Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-18
Tramp Inebriates at Knoxville
Make Effort to Escape From
Hospital
sPRINerlME STARTS
THIEF
Migratory Instinct Calls Them to the
Road With the Advent Of Warmer
Weather - Board of Control NOT
Satisfied With the Provisions of the
Law.
speeial to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, April 1S.--The state
board of control is not at all surprised
at the action of the inebrates at Knox
vile breaking for liberty the first nice
spring day. Information from there Is
that eight made dash for the railroad
tracks Saturday night as they were
being returned to their quarters from
supper. Under the present law lhs
have no discretion as to the Klnu
of men sent to this inebriate asylum.
If a man is convicted of being
drunkard he goes. AS a result, many
communities make a systematic DUST
ness of gathering up all the tramps IN
the community and sending them To
because of some unhealthful condition
of his system, who because of some
disease has an unnatural craving for
liquor, can be cured at these asylums
by doctorng the disease, but 1t Is
claimed that the experience Is that
tramp drinks just because he is shlft-
less and is a tramp, and not because Oh
any disease of his body, and that as
soon as turned loose he goes back TO
the business of being a hobo and takes
to drink again 1t is the claim of the
that there is always some
thing that causes the unnatural craV-
ing for liquor and they claim they can
cure every cause except the hobo
germ. for which there is no anti-toxln.
AS a result of this state of facts, 1t Is
natural that as soon as the Dlustry
DAYS of the winter are passed and the
spring breezes begin to drift thru the
inebriate asylum grounds, the natural
migratory instinct of the hobo causes
him to get up and be gone. This is
what took place the other day when the
eight left in a body. The board has
the subject up with the superintendent
to discover some solution of the PROP
lem, if possible At the penttentiaries
If a criminal attempts to escape there
is a guard armed with gun and or
ders and legal authority to shoot to
block his progress. There are en-
ployes at the inebriate asylum to watch
the patients, but they are only sick
patients. and must be treated as such,
ard if they escape must be peacefully
captured and returned. There is legal
authority for imprisoning them In jail
If they escape from Knoxville. but the
threat Of Jail sentence is no deterrent
to hobo when the sun Is shining
brightly. Those who are Informed VIII
not be surprised If there are any num-
Der of escapes from the asylum, but
the members Of the board are taking
consolation in one thought, and that Is
the belief that if hobo escapes he Will
leave the state entirely. for the reason
that a Jail sentence in the summer
time awaits his capture here.
Registering Stock.
Secretary John c. Simpson is MAX
ing an effort to get as much of the
work of registering the fine stock OF
the state done before July 4 as posi-
bic. The law providing for such reg
istering does not go into effect till July 4
but because of the fact that the office Of
the secretary Of the department of ag-
rio, ture will be overburdened with
" work of the fair from the first of
!. uly till the fair is over, an attempt IS
being made to register lot of the
stock before that time. The new law
is the work of Senator Brooks of the
agricultural committee of the senate
and Secretary Simpson believes 1T is
one of the important measures adopted
at the last session of the legislature.
He believes it will do much toward i'm
proving the quality of the stock of the
state. Heretofore owners of animals
kept for breeding purposes who have
desired to give their animals an extra
show of being something fine, havs.
written to some fake" register asso-
citation and after paying one to five
dollars has received fine ribbon be-
decked certificate of registration stat
ing that the animal is pure bred,
thoroughbred or standard bred as de-
sired by the owner of the animal with
out question as to the merits OF the
case and whether or not the animal
was what it's owner claimed. Under
the provisions of the law that has been
enacted every such owner must regis