The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-31
JOSIAH FLYNT in TOWN
wELL-KNOwN WRITER ADDRESSES
THE CONTEMPORARY CLUB.
His Speciality Is the Investigation and
Exploitation of Crime i'm
Large municipalities.

Josiah Flynt Willard, slender young
man of thirty-twO smoOth-faced and at
tired in the garb of ordinary business
man, arrived at the English Hotel yester-
day, and last night delivered lecture at
the Propylaeum before the Contemporary
Club. To the reading world the young man
is known as plain Josiah Flynt. He is the
author of a book called THE World of
Graft" and he has written a number of
ma gazne articles under this head.
Josiah F1ynt is a New Yorker. but was
educated at the University of Berlin. In
his magazine articles he has attacked crime
in high places, and has exposed much al
legged municipal rascality in some of the
largest cities. His articles have received
wide attention and have stirred up a great
deal of comment. Josiah FIynt started out
in 1880 TO study tie ways of the professional
tramp. He became interested in this species
OF humanity while a student at Berlin and
wrote papers on the professional tramp.
For eight months he lived with the Ameri-
can tramp. travelling over the greater part
of the United States. He slept with the
tramps, ate with them and ''did time" with
them in jails. Mr. Flynt estimates that
there are between $1,000 and $1,000 profess
sional tramps in this country. OF this num-
Der he estimates that 1900 are mere boys,
who have been led astray by the profess
sionaI hobo. The most of these boys have
become tramps because of the glowing pic
lures painted by the professionals. Mr.
FIynt says the professional tramp should
receive little consideration at the hands of
the public. He says they are clever fellows.
who could make their own living but for
booze and cussedness." Mr.. Flints REM
edy for the tramp evil is to put them in
Jail. Soak them hard. he says. He de-
clares. however. that he has the kindliest
feeling for the tramp, who will share any
thing he has with his companion.
In 1898, Mr.. Flynt, at the request of l.. F..
LOTee. now president of the b. q q. Rail-
road, made an inspection of the police sys-
TEN of the Pennsylvania Railroad. with
which Mr. Loree was then connected Mr..
Flynt found that the system was the finest
in the country. During his work for the
police and detective work generally and
after leaving the service of the road began
his investigation of the police systems of
large cities Mr.. Flynt says that i'm this
work he has been assisted by one of the
most famous bank robbers i'm the country.
After his investigation of municipal affairs
i'm New York, Mr.. Flynt prepared an arti-
Gle. in which he charges that one of the
head men i'm the detective department in
New York is a known thief He says
that while in Chicago recently he talked
with a member of the Chicago detective
force. This detective seemed surprised that
Flynt had only located one thief in the
New York department, saying that he
knew of five
Mr. FIynt thinks that cities should have
what might be called municipal Investigate
ing companies, organized by citizens of
good standing. and that these companies
should investigate municipal irregularities
Just as a detective investigates ordinary
crimes.