The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-08-08
Ii>6i0n Citizens do Not Like
FraW|Iy's Activity.
II COSTS THEM TOO MUCH.
The Constable Admits That He Chains
Prisoners 10 Telegraph Poles -RscsIyss
Fees for Arrests.

Trenton. ~. j.. Aug. s.-Publc indigna-
tion is directed against Constable Dennis
Frawley. who arrests practically every
man whom he sees near the tracks of the
Pennsylvania Railroad company.
He gets $50 n month from the corpora
tion and about rs cents for every man
whom he succeeds In having sent to the
workhouse. He captured 10i men In July.
His activity. which entails an expense
OF 1900 month upon the county. is re-
garded by many OF the citizens pernicious.
All the complaints which the constable
makes are heard by Justice Thomas Hum
phreys. who gets twenty-five cents pris-
oner. Justice and constable are thus
piecing out their incomes and the county
has heavy workhouse bill 10 pay.
Men who fall into the clutches of the
law are i'm most cases chained to teie-
graph poles for periods varying from four
to ten hours, until the magistrate, who is
"A prosperous green grocer, has time 10
attend 10 them
In some cases the prisoners admit their
trespasses. Others say they were merely
crossing the tracks and had no idea either
of invading the domain OF the company or
Of stealing a ride.
SEEKING SHELTER FROM RAIN.
Three young men. who said their names
were George y. Stroud, John Kellner and
John Smith. were placed under arrest yes
terday morning az nine o'clock by Con-
stable F'rawiey, who saw them standing
under the Chambers street bridge.
They gave the rain. which was then
falling heavily, as their excuse for seek
ing the shelter but Justice Humphreys
ha "A
no money. and they will have TO break
stones for thirty days
In the opinion of many citizens the
method of dealing with such alleged Of
tenders Is too drastic The Disorderly
Conduct act of 1898 provides that convic-
tions must depend on the testimony OF
one or more reputable witnesses other
than the officer who makes the arrest.
The magistrate admitted today that in all
cases there had been no witness other
than Constable Frawley.
His record for 1901 is: January, 104:
February 80; March. II; April 104: May
III: June. %: July. i04; August 81; total
III. The monthly average for this year
fs 100 arrests.
For every prisoner sent 10 the work.
house tho constable gets fifty cents. He
is also q deputy sheriff, and for each
prisoner sent away he gets twenty-five
cents except for the first one of a group
for whom 81 Is paid. The constable also
has an allowance OF Ave cents man for
car fare.
When he has a large number Of pris-
oners ne chains them together and
marches them through the streets TO the
county jsil, thus saving the nickels and
giving the prisoners exercise. which they
need after having been for several hours
chained to telegraph poles. Mr.. Frawley
received from the county last month more
=
about $50.
Mercer county pays the sheriff % cents a
mile for transporting the prisoners TO
the workhouse at Moores station. thirteen
miles away. Out of the s.. 30 mileage the
sheriff pays Mr.. Frawley the 25 cents a
head. and also pays 81 to a deputy for
each prisoner transported The cost or
maintaining the prisoners at the work.
house Is 20 cents a day each. The board
OF the men captured by the constable
costs the county between 5000 and s7o0 a
month.
ADMITS HE CHAINS MEN UP.
Frawley lives near the coal chutes on
Olden avenue. Just beyond the city line.
He is large-boned and muscular and is
six feet In height. His arms are covered
with broad, white scars. the result of
many an encounter with men who carry
knives. He said to a reporter yesterday
that he had been shot twice, and bore
the marks of the bullets on his shoulders
He drew from a closet thirty-two pairs
of handouts, TO which were attached
long chains. He then produced a billy
and two six-chambered revovers. In
addition to this he had many weapons
captured from knights OF the road He
was asked II he had anything 10 say
about the criticisms which had been d.
rected against him by the citizens OF
Trenton.
II am not going out of my way to ar
rest tramps." he said This is pont
where a man can go in almost any direc-
tion and the place is overrun with men
who try TO steal rides on the cars"
do you tie your prisoners TO tele.
graph poles for hours at a time?" I
asked
Yes" replied the constable when 7
arrest n man 7 generally chain him TO a
pole until get enough prisoners To fill
UP the chain. Sixteen tramps day Is
. pretty good number. average six or
seven. My record is twonty-nlne
II give them water % drink and some
times give them sandwiches There have
been times when LET men go The other
day three men 7 saw on the top of a
freight car showed me their union cards
and let them alone. | made them get
off the car. though