The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-01-15
Deputy Sheriff Wilson Catch
es East St. Louis Lassie
Dressed as Hobo.
HAD BUMNlED WAY TO
ARKANSAS AND BACK
Young Woman Made to Battle by
Official, DOns Dress and
Returns Home.

Belt railroad yard by J. H. Wilson, q
deputy sheriff, upon her arrival from
Newport, Ark, in box car.
She left her home at OF Market
street, East St. Louis, two weeks ago,
after deciding that a mans lot was
more pleasant than the quiet exist
ence of woman.
81 read so much Of the hobOs," she
told the deputy sheriff, "and l imagin-
ed that it was an ideal life to travel
over the country, stopping everywhere.
| knew real hobo that rode in box
cars and slept in sheds and stables
must be d man, so / decided to play
that ! was one.
81 got two suits from my brothers
trunk. After putting on one, l bundled
up the other and carried it under my
arm. wore a handkerchief about my
neck and an old SLOUGH hat, which hid
MY long hair.
Il left my home in East ST. Louis
Just one week before Christmas. Ii
was early in the evening when l crepr
into the freight yards, looking for q
box car to enter. | wandered IN and
down the long strings Of passenger
and freight cars, and finally found a
freight that was open. / climbed in
and waited for it to start. ] didn't
know where the train was destined OF
when it would leave.
81 had fallen asleep, but was awak-
ened suddenly by lurch of the car.
Then l realized that the train was
leaving. | wasi a little afraid for 2
few minutes, but as had S. in my
pocket, l knew that I could get back
to East St. Louis, if didn't like my
experience after the frst-night.
''Tke coach was very cold and after
1t left the city L grew colder. To make
myself comfortable, put on the>extr;,
suit of clothing, and then fell asleep.
When l awakened the next morning,
the train was standing in SOME town.
| didn't know where we were, but !
suppose il was Arkansas.
During the afternoon L became
very hungry and decided would climb
off and get something to eat. l sue
ceedcd in alighting at the next station
without being detected. l found
restaurant and while eating | was told
that TIE twon was Newport, Ark.
"That day | met Harris E. Turner.
whom I knew in East St. Louis. Hc
said he had been working in a town
below Newport, but had lost his posi-
ton. He came to Newport, looking for
some work. He asked me why ] was
masqucrading as a man and ! told him
the story of my trip. So we decided to
stay together. He was anxious to ge:
back home, and | had been convinced
that a hobo's life in the winter time
was not as pleasant as | had believed
it to be. He loaned me an extra coat
that night because the night was very
cold.
''He had no money and he said The
small amount that | possessed would
not last both of US very long, so he
suggested that we beg. He kept. on
one street and l remained on another,
but we did not wander far away from,
each other. But we Just got enough
to buy our meals and pay for our lodg-
ing nigh. after night.
THE people of Newport held a
great celebration New Years Eve and
it made me want to be at home. And
l tried hard to collect enough money
to pay for our trip, but failed.
eve continued begging day after
day, but could not get anything ahead,
so we decided to bum back in a freight
car. Sunday night late we went to the
railroad yards and climbed into a
freight that Turner said was going tic
st. Louis. We only had two sand
witches when We entered the car. We
ate these a short time after the train
pulled away.
"We were very hungry when we
reached limo, and l suggested we get
off and beg something to eat We had
hardly gotten out of the coach when
Mr.. Wilson came up and said to me:
you look like woman to me- Then |
he asked Turner what he was doing
with me, and he said we were going /
back to East st. Louis. Then Mr.. Will
son searched Turner, and when he
found revolver in his pocket, Turner
was arrested.
After locking him up in Jail he