The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-06-14

GYPSIES ARE VACRANTS
Jail Sentence Is Provided as Punish.
ment Where Convictions Are Sc
cured-A Heavy Fine May
Be Imposed.

The new vagrancy law. which was
passed at the regular session of the
Legislature. and which became effect
i've June u, sixty days after the ad-
| journment of the legislature, is one
of the most drastic measures ever
passed for the purpose of handling
this class of offenders, This new law
provides that all cases of this char
acter shall be tried in the county
court, jail penalty having been pro-
vided which strips the city court Of
authority to try cases of this charac-
ter
The new bill was drafted by SEN
ator Senter of Dallas. and according
to its provisions the following per
sons are and shall be punished as
yagrarts
Persons known as tramps, wan
dering or strolling about in idleness,
who are able to work, and have no
property to support them. immoral
Ior profligate life, who have no prop
erty to support them, and who are
able to work and do not work all
property to support them, and who
have no visible or known means of
i fair, honest and reputable livelihood,
! The term visible or known means of
a fair, honest and reputable liyeli-
hood, as used herein shall be con-
strued to mean reasonably contin-
uous employment at some lawful oc-
cupation for reasonable compensa-
ton, or a fixed and regular income
from property or other investments,
which income is sufficient for the
support and maintenance of such
person; all able-bodied persons who
habitually loaf, loiter and idle in any
city. town or village or railroad sta
tion, or any other public place in
this state for the larger portion of
their time. without any regular em-
ployment and without any visible
means of support; a person for the
most part out Of a job is defined as
a vagrant; persons trading or bar
terng stolen property or who un-
lawfully sell any vinous, alcoholic,
malt or intoxicating liquors.
Every common person or gambler,
who. for the most part, maintains
himself by gambling; all companies
of gypsies who, in whole or part,
maintain themselves by telling for
tunes: every able-bodied person who
shall go begging for a livelihood,
every common prostitute; evry keep
er of a house of gambling or gaming;
every person who shall abandon his
wife or child or children without
support or danger of becoming a
public charge; all persons who are
able to work, and do not work, but
hire out their minor children; all
persons between the ages OF sixteen
| and twenty-one able to work and
have no visible means of support,
| and who are not attending some ed
ucational institution; all persons who
advertise themselves in whole or in
part as clairvoyants or fortune tel
| lers of future events or as having
| supernatural knowledge with respect
| to present or future events; all male
| persons who habitually loiter in or
around hou5es of prostitution or
who, wit tlout having visible means
of support. receive financial aid or
assistance from prostitutes.
This law provides fine of not
/ exceeding 5000 for any one convict
ed of being a vagrant under the pro-
vision of this act, and also provides
| for a jail sentence.