Evening journal., 1903-07-27
TRAMP QUARTERS
READY FOR COLD
Homeless Will Be Given a
Lodging in Police Station
AS Usual
STREET BEGGARS ARE BOLD

Aht poll'e are HN present not lfOu-
bled to any extent with night dodgers,
but the time win soon be around when
a bed on the cement floor In the base
ment of the city Hall will be appreci-
ated by the weary Willies.' coasters"
and buns" as much as a feather bed
Is appreciated on a cold night by the
more fortunate. Last winter as many
as seventy knights Of the road have
bunked i'm the cellar OF the police sta
ton, in "a night glad TO have shelter,
meager though Il was with the ther-
mometer lowering around the freezing
point.
With his feet close TO the big heater,
his threadbare coat for a pillow and a
newspaper for mattress. the lOdger,
provided he is lucky enough 20 get
the captains permission to stay all
night, curls himself up and is soon
fast asleep. The cellar is warm as
toast and IL is no wonder that the
tramp prefers to pass his night there
then to a freight car or warehouse
along the coast"
There is an established rule that a
lodger can remain but one night and
should he return again within a GER
tain time, nine chances out of ten he
next morning on a charge of vagrancy,
which means from thirty to sixty days
| Imprisonment at the worlxhouse. The
cold and biting winter winds. however,
\ put courage into the shivering mortal
and the rule is often broken. He may
have spent the night previous in the
police station but to the question
''were you here before this week?" the
answer Is of course always in the
negative. Sometimes this ruse fails
and the prospective lodger is recog-
nized then he is sure of getting a
months lodging.
There is a difference of opinion as
to the good or bad effect of this prac-
tice of allowing "ne'er do wells" to
lodge in the City Hall. There are
many who believe It should be stopped
claiming that il encourages idleness
which in turn leads to crime. Others
b more tender hearted say it would be
b cruelty to refuse a nights lodging Ia
p a human being on n wintry night.
There are Of course some worthy
characters who apply at the police
station for place to pass the night
but generally speaking, the majority
are not entitled to consideration, inas.
much as they lead idle and drunSer
lives, beg what they eat and are
nuisance and an eye sore to the public
The most OF them are known to tn
police, but the latter are helpless. II
n be arrested for drunkenness, disorderl
4 conduct or vagrancy is OF little con
d sequence to these characters, and a
e soon as they are released from iai
{ again take up their old life of beg
S ging and drinking.
r AS was recently suggested by
2, citizen that "a law should be passe
p providing terms of Imprisonment fror
one to five years for confirmed topper
o. and 'ne'er do wells" seems to be abou
n the only remedy left TO bring about
G satisfactory settlement of this import
J. ant question.
n 1T win have to be done sooner O
e later and the quicker it is DONE" con
e tinued the citizen, "the better viii
Il mington win be Off"
Beggars Get Bold.
. OF late, the coast" characters hav
= become so bold that citizens have bee
nsulted for refusing to give thei
. money Two arrests were made with
. in the past few days as a result of thi
practice and fines imposed on the cul
~ AAN tlAtAA Will AinnAt AItll lilUIlNOl
/. ment for a number of days. one cas-
q In particular that came to the motto
= of the police occurred on last Saturda
night week. A coaster" named Luc
l. assaulted a young man walking alon
Front street because the latter refuse
to give him money. This same ma
approached another NAH several week
ago az Front and Shipley streets an
made an insulting remark because tn
man refused him ten cents for drinl
Some not only ask for money, bt
" upon being refused follow people fC
half block persisting i'm their re
quest That the practice has becon
D. am intolerable nuisance and some pre-
m vision should be made for breaking
yi up is the opinion of many.
r. As a rule none of these "reguls
it drunks' commit serious offences, bl
a their begging proolivities cause niue
ar annoyance TO people who are compelle
le to use Front street I'm going TO an
he coming from their work Many worl
I. ing men walk out OF their way to avoi
ot coming in contact with these chara,
ters.
It Come take dip with us. Reilly IL
IN ceum excursion 10 Atlantic City WeC