Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-09-15
TRAMPS ORGANIZE
IN SALT LAKE CITY
"The Hoboes' Mutual Protective
Association Is Rudely Dis
solved by the Police.
WEARY WILLIE DUTY DETAILED
Captain and Licutcnams Duly Elected
And Members OF the Novel Organ
ization Arc Assigned Tasks.

When four big and energetic police
men, led by Sergeant Henry Johnston,
iiaoe q RAD on gang of hoboes COM
loflabiy CHARTERED in box cars on
Twelfth South and Fifth West street
early Monday morning, they brought
TO light some facts that are really in.
teresting and. incidentally, broke up
an organization that might have been
callcH: 'Jhc Hoboes' Mutual Protec-
tive association" This may appear
olu, new or strange, but it is a fact
nevertheless.
for weeks the city has been infested
p Si gangs of tranps and yegg men.
Klght mere 1t might be well to ex-
PAN what Il yegg-nan is. First of
an ne Is crook. He is an all around
crook. He is not the we'll dressed.
liashy appearing bunco man who, by
me clever manipulation of cards Of
the old time lock trick separates You
from your hard earned cash. nor is he
the Raffles who mingles in good So
ciety and lifts valuable gems from
the host and hostess He is not the
professional craftsman who uses the
most modern burglary tools at night
ana struts about fashionable cafes and
spends money like prince during the
daytime.
go i.Ni iI''.N HJF ~ i ~ n
me yess-man will do anything from
stealing piece Of bread from a baby
| and "mooching" on the streets to blow
ing open a safe with ro-glyceine
or holding up lone citizen, but, and
ana always, he is Il tramp In other
words, a yegs-man is a hobo crook.
Every band of tramps has d yegg-
| man or two in it, and the contingent
| Of weary WillieS that has infested
salt Lake for several weeks, stealing,
| begging and sleeping in parks. barns
and box cars, had its share of yesg-
| men.
| The gang that was broken up yes
| tcrday morning by the police was well
organized, but had had but little time
| to obtain the desired results since its
| organizations.
TRAMPs. ORGANIZE.
| According to the statements made by
some of the patrolmen who assisted
| in the raid, meeting was held recent
| ~ by about so or 40 tramps at which
| 1t was decided to organize for mutual
protection. A captain and lieutenants
| were elected by common consent and
| g. campaign outlined. One experienced
| hobo was selected as head of the gang
| and he was the recognized boss. In
| his absence one of the lieutenants gave
| the orders and handed out assignments
| to the lay members of the crowd.
| Ally lbcltlpeI IHlSHl aSlcil OF Deg, Dut
| ban was placed on honest labor, and
| woe be unto the man who dared to
| work for a living. except such work
as proved necessary in stealing lor
"mooching."
| CAMP SELECTED.
This gang selected q camp which
might be changed at any time in ac.
cordance with the wisdom of the lead.
er or the sudden appearance of the
police. On the occasion of the raid Il
number of boxcars We're used as head
| quarters Some weeks ago Pioneer
| Park and the north yards were the Of
fetal meeting places.
The yegg-men went out and did
| what they could for the common COM
| forts of the gang. Every morning
men were selected to perform certain
| duties.
! 1T is fact that this gang was or
ganlzed'' said Patrohnan Curran tc
| the News" "They delegated to each
| man certain work to do during each
| day and pickets We're stationed about
| the camp at night to guard against q
citizens whose gardens had been cleaned
out by the hungry worthless crew"
DETAILED DUTIES.
One hobo was given the job of bar
| Der His duty was to cut hair and
i shave. .ItllDltlti, MI " Spllle"
expert with needle and thread acted as
tailor for the gang. Another repaired
| shoes. and SO on.
| In the morning the chief made a
| line UP. One was detailed TO hustle
bread. Another to beg butter. and still
| another TO hustle coffee. sugar and
| another to "mooch" or steal meat
! while others furnished the daily supply
| of potatoes, matches. tobacco, cooking
| utensils and blankets and in fact any
| thing and everything needed in the
| camp. In q gang, such as existed i'll
| Salt Lake. the men took turns at this
| sort Of thing so that member had
| only about one days work" to do in
a week They also took turns in do
! ing the "henNy" in the culinary de-
! partment and shooting the biscuits
| 50 that it was, in this way, easy for