The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1931-06-04
Gypsy Child Stealing
is Only Bedtime Story
$50 Camp North of Mankat0;
Tribe Makes Living by
holding Copper

holding Copper
1t may be interesting to readers in
this community to learn something
of the habits of gypsies, since they
frequently visit this community.
A large band stopped in Redwood
Falls recently to fill up their Cadil-
lacs and Packards with gasoline and
oil. The women folk of the party
came up town to buy bakery goods
and groceries, and also stopping in at
the pool halls to replenish their to-
bacco supply.
The Mankato Free Press reporter
Wrote vivid story of the nomads:
The lurid tales told by fathers and
mothers to their small children about
gypsy people stealing white children
are just bedtime stories," according
TO Steve Miller, member of family
of $50 Brazilian gypsies now encamp-
ed about two miles north Of Mankato
ON old St Peter highway No. 5.
Steve is brother of the chief of
THE family. "Gypsies never steal
American Children" he declared.
They have more than they can hand
lie now. White people say we are kid
napers but that is not true"
He then went on to tell two re-
porters how even his family once had
been accused of taking a doctors
child from Newcastle, Ind. That was
about Is years ago. They had been
camped in the place several weeks
and the day they left the child was
missed.
Word was spread and in every town
they entered he said, they were
searched for the nine-year-old girl.
Several months later the child's body
was found in the basement of her
home, murdered by step-mother.
mo-" he declared, 1--WE do not steal
children"
II Tents in Camp
The band located near Mankato oc-
cupies IL tents. They form semi
circle around small piece of ground.
They travel in 13 Cadillac automo-
biles and one Ford sedan.
They are coppersmiths and are do
ing some work for local creamery.
They buy their own copper and make
steam-jackets, kettles, mixing bowls,
extractors for laundrys, cotton, wool
en- and silk mills and watts of all
kinds.
Before the war this band built dis
filleries for breweries in the east,
Steve said. They live in one big
family named Miller. Marriage laws
are strictly enforced by the chiefs.
No one except fourth cousins or
fifth cousins are permitted to~marry
and it is a grave offense if this law
rs violated. There are several fami-
lies in this band.
Speak Portuguese
Each one lives apart. The families
are large, ranging from four to IL
children each. Brazilian gypsies speak
the Portuguese language. They orr
ginated in Argentina and have ira
'veled the North American continent
for many years.
Until 1915 this band used covered
wagons. Horse trading was their chief
occupation at that time. When auto
mobiles became practicable they in
vested in them, buying for the most
part used Cadillacs and Packards
capable Of carrying loads.
There are 10000 adult members of
the Brazilian tribe in America. In
1888 thew will meet at Washington.
ID. c. to elect king for four year
term. Pedro Demeatro- is "king" of
the tribe now. He is 70 years old and
probably will not be reelected at the
next election.
Headquarters are in Chicago, but
Demeatro is in the Twin Cities at
present, the gypsies said.
Cooking is done on gasoline stoves.
Last evening was cool so several
camp fires dotted the grounds. I'm
provised stoves supplied heat.
Brilliant Clothes Worn
A fence near the camp was decor
ated by the flowing brilliant colored
dresses of the women. The men form
ed groups talking or playing cards
but the women sat crosslegged in
their tents, nursing young ones or
putting them to sleep.
Women smoke with the men using
pipes and cigarrets. Boys are not al
lowed to smoke until they are Is.