The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-03-11
They Took it Too, Along
With the Mayor.
PATROL WAGoN WAS BUSY
Wasn't Safe to be on the
Streets.
First Annual Convention of the
knights of the Road Proves one of
the Most Successful as well as One
of the Most Novel Affairs of the
Year.

The hobo social which the Elks gave
last night. was stunner. II was
something new TO Marion people but
II made a hit. Hundreds of hideous
looking tramps walked the streets.
The patrol wagon was busy hauling
in the stray Elks who had dared to
pay no attention to the terrible ad :
monitions. The town was taken by
storm. 1t was Elk's night for sure
and the members of the deer family
improved the opportunity of enjoying
big night"
There were so many features to the
Ilk's affair that 1t would take pages
to enumerate them all. Among tn
most important was the fact that
about $75 was collected in city fines
which sum will be turned into the
Elk's building fund. Another feature
was the fact that nearly every member
of the lodge in Marion, and scores
from out of town. We're present, maxi
ing one of the largest crowds that has
ever assembled in the local lodge hall.
The big noise" began at 1880 o'clock
One hundred Ellxs, costumed in typi-
cal hobo style, assembled In single
file and headed by aye Rube Band"
marched through the principal streets
of the city. Thousands of people turn
ed out to witness the event. Barnum
land Bailey's big circus never had a
larger crowd of spectators. At s
o'clock the "bunch" marched to the
lodge room where hobo convention
was held.
Lodge convened at $3.50 o'clock. After
passing through the regular order of
business, a communication was read
from the district deputy requesting
that Marion lodge put on the first de-
gree in the work accompanying the in
stitution of an Elk's lodge at Gallon.
The lodge decided to accept the invita-
tion. There were positively no chairs
in the lodge room, the officers being
seated on store boxes. The hoboes
were compelled to sit on the floor
Lodge adjourned early in order to
give place to the hobo convention A
strict law had been recently passed.
making 1t n serious violation for any
hobo belonging to the hobo union, not
to be present at an occasion of this
nature. The penalty was torture, the
instrument of torture to be decided
by a committee of one hundred.
Oswald Wollenweber Sr. and Ed
ward Staiger were the first victims
They were caught loafing in their Of
fees at the second hour of the big
convention. The offense was severe,
They were loaded into the patrol
| lk.su
Vention hall. George B. Christian Sr
was bench master. He dealt out jus
tice with "a large ladel. He delivered
an impressive speech explaining the
serious nature of the prisoners crime.
Are they guilty or not guilty?" ask
ed Judge Christian. Guilty" was
pronounced by two hundred voices
They were fined 81 and costs which
they willingly paid
This was the beginning of plenty OF
fun. About seventy-hve were brought
before the court. After they had set
tied the fine, the master face blackef
herriedly transformed the latest
visitor into negro. Young men
caught going home at a late hour
were loaded into the patrol wagon
and taken before the court. They paid
their fines without complaint and fell
in with the jolly crowd.
The big act of the evening occurred
about 10 O'Clock when the Elk's police
visited local police headquarters and
placed the mayor, chief of police and
two patrolmen, under arrest. Hand
cuffs were clamped about their wrists
and they were ushered to the scene OF
the fun' Mayor John Setter was fined
W and costs, after being found guilty
of charge of working over time. He
was caught in his office after. 10 o'clock.
Grief Of Police j. w. KIinefelter was
fined 81 and costs Patrolman d. w.
Bell and f. w. Wilhelm were each
fined fifty cents. Mayor Setter claim
ed he was broke and deposited his
gold watch as security for the fine.
The others paid cash.
The police patrol wagon was busy
until after midnight. bringing in the
slray ones. All the hotels were visited
and travelling men were soon aware
or the fact that it was Elk's big
night in Marion.
a prize was awarded To the most
typical costumed hobo. The first honor
feii TO Robert c., Cheney. the sign
painter He was awarded tin can
hiled with scrap tobacco A second
prize was also given. Mr.. Edward
Trott captured second honors. G. b
christian sr, and Mr.. j. Strauss of
Pittsburg' acted as judges.
Foilowlng the convention. the hoboes
/ a In OH
In the wall leading to the kitchen
Here they gave the pass word and
received a sandwich wrapped in a
newspaper, coffee served In tin cups
ana wooden platter OF spaghetti
~ was after midnight when the af-
fair was ended, 1t proved one of the
most successful as we'll as the mos'
novel functions ever given by Marion
Elks