The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-02
FORTY Y-ONB HOBOES
Wholesale Raid on Tramps By
Captain Newton Who
Knows Them /?

Forty-one hoboes were arraigned be-
fore Justice Nevin in the Second Grim
inal Court this morning. They flied the
court room with an odor which was not
pleasing. They will be sent to the Peni-
tentiary for terms varying from thirty
days to three months. They will be kept
for the present however, at the Oakland
avenue police station, where they will be
open to inspection and Identification by
the numerous citizens who have been
held up and robbed in lonely sections OF
the Heights of late. The numerous depre-
dations which have been committed re-
Gently by tramps and rough characters
upon the Heights prompted the raid
The raid was conducted by Captain
Newton of the Oakland avenue station.
At three o'clock yesterday afternoon he
started with twelve patrolmen for the
western end of the Erie Railroad tunnel,
where he had reason to believe the ho-
boes were encamped. Near the tunnel
is a large clump Of heavy underbrush
which encloses a large open space. To
the back of the opening is a high embaniS-
ment in which a cave has been dug. For
several years the spot has been a favorite
rendezvous for tranps They organized
in a regular colony, which was run on the
Bellamy plan. The spoils were
turned into the common lafder
to be distributed according to the
needs of the several members of
the community. On several occasions
prior to the raid of yesterday, the coll
ony has been pounced upon by railroad
detectives and police. who have wanted
certain members of the gang for crimes
of various sorts. 1t was only couple
of months ago that five members OF the
gang were sentenced for breaking the
seals upon some freight cars, which We're
sidetracked near the tunnel. When an
assault was attempted on Mrs. Shingfer
of No. 159 Lake street, on Thursday at
ternoon, the tramps who tried to shoot
her were chased as far as the Erie
tracks, where they disappeared. Captain
Newton was satisfied that they were
members of the hobo community and de-
termined to capture them
Taking the twelve patrolmen and the
patrol wagon yesterday afternoon he
went to point near the mouth of the
tunnel where he left the wagon. He then
distributed his men SO that they sur
rounded the camp of the tramps. At a
given signal the officers advanced upon
the tramps, taking them completely by
surprise. They captured twenty OF them
all who were in camp at the time. Some
Of the prisoners when taken were gather
ed around bonfire boiling chickens,
which they had stolen from neighboring
hen roost Others were shaving and per-
forming other duties.
Not satisfied with the capture he had
made, Captain Newton left several of the
men at the camp, with instructions to ar
rest the tramps as fast as they came
in from their foraging trips in the sur
rounding country. The patrol wagon
was kept busy taking the prisoners to
the police station. At ten o'clock, the
last trip was made. When the prison
ers, who filed every cell in the station,
were counted, it was found that there
were forty-one of them.
Captain Newton believes that some me OF OF
of robberies and assaults which have
puzzled the police considerably of late.