The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-22
.TRAMPS OF ALL
KINDS GO WEST
'oid Weather's Approach Heraldcd by
Hobo Emigration.
MANY OF VICIOUS NATURE
OTHERS WANDERERS THROUGH
CIRCUMSTANCE AND CHOICE.

Cold Neather's approach is heralded
~ the westward movement of yag-
ants. California bound. The autumn
wave OF proletariat emigration is on.
L. viii continue away into the winter.
]alt Lake streets are sprinkled with
die men, who don't want Work.
IN former days summer time was the
lobo season. II Is different now in
Ttah- As Of old, Migrants pass through
he state in force during the warm
weather.. But for the most part these
ire the idle through force Of circum-
uance, the beggars and the peddlers
The genuine hobo the Simon pure vag-
ant whose knowledge may include the
lrt OF safe breaking. has in a measure
hanged his tactics. \ well defined
ginter movement toward southern
california begins with late fall, In this
movement the vicious are more in evil
.ence than during the summer.
Now Season for Crime.
Lying in the middle Of the California
lath salt Lake gets it's quota Of these
tOboes each year. AS the weather
grows cold a series of highway rob
cries and a number of attempts at safe
tracking keep the police department
lusy, and drive hOuseholders 10 hard
ware stores 20 purchase firearms.
The tramp crook, exploited much OF
ate in press and magazine, is a COM
baratively new institution, at least
comparatively a new menace. William
i. Pinkerton, SAYS he is in part an out
Irowth OF present social conditions. A
seliever in and eXpOunder of socialism,
he IS prone to get recruits through
iertes of twisted arguments on that
9ubject. He is constantly railing at
present conditions and inVeighing
against the mOneyed classes, All of
which has its effect, as may be seen
~ the number of good mechanics who
lave 'drifted into crooked paths.
More Yeggmen in Middle West.
Yegg or yeggmen is the name applied
20 this crook. In the middle west he
more abundant than here. Youths
whose boards are stin soft make up the
most picturesque and the usliest MEM
Sers of this fraternity farther east.
kAu GA-tOlAN lCAn NlOEC lidALAu LOW il "a
officers amounts to a constant hope to
kin, generally lead the bands-for the
Regimen always work in bands.
In this part Of America yeggs are
becoming more numerous every year.
Already they make plenty oG problems
Tor police solution. Defines is not
tmong their characteristics. They rely
IN brute force and firearms. For in
Itance, in the Mississippi valley where
hey have a penChant for occasional
sank safe rObberies, the custom isto
Uatiun two or even three armed piCkets
In the outside of the building while
he "bOXmen" work on the big vault.
When the officers arriye-the place is
Usually a country town with the usual
narshal-the "stickups," as the guards
ire called, begin using their weapons.
And as a rule the result includes Il
corpse or two.
Some Local Instances.
But in this country the yeggman
doesn't go after banks. He does try
Yates, however, and, occasionally, by
skilled methods An instance TO the
point is the punching of the lock Of a
Park City safe some months ago,
whereby the crooks got into the strong
box without the use of powder. The
Continental oil compauy's safe on
Fifth West and Second South streets
Is a frequent point of operations for
his sort of crooks. Last winter IL was
attempted and one of the "boXmen" is
now doing time in the state peniten-
tiary for the crime.
HiEhWaymen are numerous among
these yeggs. Saloons, drug stores, out
Of the way grocery establishments,
street cars and pedestrians are their
usual objects of attack. They use big
ealihre revolyers and, as a rule, don't
hesitate to shoot. In Salt Lake num-
hers OF the younger yesss, some Of
hem mere boys, have been captured
during the past year and convicted OF
bold highway robberies.
Many Ways of Living.
Al these winter hoboes. crooked or
honest have a different way Of living
Than the summer variety. When they
plan TO stay in town they seek out
FALCONS which tolerate chair warm
srS" If they be without funds. Beg
sing and that class of rObberies known
rs drunk rOllmgs' bring them fuB/s
n they are criminals. Cheap lodging
places then house them, and they en-
bark in graVer crimes.
Floating cheap counterfeit money is
= faYOTile method of getting funds
used I'm the west by yegss. Many years
AGO q state bank in New Jersey. the
Bank OF New Brunswick. went out OF
business. it sold its paper currency
as junk. A dealer i'm secondhand goods
got possession OF this. He was among
other things a ''fenCe'-a dispOser of
stolen goods and go-between for
thieves. lie sold this paper money TO
COnfederates. one of whom lived in San
Francisco. These cOnfederates distCib-
uted il among hobo crooks. BY past
ing two Of these fimsy bills together
the owners made one bill Of proper
thickness. The name Of the bank and
the general appearance OF the 'phony"
bin made il look like Canadian paper
money. It found acceptance in saloons
and lodging houses, in restaurants and
all sorts of places. Supplied with bun
dies OF these 'phOuieS." yGggmcH made
their way over the west flooding the
country With them. And IN their work
iugs came an example OF the manner
in which beggars and thieves among
hoboes work together
"Moochers" Help Out.
Crippled "moochers' paved the way
FOR passing the cOunIerfeits- The meth
Oh was this: 4 GRIP" would walk into
a saloon and begin begging. Then the
man with the bad money would enter
the place. The beggar would approach
him and dialogue along these lines
would take place:
Moocher-Please, mister en- ye gim-
me the price of a meal, I'm up against
il an"
Yeggman-"All right pardner. I'll
stake ye," at which point the yegs in
Variably begins to tumble among his
pockets. finally pulling out a bill.
Yeggman-"Here. wait till I get sil-
yer fer this rag money (tO the bar
tender). Gimme change fer this, pal"
The stall" has almost invariably