Albuquerque evening citizen., 1907-04-13
6be Story Of " y
- y Am Underdog
6SSe

There is a tramp at the back
door" said my wife, as she came into
the dining room where | was eating
an early breakfast
what does he look like" | asked.
well. he looks like tramp
whats he want?'
Something to eat she answered
as she began to spread a slice of bread
thickly with butter.
Bring him in here and let him
eat at the table with me-" / said.
My wife dropped the bread and
looked startled.
why, Mac. are you going crazy -
"No. If you're going to feed him.
feed him right. Give him square
meal" | leaned toward the kitchen
door and called,
'Ho. bo!"
yes, sir" came in answer from
the tramp.
Come in here"
He came and stood i'm the kitchen
dor. He was a slight little man, thin
and emaciated. His hair was gray.
IL was cropped close to his head His
face was excessively red. There was
a stubble of beard upon cheeks and
chin. He looked old and worn out.
His clothes were threadbare. He had
no overcoat and as he stood in the
doorway he shivered. | noticed the
trembling of his hands that held an
old derby hat In front of him, and
a slight nervous twitching of one cor
ner of his mouth
His face was sharp and weaZened
and had a shrewd. cunning look.
knew instinctiNely that he was of
Irish descent and that he was quick
witted and keen,
Are you hungry" / asked.
Hungry as "A wolf. sir he answer
ed quickly.
"All right. sit down there and eat,
Might | wash up bit first, sir p
| took him into the back yard and
gave him a basin, soap and towe
and watched him. He took off his
shabby old coat and waistcoat and q
celluloid collar and rolled his sleeves
up above the elbows and scrubbed
himself thoroughly
He washed his celluloid collar care
fully. and as he buttoned it around
without a white collar on. It's JUS
habit
Ten Days Out of Prison.
AS we went into the house agair
ne said: That's the first good wasl
I've had in several days / took th'
CRIME off this morning in a ditcl
down in the railroad yards, but /
wasn't a good wash"
Beside his plate at the table wa'
a cup of hot coffee. AS soon as HI
sat down he said: Pardon me, sir
j will drink this coffee first. l neeC
it,"
He tried to lift the cup by its han
die, but his hand shook so that h,
could not. Then he lifted it with botl
hands and slipped it dry before he pu
it down.
That's fine he said, and then h
drank another before / bothered hin
with questions.
"Have you been on a drunk"
asked while he was sailing his eggs
He looked at me quickly.
You judge that from my red nos
and face he said. But that's no
normal That comes from riding al
night i'm the cold wind. 1t was bite
cold last night No sir, / don't drink
Haven't touched a drop in five years
1 spent my last dime last evening
for a cup of coffee and a sandwich
at Newton
why, that's away over in Kansas
isn't it," l asked.
Eyes l rode all night in an opel
coal car and got here this morning
j got chilled through. l believe L,
have frozen if tramp that was Il
the same car hadn't made me wea
his overcoat."
did you know him?"
mo, never saw him before Blu
ne was uis anu strung, anu he SdW
was pretty weak, and he made m
wear his overcoat. ] only weigh II
pounds, and l have bronchitis
/ had noticed that as he talked h
had a hacking cough
Where are you FROM" l inquired
We'll sir I'm only ten days ou
of the Kentucky penitentiary, afte
serving term of five years there"
Up to this point my wife had bee
listening with an air of protest agains
the tramp's presence at the tabl,
Now she left the room quickly an
heard her locking doors behind he
as she fed upstairs to where tn
children were sleeping.
He Was Born Crook.
your wife needn't be frightene
of me-" he said. "You could lay
thousand dollars on that table an
leave me alone in the house and
wouldn't touch it. I'm not THE
sir. I'm a crook"
For heavens sake, what's the dill
ference between a thief and a crook
"A distinct difference, sir. THE
rs an instructive pilferer. You can
not trust him. A crook is a ma
who became a crook. because tina
was the line of least resistance b
which he arose. A crook knows 1t
wrong TO steal and he would rathe
not steal, but he has expensive habit
which can only De grained Dy gran
ing. l have been a crook most G
my life. not from choice, but becaus
had to-"
In answer 10 many questions he tol
this story of his past: My name
John Meany. I'm known in all tn
eastern police department as Xxi
Meutey. l was what is known as
sneak thief, one of the cleverest 1
the country. | was born forty-nin
years ago in Baxter street, New Yorl
in a crowded tenement house, nea
what used to be called the Five Point
and l took to graft as naturally q
the babies of that locality took I
dirt. From stealing apples and ba
nanas from fruit stands to tappin
the tills of small candy and grocer
stores was but a step in the school
graft in which i was born. Howeve
was naturally intelligent. ambitlou
and 'neryy' and | soon began wit
other boys older than myself to loo
for bigger game. l soon found tn;
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