Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
Rules Of Conduct That Hold With
Roboes and Crooks.
HOSPIfABLE AND NOT INQUISIFIVE
Status of the Writer Among the
Powers That Prey.
HIS LIFE ON THE ROAD

| Copyright. 1901, by Josiah F1ynt winard.)
Written for The Evening Star by Josiah F1ynt.
The Under World is hospitable to a new
| conner IL the newcomer is prepared to take
| the place that the Under World thinks fits
| him. There are very definite social distinc-
lions In outcast life, and a man is expected
| to respect them. The "gay-cat" in Hobo
! land-the man who will work at a pinch
must knuckle down to the man who won't
work Inability sincerely to struggle for
| an existence in respectable and respect
| ed way is the badge of aristocracy I'm
| Trampdom. Willingness to leave money
| alone that can be successfully stolen is
the sign Of the 'tenderfoot' in the profess
| sional criminal environment.
| The newly arrived" in the tramp's, as
we'll as the crooks world, are sized up
and socially placed according to their I'M
| derstanding of these two theories of life
| The man who is prepared to soil his hands
with toll while he is tramping is respected
1 by the perfesh,' IL he is recognized as a
genuine workingman looking for a Job.
The man who is prepared to soil his hands
with toll merely because he does not I'M
| derstand how to keep his hands clean is
| neither respected nor wanted on the
| road" 1t is common belief that he
| does more to jeopardize the interest OF
| the fraternity than any other traveller of
| the turf"
The man who can seem and act like a
| ''blowed in the glass stif'-the real thing
/ is welcome among both crooks and no.
| boes. He gets his particular place in the
| social arrangement according to his repu-
| tation as skilled operative" but his po-
sition in general as an accepted and quail
| fled member of outcast society is good as
| long as he remains true to outcast prin-
| ciples, theories and customs.
Few Questions Asked.
| The professionals in both the tramp
and criminal worlds have generally &C
| cepted me into their society with very few
| questions asked. Inquisitiveness about
| mans private affairs unless he volunteers
| information concerning them is not popular
| anywhere in the Under World, and have
| made it my rule to say as little as possible
about myself and business, and to stick to
| what say. no matter what happens.
In Hoboland 1 am plain Cigarette, the
tramp. nothing more and nothing less.
| AS class the tramps in this country
| and 1t must be remembered that a large
1 number of these men used to be criminals
| in the strict sense Of the word-have treat
| ed me- as far as it lay in their power, as
| pal, and I have very few criticisms to
make OF their ''hang-out" hospitality or
general good fellowship.
The professional thief. although naturally
much more reserved and uncommunica-
tive person than the tramp, has accorded
me practically the same friendliness that
| / have found in Hoboland. He has often
been put to 1t to make up his mind as to
my standing and position In his class, and
there are number of his fellow-craftsmen
| who are still wondering what my particu-
lar graft" is; but We can get along to-
| gether socially with very few mean words
exchanged. and, up to date, without any
blows being landed successfully. / have
tried to express my opinion pugilistically
| to two thieves Of my acquaintance, and
they endeavored to express theirs with
similar force. but on neither occasion was /
q 10 n no 1A11yi rdi 70
| meaning, and the same is true of the two
| men. If we should meet again the chances
are even that We could talk and discuss
without recourse to violence.
Threatened His Life.
There is one professional thief that 1
know who has publicly declared that my
Tight" is to go out the next time we meet
in place where he can get at me In the
way that he wants to. but he is the only
man in the Under World so far as 1 know
who holds any such grudge against me-
He got angry with me because 1 once
turned policeman in order to see how the
Under World looks from that officials
point Of view, and helped to land him 0he
thieD in the penitentiary during the pro-
cess.
I was out in Ohio at the time following
up circuses that were being transported
over certain railway company's lines. I
carried with me little black book of
photographs of notorious pickpockets and
general thieves Of the middle west 1t
was my duty to commit to memory as
many Of the faces in the book as l could
and to look out for the originals on my
route Of travel. One day 1 arrived in a
town where Buffalo Bits Show was be-
ing exhibited, and pickpocket had been
captured and was locked up In the local
"calaboose,' so I went to the lookup to
get view of him Unfortunately for him.
1t so happened that it was his mug in
my book that had given considerable at
tentton to a few days before. and recog-
nized him the instant that the officers
brought him out for our inspection. The
discovery Of his identity pleased me SO
much that nothing would do but must
run to everybody in the room and show
them the mans picture. The thief watched
my movements very closely, and after he
had been Enthusiastically identified and was
about to be led back to his cell, he turned
on me the most vindictive looking eyes
I have ever seen and gave me the worst
roasting 1t has been my privilege to re-
ceive. To the best of my knowledge I
am not afflicted with consumption, but
thieves pay very little attention to facts
when roasting an enemy.
You mean little constructive duffer
you." said the pickpocket. you're a nice
one to 60 around knockin' against guns
voysv oplxy boa