"swrsgs&aTO-a- :s ,.75
PS&IZg&2&?
trftrmmmrm.
I '-r
:j&fKA:
. . . 'j &-.-''. -
- 5 hv v "
V
LV
mit v ..
t
-t -. rf .c..-jr v
' w
.
- "5
?
VL T'"
-.
.'ft
t:
s
ft--. .
o-W
r.
f
!.t
CHAPTER XXXIV.
;He Is Introduced to the Conspirators.
1i an hoar or two be will be still
pale."
He struck Ferdinand's cbeek with
open palm.
"Beg!" It was Ferdinand who spoke.
He struggled vainly to rise.
"A live dog is better than a dead
Ferdinand. That flag at half
is significant of many, things. It
its story eloquently, that beauti-
fal flax as clearly as the little stamp
mat has frightened you so much'
"Interpret the flag's moving tale for
Sate poppet king." beseeched Bratinau,
4huckhng savagely.
"First of all. then. your Majesty
soft understand that it Is the stand
ard of England with the royal arms in
'Ac center surrounded by a garland of
dowers. Your Majesty knows quite as
won a I that when such a flag floats,
whether 'on sea or land, it is a signal
of the presence of an English ambas
sador. But it flies at half-mast be
cause the ambassador in this chateau
is dead dead as you will be. vain
-lung, when the midnight hour has
struck. Pardon us if we have given a
mere ambassador precedence over a
king; but you. arrive a little late."
My blood boiled. I was impatient to
, interrupt -Starva's narrative. It -was
Locke's curiosity that delayed our res-
joue. He restrained me with a gesture.
Thcre is plenty of time," he whis
. pered. "It is hardly 11 now, and Ferdi
nand is to -die at midnight. I am anx-
ious to hear more concerning this flag.
.'And remember, please, that, you have
- my revolver.
I was too easily persuaded. I had
listened to Dr. Starva's words in won
der. It was I, or rather fate, who had
lowered that flag at half-mast My
perplexity was not lessened as I heard
what followed.
"lint when," continued Starva. "I
filtered my carriage to escort you
hither in state this flag was floating
in the breeze at the head of its flag
staff. Not until your Majesty stepped
on the terrace did it fall at half-mast.
Shall 1 tell you why? When it fell
at half-mast It was a signal that you
were In our power. There are others
anxious to welcome -your coming,
Ferdinand. They have watched that
Hag with burning eyes. They will
come soon, the rest of the reception
committee. Listen three raps and
silence two and silence one and
then three. It is they. Bratinau. Open
the door while I guard this ass In a
Upn's skin that will cease to bray at
midnight."
I deplored my folly in delaying the
attempt at Ferdinand's rescue. Even
now, while Bratinau rushed to the
door to draw its bolts, I should have
dred at Starva had he not been kneel
ing at Ferdinand's side, twisting a cord
about his wrists to fasten him in the
.chair in which he sat. The action ex
posed Ferdinand; Starva's body was
shielded by that of the king. The ad
vent of the conspirators had taken
. Locke and myself completely by sur
prise. And when we had heard the
knocking on the doer we had hoped
, that a timely rescue had come.
- I counted Ave of them. Locke and I
were hopelessly outnumbered now. We
had missed our chance. I .confess that
something very like fear clutched at
y heart when I heard the bars grate
back in their sockets. I know that
Locke himself was pale enough. 'Un
less somv accident favored us, not
only wan Ferdinand doomed, hut per
haps ourselves as well.
But I forgot our own danger in the
extraordinary scene that followed.
Starva had sprung on a chair close to
Ferdinand. With ribald jest he Intro
duced each of his confederates as they
stood about the two in a half circle.
As each man's name was mentioned
he stepped in front of Ferdinand and
mocked him. '
. .. TYour Majesty," cried -Starva. bow-
lag low, "all of your reception commit
tee is present except one. He will
come presently and his news will
arouse you from the ennui that seems
to oppress you. In the meanwhile let
me have the honor of introducing to
you each of these gentlemen:
"Col. Ignatieff. of Roumanla! He is
aa admirer of the ladies, and he will
be charmed to present them with a
lock of your hair as a souvenir." i
"I prefer your heart, Ferdinand, to
be preserved in a beautiful funeral
in for myself." cried the ruffian.
"Dimitri Gortschakoff. of Servia! He
is groom of the bedchamber of King
Alexander. He should be concerned
with bis own duty this night."
- "But I have unselfishly sacrificed
'myself to administer to your comfort,"
was the brutal comment.
- "Count Nicholai Piteschti. of Bosnia!
"You should feel at home you see we
have aristocrats present."
"I am so much of an aristocrat that
I am jealous of one who is above me
sa rank to dwarf my own importance."
