The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-30
TRAMP WHO
WAS A GIRL
Hat Blew of, Hair Tu,nbled
Down and They Found
Her Out.
WHY SHE BECAME A. HOBO
AN Interesting Story That Comes
All the Way From the
"IIoosicr' State.
WHY SHE BECAME A. HOBO

4 veedersh,rg. Ind, correspondent OF tn
Chicago 1nter-ocean tells the following
story:
After a long iaunt5 across the country
as n tramp, beating her way on freisnt
trains with her brother, wearing boy
clothes. and with her heavy head or ha'r
carefully tucked up under her proao
brimme1 hat, May Wood has returned 70
fredericksburg. The girl and her brother
Edward would still be living ms hopoes II
a gust of wind had not caught her ma.
IN / blown it away THIS accident reNeaieu
her as n girl when her hair tu'npiea
down over her shoulders. And once the
trajnnen In the yards at Indianapolis
knew the little tramp was a girl they
called the police and had her arrested.
She spent one night in jail at Indianapolis,
but this was the least of her experiences.
Tho trousercd girl tramp and her broth-.
or went to Indianapolis from Terre Hautc.
They had alredy beaten their way from
Missouri When thcy aightcd In the rail-
road yards at indianapolis both were GOV,
cred with smoke and dirt, accufnulatea
on their long box car ride.
The girl was dressed in an old coat,
blue overalls, pink shirt and a SLOUGH NAT.
Her brother, on account of his saerlllce
TO his sister, was coatless and hatless
& She was wearing hiss hat and coat. AS
soon as they reached Indianapolis thcy
started out to find aatrain that "ouio
take them to Charlottesville, where they
hoped to catch another freight and re-
turn to Veedersburg A long search for
the Charlottesville train failed to reward
them.
'Where can we catch a train for Craw-
fordsvile?" asked the boy OF conduc-
tor who was waiting at the yards for the
arrival of the engine that was to take
his train on his regular daily run
Just at this unfortunate moment the
girls SLOUGH hat accidentally and uncer-
enormously fell from her head This al
lowed the conductor to see her long
brown hair, which she had combed neatly
on the top Of her head and had completely
covered with her brothers big SLOUGH hat.
This caused the conductor to become
suspicious and to conclude that the pair
should be made acquainted with the po-
lice. III
"Climb on the tender Of this switch en-
E CINE and it will take you to where you
can catch a train for Crawfordsville, he
said.
The moment they climbed on the engine
the conductor FASTENED to q nearby tele-
phone and informed the police to have
two bicycle men at the railroad crossing.
The police were waiting with the patrol
wagon at the railroad crossing, and when
the switch engine pulled up its two penni-
loss passengers We're promptly arrested
and placed in the wagon. The girl cried
when arrested.
Fifteen years ago my parents died
here In Vecdersburg, = the girl says, in
4 telling the story of her tramp life. THAT
was when I was only one year old and
my brother Ed. was three. For few
years we were cared for by relatives OF
our parents.
Last March Ed. secured work on a
farm fifteen miles west of st. Louis, and
when he went there he wanted me to so
with him.
FINALLY, about three weeks ago, Ed
ward was thrown out of work. Then we
concluded to come back to Indiana, and,
of course, he would not come unless l
was with him.
I'VE thought we would get along much
better If should dress up In boys
clothes and pretend to be a boy all the
time. This plan seemed to be the thing
for us to do, so / put on his blue over
ais. his old coat and SLOUGH hat and
went as a boy. ! combed my hair up in
4 knot and fixed 1t on the back of my