The record-union., 1897-04-09
CONSTABLBS HAVE Woes
Is Well as the People Whom They
Arrest.
Supervisors Think the County Has to
Pay Too 1any Big
Bills.

Several county Constab1es passed
bad hour with the Supervisors yester-
day and their bills are liable to be cut
down.
Certain Justices of the Peace and
Constables had been summoned to ap-
pear before the board and show reasons
for bills presented by them, where
charges of vagrancy were sworn to by
the Constable himself, it being consld-
cred that the Constables We're arresting
men for vagrancy unnecessarily, in or
der to get fees for the arrests
Deputy Constable Shook of Oak Park
said that he caught several persons
sleeping in barns, where the owners did
not wish to complain themselves Tor
fear of being damaged out of revenge.
The District Attorney said that almost
all the vagrancy cases were from SUIT
ter township. Oak Park, and Brighton
and Gait and places further away had
very few cases.
Morrison asked Shook if he did not
aim to make about so many arrests
month so as to secure a certain in
come, but the latter denied any such in
tention and said he only arrested the
Migrants on complaint of some one.
Morrison said that if the Constables
have 4 right to arrest man for va
grancy whenever they wish he did not
think there was any justice in it. If
the law allows it Constables and JUS
tees can combine and there will be no
limit to the money the county will be
compelled to pay.
District Attorney Ryan did not think
the tramps should be arrested when
they were walking along the road. If
they hang around a barn or house and
refuse to go away they should be ar
rested.
Morrison said that men must have
some place to sleep, and if Constables
and Justices arrest them whenever
they get a chance the Treasury might
as well be thrown open to the public
as it will bankrupt the county. If
owners want them arrested they should
be made to swear to the complaints
before an arrest is made.
The District Attorney said that the
best way to do would be to require the
complaint to be sworn to by the citi-
zen.
E. w Springstead, Constable at Elk
Grove. was called on to explain his bill
of sol, and did so: ten of them being
vagrant cases. The Migrants, many Of
them, go into a large nay barn in the
town, even breaking the lock to get
in. Every morning witness makes the
round of the town and orders the
tramps out of town. If they do not go,
or become saucy, lie arrests them. He
did not bother tramps who carry blan
kets, or who he thought, would work
If they had chance. The dope fiends
and that class would stay if not driven
out and would steal chickens and annoy
the inhabitants. He could arrest ten
men day if he wished, but did not
wish to abuse the law and only asked
pay for what he did. People would
call on the Constable to make an ar
rest and would afterwards refuse TO
swear to complaint.
Frank L. Warren of Brighton said
that a number of his arrests were of
persons stealing rides on trains, at the
request of the conductors and brake
men. The Justice had received a re-
quest from Superintendent Wright for
the arrest of persons sleeping in the
cars
Morrison thought that the conductors
should put the men off themselves or
else swear to the complaints. He did
not think the railroad company was SO
who steals a ride.
brennan agreed with Morrison and
District Attorney Ryan said that If it
were done at every station it would
bankrupt the Treasury.
Morrison said it would be cheaper
for the county to pay the fare of the
tramps out of the county than
TO arrest them. He had not
hrn
personal feeling, as most of the parties
summoned were friends of his. AS
member of the Finance Committee he
had been repeatedly complained to re-
garding these things and told that there
were combinations between Justices
and Constables and odium was being
thrown on the board for allowing their
claims.
Justice W. e. Everson of Elk Grove
said he issued the vagrancy warrants
because the Constable said the prison.
ers were guilty of vagrancy. 1t was
customary for the tramps to break into
the big hay barn and break open a bale
Of hay and crawl into it to keep warm.
The next man who breaks in viii not
use the same bale for fear that the for
mer occupant might have left some
vermin in it. and nearly all the bales
have therefore been broken open.
Morrison asked why the men caught
in the barn We're not arrested for bur
glary, and the District Attorney said
that unless they broke into a place in
order to steal the offense was only ma
licious mischief or vagrancy. The in
tent to steal must be shown in order
to convict Of burglary
In answer to question by Jenkins
Mr. Everson said that in some cases
the citizens complained that the tramps
annoyed them. and District Attorney
Ryan said it was necessary to make
some arrests and drive the tranlps
away, but they should not be too fire.
Quent.
j. s. Boggess of Oak Park said that
he sometimes made an arrest without
a complaint being sworn to- He az
rested one man last year who had been
living in the gravel pit for two years.
stealing fruit, etc, from the residents