The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-07
.L0AFERS WILL GO
TO WORK FOR THE
CITY TOMORROW
Mayor Bowen Proving He
Means What He Says
About Law.
INTENTIONS WONT Do
Men Arrested Stand or Fall
on Then, Past Per-
formances.
INTENTIONS VGzT Do

Earl TOMORROW morning yioiatoT5 Of
the vagrancy Law vino were arrested
in this city yesterday, many OF whom
have not struck lick OF Work lof
months, will don working clothes and
begin work for the city. The corps OF
ragrants. which is rapidly increasing
in number will help built the road lead
ing 10 the city crena.ory, and VII &c
on the Job early tomorrow mornlnG un-
der the direction Of S2G.tary Officer
Carl Kern.
Todag the men are loafing in tha city
Jail, but are Ioafing their last d&y Tor
~ least thirty days for Mayor Bowen
has taken most OF them into his care
and IS lie explained il TO one bis over
grown co!ored lad this morning. he Is
going t. be their foster rather for
few weeks.
The entire morning at the City hall
was spent in hearing what the va
grants had TO say for themselves. OF
the ten who were up before noon TO-DAY.
three " ere able to tell a straight So
hour story and were dismissed. Three
of the Others confessed and the re-
maininS left it TO the MAYOR to prove
that the; had not been working and
he SURE did TO it. Telephone calls we're
sent all over the town an many o:it oil
town 20 prove the statements OF the
vagrants. and unfortunately Tor the
teIIers. some of the stories told wee
found Just little untruthful.
IN some cases the Off :ers found two
colored janito7s working at the same
place, both denying that the other bad
the real JOB.
The Zig mystery OF the morning was
revcaled when James Williams, a big
coiored boy. faced the mayor. VIII
liams absolutely declared that he did
not work. gamble, steal. or beg and yet
he said tlathe always had all the mon
he said thathe always had all the mon
that they did not gamble but that they
had enough money TO keep them for
while before they came to Fairmont.
One important point was emphasized
ct all o. the hearings this morning. this
being that the men who we're TO be
tried were tried on the work thac they
had actually done and not by their good
intentions. The intentions and plans
of man TO 80 to work within the next
few days does not excuse him from be-
ing found guilty as a vagrant il he has
been loafinG in the past.
The men found guilty this morning
were all given fine OF SIS and sen
fenced TO work for the city for term
of thirty DAYS After declaring each
sentence Mayor Bowen explained to
the men that they we're vagrants and
consequently uppatriotic. that they
were parasites and we're living on the
other man rather than on what they
really done themselves. He made it
clear to everyone Of them that they
were going to work and help take the
places OF the men who have gone to
war as long as they put up in this city.
and that il they would not work on
their own accord, the city would take
the task of making them labor.
Today the city police have been busy
at police court giving evidence against
the Migrants and have been unable
to make many additional arrests.
Those who have been found guilty OF
violating the state vaRrancy law ard
who have been fined SIS and sentenced
to work for the city for thirty days are
as follows: Thomas weaver, Joe
Moore, Everett Brooks. J. ". Priestly
James Williams, John 7. Mosely.
Those dismissed this morning are
Edward Shelton. John Williams. and
Walter Pendleton. Roy Willis OF
Grafton Is being held in the city await.
ing investigators Of his case. the de
cision Of the mayor being withheld
Clay Metz and Chance -Ashby were
hear yesterday afternoon and dismis-
sed.
Albert Madden. Thomas Madden and
peg" Guy Lee are being tried before
Mayor Bowen this afternoon. They
were arrested yesterday but put up
$50 for their appearance this afternoon.
They are represented by Attorney L,
G. 0iusgraye,