The evening times., 1896-01-13
Long Line Of Weary Wayfarers in
Judge kimbaII's Court.
woRKINGMEN In DISTRESS
The Prisoners We're, Many Of Them,
Men Who Are Seeking Work, But
Cannot Find It-"Becky" Smith
Finds 1t Hard to Keep Out of the
WOrkhOuse.

| shoes, and in their wan, hungry faces and
| eager eyes shone the misery OF being honlc-
less and friendless.
Workingnen from all parts of the country
who have been engaged in every kind OF hard
| work ,fromdredglng foroysters in the Chesa-
pcake, to niolding iron In the Pittsburg
fOundries, and building cars for Pullman
| in Chicago, have made Washington their
Mecca this year. Never In the history OF the
city have so many vagrants preyed on The
| public and filled the workhouse. e
This morning, out OF the fifty men and
| women locked up in the cells, onc-half were
arraigned on the charge or vagrancy.
| The most notable "vaG" of the morn
| ing was Rebecca Smith, Familiarity known
| to the police Of all precincts as becky"
| This time, though, the charge of disorderly
conduct was read 10 her by the clerk
when she Ieaued against the dock rail.
BECKY EXPLAINS.
| I'm guilty of goiD' to the station house
to complain about man." Becky began
to explain, bat she was interrupted by the
Clerk saying again:
You are charged with engaging in dis
orderly conduct. Are you guilty Of that or
not:'
We'll, all did was to go 10 the sta
! ton
Enter 4 plea OF not guilty and proceed
| with the case" interrupted Judge Kimbail
and Policeman Flather OF the First precinct
and Charles Mitchell, a colored man, were
called as witnesses.
Judge" said Mitchell dis woman cum
to my house yistiddy an sol me shirt
TO- fifty cents. Den she cum back in de
eveniu' drunk an cussin an tol me 10
glib her de shirt back. / to!' her she could
bab il If she glib me &c money, an she
cussed twe,l / had ter get my wife ter
hep put her out. Den went an got
Mister Father, an he took her to de
station house"
How about this, Mr.. Flather?" asked
the judge.
"She was very drunk. Judge, and was
cursing in front of this mans house"
What have yoI To say, Becky"
well, yesterday morning, judge, i
went TO this mans house an left two pieces
OF underwear Till / went back. Then when
did go back they wouldn't give them to me.
had TO kick up Il fuss, but as for cnssin'
an swearin' an bein' drunk. l wasn't
neither the one nor the other"
when did you get out of the workhouse,
Becky"
BACK TO THE woRKHOUsE.
II got out last Wednesday an haven't
been well since" 90.
well. you'n have 70 go back there"
said the Judge. Five dollars or fifteen
days
Judge, y said Becky, before go
want yol to give me a warrant for that
niger man" s-----
;"step back, Becky said the baiiiff,
"Yo OIL have been fined
BIT don't l git no twarrant?" she de-
manded Indignantly. as she was hustled
back. and her protests were audible from
the cell room.
George Wilson, rather decent-lookinG
white boy, evidently wanted to go to the
workhousc for a rest, for he pleaded guilty
to charge of vaGrancy, and made little or
no defense. Policeman Cover of the First
precinct preferred the charge.
what was the boy doing, Mr.. Officer?''
asked the Judge.
II was at the Sixth street depot in citi-
zcns' clothes, your honor, and he approached
me and asked for money"
Il had just come up from Norfolk. your
honor" said the boy. Il hadn't any money
to get anything to eat"
"wherc is your homer
philadelphia"
How old are you?"
Eighteen years Old
"You ran away from home, suppose?'
mo, sir; just Left
what made you leaye?'
81 ran away from school,
That's the very worst thing you could
have done. Are you on your way homer"
YES. SIR
"Wcll, I'll take your bonds, If you'll
promise to leave town at once
There was a shade of regret on Wilson's
face as he listened to the clerk and then
wandered into cold outsile.
BOGUS DEATH CERTIFICATE.
James Dcdson, Il negro, was arrested
last by Policeman Muller of the Fourth
precinct for soliciting aims on a bogus
death certificate, alleging that his five
days old baby was dead.
He claimed that he had not the means to
bury her, and endeavorcd to work upon pub
lie sympathy by his pathetic story
He succeeded in obtaining fifteen cents
from one man, who had investigated his
case and who followed him until Police
man Muller was seen to whom he reported
the facts.
The certificate contained the signature
of r. T. Caldwell and gave rs tie under
taker r. d. Young, who has been dead
number of years. j udge kimbail held
Dodson in $500 bonds, OF six months in the
workhouse, and in default of security he
was committed.
Charles p. Finch and Thomas Riley,
young white fellows from Richmond, Va,
were arraigned by Policeman Flather on
the vagranCy charge, and both pleaded not
guilty.
.They applied at the station house last
night" said the officer.
Both the young fellows said they had
been dredging oysters down the bay, and
upon their promise to leave town Judge
Kimball directed the clerk to take their
personal bonds.
DIGGING FOR BURIED TREASURE.