Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-02-25

Mr.. William Collins, OF Talbot
has introduced in the House OF Del
egates q vagrant law similar 10 shs
Halsey bill. which was introduced
In the Virginia Legislature. The
measure thus defines vagrants:
/ First-All persons who shall un.
lawfully return into any county on
corporation whence they have been
legally removed.
| Second-All persons who, not hav.
ing wherewith to maintain them.
selves and their families, live idly
land without employment and refuse
% work for the usual and common
wages given 10 other laborers in the
like work in the place where thsy
then are.
| Third-Persons strolling or wan
dering about in idleness who are
able to work and have no property
to support them.
Fourth-Persons leading an idle,
immoral or profiigate life, who have
no property to support them and
who are able to work and do not
work.
Fifth-All able bodied persons
found begging for q living or who
quit their houses and leave wives
or childr~1 without the means OF
subsistence.
Sixth-All persons who shall come
from any place without this CON-
monwealth to any place within it,
and shall be found lettering and re-
siding therein and shall follow no
labor. trade, occupation or business
and have no visible means OF sub
sistence, and can give no reasonable
account of themselves or their bus
mess in such places.
Seventh-All persons having a
fixed abode who have no visible
property to support them and who
live by stealing or by trading and
bartering stolen property.
Eighth-All persons who are able
TO work and who do not work. but
hire out their minor children and
live upon their wages.
Ninth-All gypsies and strolling
bands of players telling fortunes,
giving ssances and SO called spirit
ualistic meetings.
II shall be lawful for the sheriffs
OF the counties and of Baltimore
city to hire persons so convicted 10
contractors for road or street work or
for other labor, provided such con.
tractors give bond to the State for
the safe-keeping of such persons.
They are authorized to use the ball
and chain upon the prisoners. The
money coming from the hire of va
grants to be paid into the CITY or
county treasury.
Ii shall be the duty of the sher.
i'll and constables of every county,
the police or other like officials in
every city and town in this State 70
give information under oath TO any
officer empowered by law TO issue
criminal warrants OF all vagrants
within their knowledge or persons
whom they have good reason 10 sus.
pect OF being vagrants in their res
pcctive counties, cities and towns !:
and thereupon, or upon the com.
plaint of any person upon oath, the
said officer shall issue a warrant for
the arrest Of the person alleged 10
be vagrant, and he shall. be
brought before any magistrate hav.
ing jurisdiction of misdemeanors
within said county, city or town.
and upon conviction shall be pun.
ished by confinement in jailor house
OF correction, or by committing to
the custody of the sheriff, who in
execution OF such sentence by the
trial justice, shall conduct such
prisoner TO the Jail yard and there
administer the whipping; provided
however, that the magistrate may,
in his discretion, permit such per.
son SO convicted to give bond, with
sufficient security. in an amount not
exceeding $3.50 nor less than 500,
conditioned upon bis future indus.
try and good conduct for one year.
Upon giving such bond such person
shall be set at liberty without un.
dergoing the punishment imposed
by his conviction and provided,
farther, that il shall be sufficient
defense to the charge of vagrancy
under this and the preceding sec
ton that the defendant has made
bona tide efforts to obtain employ
ment at reasonable prices for his Ia
Dor and has failed 10 obtain the same.
= San.
An Early Riser.