Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-21
CHIEF BEN COLES
WINS LAURE[s AS
. HOBO S HORROR
Efficient Head Of Las Vegas
Police Force Keeps EN-
Moving and as a Result the
civ Has Little Crime.
-. eo.sssrosOrret 70 sO"mss ,oo"s.ll

.o.sssponosnet 70 MORNING JOURNAL
81, las Vegas, " NJ, April 20
vcgas through the efficient SER
Lss ~ chief of Police Ben Coles, has
~ ,be hobo problem for the pres
su,' THE secret of that solution is
guy i,g the hoboes with a firm com
~ "a keep moving and letting
h n, know lust what kind of care
Nov viii receive should they ueV'uo
,o visit here for a day or so
perhaps no city in this state Is as
yen known for its police force as y
Los vegas chief Of Police Coles' az
tsouph a considerate man, deals ON
ronrb treatment where IT Is heeaeu,
ND generally it is necessary 10 Apply
,bis mode. which has resulted III the
hnhoes advising their felloWmen 10
'sive Las Vegas a wide berth.
BEFORE the boes began hitting the
,rau for California 1t was an easy
natter 10 care for them by arrestlng
nT ,'bo refused to beat II at once ana
n,oncine them TO ten days labor
Sn me civ streets However, during
". mast two months the hoboes came
w. f,st that the city treasury would
h,yc heen exhausted quite suddenly,
had each side-door Pullman tourist
been allowed to remain ten days
Chicf coles seeing the useless expen-
i',nre in this way decided TO change
his method Of dealing with this class
and now none are allowed entrance
in the city lookup.
Get Cold Welcome.
often one or two hoboes will go
d,rcct Ia the chiefs office and ask TO
no arrested in order that they may
bsyo a he'd for the night and be sure
of food on the morrow. When such
a man appears at the CHEERS olilce
now he is informed that ne VIII pe
placed in jail but that he will be SEN
fenced TO from sixty to ninety days
in the county Jail on the charge OF
agrancy.
The average knight of the road
does not care TO spend that length or
fine in the county Jail and as re-
sult practically nine out of every ten
who ask to he arrested change their
minds and follow the chief ADVICE
to hit the trail
There is a story that is told here
II Tho handling of hoboes in this city
a number Of years ago by chief VINO
believed in handling this class Of men
with care. The city Jail was open foI
all at that time. that is hobo might
spend the night there without being
sentenced or arrested and on one oc-
casion quantity of liquor was taken
into The lookup. During the night
the well cared for" hoboes became
lmbibed with the spirit of war and "a
result one member Of the crowd SUI
fered fractured skull and it is said
died later.
II could cause the expenditure OF
every cent in the city treasury within
three months if | arrested every hobt
who comes into this city now" salt
Chief Of Police Coles In reference te
this big question and there Is little
doubt but this would be realized Il
such action were taken.
Often a policeman is severely crlti'
cized for dealing out rough treatment
to the hobo class and such has beer
the case in Las Vegas. Many consider
Chief Coles heartless man, but the
same is said of officers in every city
In order to fully understand the treat
ment, those who oppose the slric
measures might relieve the office
they criticize for day and then per
haps the opinion would be changed
SAYS Chief Coles who is a firm be
lever Of the motto. You can't be {
policeman and be popular at the SAM
time"