New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-15
BOY SLAVES OF TRAMP MASTERS
THEIR LIVES ARE HARD. And THEIR SERFDOM
LEADS TO MORAL DEGENERATION.

existence he dominates every act and directs tow
ard crime every thought they have Their wages
the fruit OF begging. petty larceny and any other
activity. are his. and he collects them and duly
Furnishes them when they fan 70 provide for his
comfort
Equally illustrative OF thousands OF cases OF these
kids Is the story Of -Nsw-H1vsn Mickey, who
was a town boy in New Haven he was waywa-d-
used 10 hang round the railroad yards and listen
to the ghost stories OF the tramDs until he
drffted into the life Of a kid caught turn
ing little trick for his '-1Ocksr.' did fOUr-year
Bit in Jail and then wandered down TO NsVy-
York and settled in a notorious hang OUT IN
Chrystie-st-. near StantOn-st- Starting with
physical defOrmity. Mickey easily learned tho
arts and habits OF his locker masters, they Fixed
him with '-phOney.'' that is, ''fas" bandases
and set him out 10 beg them living.
These few instances furnish sufficient examples
in everyday life Of great system that burns QUO
hundreds OF boys. many OF them decently reared
and OF not entirely bad Instincts. starts them 4
criminal path puts them revolving association
with the tramp lockers" 70 whose vices they
pander and to whose crimes they become accom-
pIices- Up and down that great road" which
stretches from city city. from haunt OF tas
criminal another this sad procession OF children
the slaves OF criminals. Is marching steadily
do these kids ever grow Up and make good IA
the criminal wOrId?" was asked OF James Forbes
the agent OF the Charity Organization Society. Who
directs the work in the mendicancy department.
and is thoroughly familiar with this phase OF thu
underworld.
Invariably not" was his answer. The life they
lead pandering the vices OF their masters doped
with liquor, tobacco and drugs when they ara
barely in their teens breaks them at twenty. They
haven't the nerve. the sand. do trick them
selves. 70 even plan one AT twenty they
burned out frequently hopelessly insane Invariably
degenerate beyond hope OF rescue. and even shsir
lockers have TO keep them drunk 70 get any
thing out Of them remember one boy. Doggy
EDDY who fell dead OF heart disease az twenty
one They end quickly. and their end is like their
life. at once pathetic and disgusting. beyond the
power Of words 70 describe
Us there any chance OF saving them and bring
ing them back decency and away from their
Hfe?"
Not much. They taught lie that breaks
down every OF seIf-respect; they don't dare
70 go home; they don't want ever again 20 their
friends: they have Iapsed into the depths Of degra-
dalton under the careful directions OF their
lockers We have taken more thar out OF
the LIE, sent him home 70 decent surroundings.
only 10 hear in a short time that he Is back
the road again. The spirit and the fascination OF
the life spoil them, ard they almost Invariably
drift back into tt"
do they ever graduate into good crooks
Very seldom. To be 4 good crook-tEat IS a
successful One-a man has TO have nerve. and it ~
only in the rare instances. when Kid falls d.
rectIy into the hands OF first rata -yegg man.
that he is lucky enough. from criminal standpoint
begin his training and qualify successful
crook Sucn cases are exceedingly raEe- he
graduates AT about twenty. perhaps earlier. IL he
gets a city where he has better chances %
getting away. BY that time he IS hopeless wreck.
the result OF five years Of hopeless slavery his
brutal locker The little vitality he has left
ries him to 'BOwery hangOUt.' where he leads
a wretched existence that soon burns out. turning
a trick now and then poor -panhandlsr.' II
be has acquired any defornity. lost leg arm.
the kids not infrequentIy do Jumping freighrs
and working trains for their masters. he begs
the strength OF that But seldom does kid win
prominence IN the criminal profession"
This Is the story OF not dozens. not scores. bCe
hundreds OF boys. many OF them children OF good
homes and honest parents. who wandering
atrlessly and hOpelessIy up and down the great
road wherein the criminals march. the road
which leads only to a shameful and disgracsfUI
death at the end OF journey too horrible 70 de-
scribe in detail Perhaps the slight sympathy
still possesses for the knight OF the road
would be dissiDated were 10 generally known what
childish vassals. what miserable little boys sup
ported dignity and yielded the fealty OK Ihslr
existence 70 the feUdal locker.