: "Gornji, of Montenegro! He is only
a common soldier, and is better known
by hid sobriquet,. The, Cat. -He will
use; his claws presently."
. "A cat can look at a king, they say.
Tee. I can scratch well enough. A
king's tyranny has made me groan; I
hope you will not die so quickly. Ferdi
nand, that I shall not have time to
laugh at yonr groans." He struck
Ferdinand a violent blow with his
clenched fist.
"Oh, la, la. la! Lese. Majeste!"
shouted Bratinau. "Restrain your en
thusiasm, comrade."
"Otto Kuhn, of Macedonia! He is
an old acquaintance of your Majesty's.
But you will not have the joy of thrust
lag your hand, Ferdinand, into hi's
pocket for his American dollars. They
treo be spent in a better cause. And
lastly (for Councilor Bratinau and I,
of Bulgaria, are old friends and need
ab introduction). Co imcIlorGIhgaja,, of
Moldavia." ' ' - i
?
tele
"You aee, your Majesty." crief Ig
natieff. "this Is an international affair.
Will It be a comfort to you to know
that you will not be the only king that
sets out on his last mysterious journey
during the next 24 hours? It to not
Bulgaria alone or Servia that are to
taste the sweets of liberty, though
King Alexander and his paramour and
yourself are to lead the procession this
night,"
"And now, messieurs," shouted Star
va, "that we are Introduced, and nto
Majesty Is thoroughly at his ease, let
us eat, drink and be merry, for at mid
night he dies!"
A scene of riot and savage revelry
ensued. In the veins of this ruffianly
crew flowed the hot blood of races half
oriental, half barbaric It was boiling
now to a degree of frenzied, savage
excitement Already these men were
as dangerous and as blind to reason
as a cage of savage beasts. Their
ferocity would be stirred to an ecstacy
of madness by drink.
My friend Jacques had wheeled a
table from the dining-room Into the
hall. It was loaded with viands and
bottles. Savage toasts were drunk;
there were cries of liberty and free
dom; glasses were held tauntingly at
Ferdinand's mouth; every indignity
was showered on him.
There is a glamor about, a crown
that dazzles even a democrat let him
boast his indifference as he may. I
am not ashamed to say I felt a strange
horror as I saw the prince disdainfully
facing his enemies in silence. A vain
monarch Ferdinand might be, and no
"I Will Neither. Be Cajoled, by Lies
doubt his reign had not been alto-1
gether a wise one, but his calm cour
age, his kingly dignity awakened In
me a romantic desire to die for him
if need be.
' The confusion in the hall below was
so great that Locke and I tcould con
verse freely and' be in no 'danger of
being overheard. '
"Have you noticed Kuhn and Gin
gaja?" whispered Locke excitedly.
"They are strangely distrait and som
ber. Kuhn has lived most of his life
in. America. Though he was born a
beast his brutish instincts must have
been a little subdued by the Stars and
Stripes."
"I have noticed." I nodded grimly.
"I saw, too. that Dr. Starva gave them
no opportunity of speaking when he
mentioned their names. They will
bear watching, those two. Perhaps we
are not to fight alone, for Ferdinand
presently." -,
"Heaven rant it!" exclaimed Locke
with an emotion that. came strangely
from him. "But"
I gripped his hand for silence. On
the company below had fallen a si-
lence a silence tragic and ominous. I
Suddenly the laughter had died on
their lips. They were standing quite
motionless, cigarettes poised between
their finger tips, the smoke flickering,
and their faces were turned as one
man toward Bratinau. who stood a.
the door., and had held up his hand far
silence.
Never again shall I see on the faces
of men a look of -such fierce, tense ex
citement Some of them were trem
bling;' more than one was catching his
breath in sobs; one snapped the stem
of his wise glass.
Three raps and silence two and 'a
pause one. and again three. Bratinaa
drew the bolts.
It was the messenger whom they
had waited for. He was breathless in
his haste; the sweat stood on his forei
head; and he held high above his head
a telegram in triumph. He staggered
into Bratinau's arms. , '
Bratinau tore open the dispatch. As
he read, his gross face became purple
with passion. His eyes glowed like
two living coals. He tried to speak,'
but his emotion suffocated him. j:f
-The paper was snatched from u)r
f
grasp by Starva. Again he leaped to
the rchair. hy Ferdinand. . Hie hull
voice thundered:
"Liberty, comrades, freedom: and
death to tyrants! Alexander of Servia
and his paramour Drasa were dragged
from their beds not ah hoar ago. They
lie dead of a hundred wounds. Drink,
drink to Servia, who has. led the way
to liberty!"
Ferdinand's head had fallen; he had
fainted In his chair. am body huddled
up grotesquely.
Gortschakoff of Servia maddened
with excitement raised his dagger to
strike the senseless king. Starva
felled him with a blow, then ram from,
one to the other of the conspirators
imploring, demanding silence.
