The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-11-23
CHICAGO WILL BE
FREE OF TRAMPS.
Compulsory Labor Will Be the
Effective Weapon,
EXODUS WILL SOON BEGIN.
"work or Get to the Tall Grass" Should
BE the Slogan, Declares Corpora
tIon Counsel of windy
City.

Chicago, Nov. 22-Work, compulsory
and of the callosity- raising variety, is
about to be used as a last and most
potent weapon to rid Chicago OF its
army of vagrants and vagabonds. Cap
! tain Coleran, through the medium of
the city prosecutor, asked Justice Mar
tin this morning in the Harrison street
station to enforce the state law which
leaves it discretionary with the magis-
trate to send the culprit to clean and
| repair the streets or break stone at the
brdewell.
The chief of detectives believes that
| in view of the depleted condition of the
city's finances the court could con-
veniently kill two birds with one stone
| by condemning the tramps to toll and
at the same time improving the high
| ways. 1t was intended TO introduce
vagrancy ordinance in the city council
Monday night that would make life
| miserable for the man that wouldn't
| work If he could.
| The measure was drafted in due
time, but when comparison was made
| with the law as it exists the officials Of
| the law department, Captain Colleran
! and Alderman Alling, who offered to
| be it's sponsor, found that the ordin-
| ance contemplated was completely
| ecipsed. The generous provisions Of
sections 270 and 271 were found to be
on the made to- order" variety
| A visit was made to the Harrison
street station yesterday by one of Cap
| tain COleran's men to ascertain the
fitness of the candidates for the work
| already mapped out for them. All the
prisoners were found to be woefully
lacking in experience, though the ma
jority possessed constitutions that dill
not appear on the verge of whiting in
contemplation of a job.
EXODUS WOULD SOON BEGIN.
"If the justice will enforce the law as
It exists today on the statute books, .
| explained Captain Colleran, IT believe
that the police department will supply
the watchers. We have looked up the
statute and have found it to be most
stringent. 1t makes 1t an offense to re-
fuse to work and gives the city or the
county the power to use its good in
fluences to persuade the unfortunate
mortal that he should be busy.
within three weeks, 1 venture to
say, the streets of the city will be
cleaned by these fellows or the town
will be rid of them for many a day
That is, even IL they should decide tc
remain, thinking of the saving that
would result 10 the city because of the
generosity of it's street sweepers."
WOULD AID THE POLICE.
With the exodus of the tramp the
police officials claim that the probleiu
of stopping the reign of crime would be
comparatively an easy one. At present
becc use of the great number of loiterers
1t is claimed that the bandits and
housebreakers are better able to con-
ceal their identity. The detectives
complain that the task Of running dowr
q desperate has been made much
harder.
Corporation Counsel Walker IL
heartily in favor Of enforcing the law
as found In the criminal code.
"The statute is there on the books
said he. "and there is no reason why Il
should not be followed"