The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-21
UNDER CALVIN LAW
JUDGE NORWOOD WILL PUNISH
MIGRANTS IN CITY COURT TO-DAY.
NAGRANCY MADE CLEAR.
police WILL BEGIN ACTIVE WAR
FARE UNDER NEW BILL.

Man Who Leaves His Wife and
Children without support Is
VaErant-BOnd May BE Given for
Good Behavior for IA Hear-In the
Event of Failure to Give Bond
Prisoner VIII BE Punished for a
MisdemeanOr-MinO Between 10
and II Are Migrants Under Ger
tain Circumstances-AH Who Are
Able TO Work Must Do So.
In the City Court to-day Judge Nor
wood will try vagrancy cases under
the Calvin law for the first time. A
COPY of the new law was received by
Judge Norwood yesterday morning.
Under the Calvin law the police will
wage an active warfare on all va
grants. Heretofore it has been with
some difficulty that charges of va
srancy have been sustained. but un-
der the recent act of the Legislature
the various sections make it plain just
what vagrancy is and who Migrants
are.
II enforced strictly, and it is the
purpose of the police to follow the
letter of the law, it is possible to rid
any community in Georgia of loafers,
idIers or dangerous characters. mas
much as the law will be enforced in
Savannah its provisions are of general
interest at this time They are as fol-
lows:
Migrants are persons wandering or
strolling about in idleneSs who are able
to work and have no property to sup
port them.
Persons leading an idle, immoral or
prohigate life who have no property
to support them, and who are able TO
work and do not work.
Persons Able to Work.
All persons able to work hav-
ing no property to support them, and
who have no visible or known means
of fair, honest and reputable live
lihood. The term visible and known
means of and fair, honest and reputa
bile livelihood" as used in this section
shall be construed to mean reasonably
continuous employment at some law
1ul occupation for reasonable compen-
satiOn or a fixed and regular income
from property or other investment
which income is sufficient for the sup
port and maintenance of such vagrant.
Persons having fixed abode
support them, and who live by steal
ing or by trading or bartering stolen
property.
Professional gamblers living in idle
ness.
All able-boded persons who are
found begging for a living or who
quit their houses and leave their wives
and children without the means of
subsistence
That all persons who are able
TO work and who do not work,
but hire out their minor children and
live upon their wages shall be deemed
and considered Migrants.
Some Minors Migrants.
All persons over 16. and under q
years of age able to work and who
do not work and have no property to
support them, and have not some
known and visible means of a fair
honest and reputable livelihood, and
whose parents are unable to support
them and who are not in attendance
upon some educational institute.
1t shall be and is hereby made the
duty of the sheriff and the consta bles
in every county, the police and town
marshals, or other like officials. In
every town and city in this state. TO
give information under oath to any
officer now empowered by law to is
sue criminal warrants, of all Migrants
within their knowledge or whom they
have good reason to suspect as being
Migrants, in their respective counties
towns and cities thereupon the said
officer shall issue a warrant for the
apprehension of the person alleged to
be vagrant, and upon being brought
before him and probable cause being
shown the said officer shall bind such
person over to any court of the coun-
~ having Jurisdiction in misdemean-
or cases.
If upon trial by a jury sworn to
INQUIRE whether such person be a vag-
rant or not, the fact of vagrancy be
esta blished. the said vagrant shall be
bound in sufficient security in the dis
erection of the court for his future in
dustry and good conduct for one
year. Said bond shall be payable 10
the court. Upon such Migrants re-
fusal or failure to give such security
the said Migrants shall be punished as
for misdemeanor.
Provided. that il shall be a sufficient
defense to the charge of vagrancy
under any of the provisions of this
act that the defendant has made
bonafide efforts to obtain employment
at reasonable prices for his labor and
has failed to obtain the same