The Washington times., 1903-12-05
WASHINGTON STUNNED
BY TRAMP ELEMENT
Yeggmen Quickly Arrested
and Sentenced.
EXODUS FROM THE CITIES
This Glass of Criminals Will Gather
in Force at ST. Louis, Says
Major Sylvester.

Stranger. took as ( uass By;
As you are now so once was
As 1 am now you may vet be-
But 1 hope and pray it shall never be.
Today. a poor cripple appeals for your
aid;
Don't turn away with a sheer or
frOWn,
For God in His wisdom is the only one
who knows
What loved ones Of yours may go
down.
This is the sentiment inscribed on the
cards which Michael ODonnell, sixty
four years old. was passing around at
-he Pennsylvania Railroad station one
day last week. when Detective Harrison
CHANGED 10 receive one Of them. in
reply tc questions, ODonnell said he
was paralyzed in his left arm. rs soon
as the detective placed him under ar
rest, however, O'Donneu admitted that
his alleged affiiction was assumed for
the purpose of procuring aims. In Po-
lice Court he was speedily assigned by
Judge KimbaIl to the class of criminals
known as ''yeggmen," and was sen
fenced to the workkouse for six months.
This is the first cas- which would in
dictate that the orders recently issued in
New York and Philadelphia. directing
the police TO rid hose cities Of the
tramp element. had had its logical re-
suit In an influx OF that class to this
city. Since then half a dozen other
arrests and convictions have been made.
but there has been nothing like the cpl
demic Of tramps such as was feared.
Major sylvester has an explanation
for this. The yeggman, he says, IS no
longer prone to cities. He is the man
who is half-tramp. half burglar. and to
him may safely be attributed the ma
JOrity of the rObberies OF country post
offices and stores. He operates, as a
rule, in small towns where there Is no
organized police force, and where 1t is
more difficult 10 guard against his en-
croachments.
Summers in Town.
IN the summer he sojuurns in the city,
for there he can exc out an existence
without work, and also without neces-
sarily resorting TO the more desperate
methods of crime. In the winter, how
ever. his needs are multiplied. and he
resorts TO safe-blOwing and like crimes,
and for the purposes OF his own pro-
lection avoids such cities as Washing
ton, where the stranger is always scruti-
nized and questioned by the police, un-
I less his credentials are such as 10 place
him beyond the pale of suspicion.
1t is the opinion OF Major sylvester
that the yeggman will operate in the
country during tho winter, and VIII
gather in force in 81. Louis next year.
3 on the occasion Of the Worlds Fair.
The yeggman is one Of the serious prob
/ lens OF modern philanthropy. The high
development OF modern safe-making has
placed the safe of the city bank almost
beyond the reach Of the burglars in
genuity. and for this reason the bank
/ burglar, as a professional. Is largely
a character Of the past
Meefin0 in DhiIa6aInbia
So important is sis class CT yeggmen
! considered that on November 10 the va
rious charity organizations Of the coun-
I try held a conference in Philadelphia
under tne auspices Of the Philadelphia
Z Society of Organized Charity, the sub
/ Ject Of which was the tramp, homeless
and criminal man. The conference at.
( tracted national attention because of
I the fact that the problem is recognized
as a serious one. Among the delegates
/ present was Secretary Wilson of the To-
/ cal Board Of Charities. who was much
gratified at the presence OF the detec
/ tive force Of the Pennsylvania rail-
road, as il Is the opinion Of Secretary
Wilson that the only solution of this dis
! u'esslng problem IS the establishment Of
such laws as VIII eifectualiy prevent
/ the free transportation Of the tramp
/ class across the country.
/ Secretary Wilson calls attention TO
/ the fascination OF the ramp existence
/ 10 the small boy. Cuce II is experienced.
/ and maintains thai If the railroads
should make IL practically impossible
for the bum 10 obtain free trans
/ pOrtatiOn this dangerous and criminal
| class would practically be eliminated.
( Washington Escapes.
Washington is ecaping now from the
/ depredations Of this class but it has
( not al.cays been so. IN 1893 detectives
/ WeedGn md Boardmsh arrested a gang
/ of FIVE Of the yegg class, who received
/ twelve years each - HOUSEKEEPING
I On their release the started back 10
/ Washington to repeat their perform
I ances. They Were Charles FouIke.
/ James Mccarthy. John Sayles, Charles
| F. Banks and James Nolan At the tim.
/ they were All youngsters, and Foulke
was a Washington boy.
on their way here they laid in a SUD.
ply OF niIroglycerin. When near Al.
! eXandria the deadly compound accident,
I ally exploded, as the gang was bum
ming its way here on a freight train
! with the result that FOluke and Nc
Carthy were so seriously Injured that
/ they died a day or two later in tho
! Emergency Hospital. but not before they
/ had beer identified by Detective Horne.