Evening star., 1897-01-20
THE TRAMP NUISANCE
Hard Times Increasing the Floating
Horde.
Policy of Strict Dealing With Them
From Now Until After Inau-
gufatiOn Day.

proved a hard question to solve, and there
are now 80 many people Of this class In
the house Of correction at Bridewell. near
Baltimore. that the institution can accom-
modate only a few more, and this can be
dcne only by overcrowding. This institu-
ton receives tramps and other prisoners
from all parts Of the state, and although
the building was erected to accommodate
only two hundred and fifty, 1t Is said that
there are about five hundred inmates there
now. And a large number Of them are
tramps.
Yesterday the police here received word
that Gov. Lowndes will shortly pardon a
great many of the tramps because of the
overcrcwded condition of the prison. and
the police think that scores OF them will
naturally come this way and many OF
them may remain to witness the inaugural
parade. There are already scores of the
'.foaters" here, and with the increased
number of the "Coxey army citizens the
police think the local workhouse Will soon
become overcrowded. for they intend to
see that all offenders are locked up to keep
them off the streets during the inaugura-
ton. when the thieves and ruff1ans OF
higher order will claim their attention. II
will then remain for Judge k1mDall 10 90
the rest. Most of the tramps understand
full well the meaning of a workhouse sen-
tence. for instead of living in comparative
idleress. as they did years ago, they arc
compelled to do full days work on the
streets with pick or shovel and face the
cold winds on the high bank overlooking
the branch.
A Tramp Rendezvous.
Recently tramps have been terrorizing
people on the Metropolitan branch Of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad between here
and Harpers Ferry, more especially at
Brunswick, where the yards and railroad
shops are located. All the freight trains
and many passenger trains between here
and the west stop at Brunswick, and then
the tramps who ride on the blind ends of
the baggage cars on the freight cars
raid the houses for food. Only a few days
ago several of them came near capturing
a train. They entered the train, begged
from the passengers and they then held
up the conductor, and would have taken
his coat had not some of the other railroad
men come to his assistance. While en-
gagged in a battle with a gang of tramps
John Lille the railroad watchman in
the yards shot one of them. This was
OILY one of several unpleasant experiences,
and, Notwithstanding the responsibility of
his position and the dangers to which he
is exposed, some of the citizens condemned
him for the use Of his pistol in his effort
to protect his own life and the property of
the company.
But Saturday night when masked men
called at the house of the bridgekeeper
and robbed him of 800 these people who
had condemned the watchman for having
used his pistol changed their minds. This
robbery caused considerable excitement
and indignation among the good citizens
of the county, and the feeling toward
tramps has been somewhat changed. Peo-
Pile in Frederick and Baltimore are in
te1ested in the robbery. and some of them
have expressed willingness to pay for
the capture of the robbers.
The Brunswick Robbery.
Yesterday afternoon Chief Lloyd called
on Inspector Hollinberger and informed
him of what had been going on in the vi
cinity of Brunswick, and asked that
member of the local force be permitted to
go with him to assist him in his efforts to
ferret out the bold robbers. He selected
wanted, ard this morning the two officers
went to Brunswick TO make full investi-
CATION. The fact that these robbers were
masked raises the suspicion that they were
not all tramps, but that some Of them live
in their house. 1t has been reported that
the old couple at the bridge had money
In their house. 1t has eben reported that
there are number of people in the vicin-
are suspected of being of a character cal
culated to commit almost any crime, and
these people will be fully Investigated by
the officers before they return.
situation, Chief Lloyd said he had hoped
the last state legislature would enact
new tramp law.
Work on the Roads.
His idea is that each county should look
after it's own tramps and vagrants and put
them at work improving the public high
ways. Each prisoner, he says, should be
made to carry ball and chain and do road
work. In this way the state would get
highways to equal some other states and
at comparatively small cost. Men who
would wheelbarrows could carry the
iron balls in the vehicles, AMI those at
work could throw the ball the length Of
the chain and then work UP 10 it. This
work would be very inexpensive, and would
result in a great amount of good to the
state. The cost for feeding them, he
thought, would amount to less than twenty
cents each day. 1t was recalled that
prisoners wearing ball and chain some
times escape, but the chief said that an
escaped tramp would in all probability
never return, so that the state would be
greatly benefited in either event. A few
days ago, he said, man was arrested in
Baltimore who had irons On him, and the
police were unable to learn to what juris-
diction the irons belonged. few days
ago a colored man who had escaped from
Virginia was arrested here, and he had
sold the ball and chain.