short time. The hatred and rage in his
heart soon drove him from the happy multi
tude and he took his stand on a darkened
corner In a few minutes a well dressed
man passed by and the vagrant. overcome
with the tumult within him, made threat
enlng movement toward him He racoilected
himself, however, and with grinding teeth
and clenched hands rushed off IN the oppo-
site direction toward the muck heap OF the
city, whore he had dweled with vice and,
crime.
Tho church bells had thrown forth their
Ginning welcome to the day OF all days
that is Teverenced In the Christian heart
II was an hour after midnight and Christmas
had arrived. The stores were closed. The
crowds were gone from the streets. The
city was dreaming OF the Joy and happiness
of the glorious Yuletlde. Silently the white
flakes fell from heaven to enshroud the old
wicked earth In pure and holy ermne for
the coming day.
Out in the suburban district, on a street
lined with fine residences, skulked crouch
Ing figure. II moved slowly and cautiously,
keeping well out OF the glare thrown by the
big electric lights II shiyered as the wind
whirled the fast falling snow about cap
was drawn closely down upon the forehead
Every few minutes the lips hssed They
don't get me for moochin' this time" The
figure was that OF John the Vag.
The midnight prowler crept slowly along
the street and stopped several times before
tha residences. The suDerlcial examination