"Patience, comrades!" he -shoaled.
"Are we children that we cannot make
history this night as men? Let us do
all things calmly and In due order.
Patience a little longer: Who Is there
that .has a better right to strike the
blow than L Starva of Bulgaria?"
"I." clamored Bratinau. "I also am
a Bulgar."
"No." it Is I. Gornji of Montenegro!
I have suffered most1 from the tyranny
of kings; ft is my right"
"No. it Is mine!" shouted one.
"Mine!" clamored another.
"Yoa see, comrades, each of as
strives for the honor. But though
Bratinau and I of Bulgaria have the
prior right we do not wish to be
selfish. We will cast lots and in the
darkness. Ferdinand shall stand yon
der by the spiral staircase In front of
the tapestry. Two candles behind his
head will make him a fair mark for a
revolver. But the man who has been
singled by fate, concealed by darkness,
shall do his work In darkness. No one
will know to whom the lot has fallen;'
then." he looked steadily at Kuhn and
Gingaja, "if there are any here whose
courage falters and who would turn
traitors at this late hour, their treach
ery will be powerless. For each .man,
by his presence here' shares -the guilt
of the rest No one can betray an
other himself. Is it agreed?"
"It is agreed!" they shouted. But
Kuhn of Macedonia was silent
"Is it agreed, comrade Kuhn of
Macedonia?"
"Yes," he replied hoarsely, moisten-
Nor Frightened 'Into Obedience!'
Ing his parched lips with the glass he
held in his hand.' "If Ferdinand must
die, he must"
"What! Yon are not convinced of
the necessity of that?"'
"I refuse to be a puppet Starva, to
dance because you. choose to .puH the
string!" cried Kuhn, this rage bursting
the bounds of prudence.-"!-will neither
be cajoled by lies nor frightened into
obedlencel" "'
"No?" questioned Starva softly, but
his smile was frightful. "Is it not a
little late, comrade, to. be making ex
cuses at this hour?" , ,
i "I. for one wish to know why you
lied to me this morning? I have been
tricked into this desperate move."
"And who has tricked your de
manded Starva, with a gentleness that
was more terrifying than his anger.
"You told me yesterday -that Sir
Mortimer Brett was dead. He was
seen in the village of Alterhoffen this
morning. You told me that England
had refused absolutely to countenance
Ferdinands invasion of Macedonia.
Qt an hour since I received secret
Information" from my agents In Lon-
don that instructions had been sent to
Sir Mortimer that he need hesitate, no
longer that England would 'see he had
-- ------------ --!----,- , i-B-in -ii-i i n - - i n -i. T.I uTLrinj-trLru-u-LTij-u-i-j LnjvufJvwAnriAj iri rtfT-ruirtrLr ,n T.i , i.
Man of Strange Character
Herbert Paul, in his book on Queen
Anne of England, paints a new pic
ture of the great duke of Marlbor
ough. ,.
He was not truthful. He was not
straightforward. He was not honest.
In his love of money and his capacity
for hoarding it he rivaled those
wretched misers who. have' done no
more than contemplate their gains.
And yet, such are the strange freaks
In which nature' indulges." this mean
and selfish intreaguer was endowed
with perfect courage, with an irresist
ible charm of manner, with a fbmper
which even his wife failed to dis
a free
tricked."
" "And I!
echoed Gingaja.
"This
Is "treachery.
If It
added Count Piteschti of
"By the Almighty!" gasped Lock at
my side; "I believe then Is a flghtrng
chance for as yet"
CHAPTER XXXY.-
The Flfht en the txalraassi
Had not Kuhn been supported k
the other two his temerity weald
doubtless have cost him hisllfi. As ft
was, Gornji of Montenegre
toward him. drawn dirk ia his
Starva sent It spinning along the net-
ibbed floor. -
"Imbecile!" he hssed "There, is
none here who will be more loyal to
our cause than Otto Kuhn of Mace
donia. There Is none who caa help It
so much. He needs but to be earn
vinced. Is it not so. comrade?"
'1 ask: only to go Into the affair
with my eyes open." mattered Kuhn.
his voice trembling with rage and
fear.
"Bat we will have ae .traltora."
Gornji grumbled.
"And if any have forced their way
into this meeting and are unwilling to
pay the price of admission, they mast
be put -out yes, out of this world!"
cried Ignatieff.
The 'four ssismlns most sesleas
ranged themselves side by side, facing
the three. Starva stood betweeathem.
"Patience, friends. What yon say
would be quite true," he pleaded, "if
it were so. There can be no traitors
among .us. , No one. may leave this
room to-night until he Js committed
irrevocably to the cause. As It to,
each man by his presence has com
mitted himself. There must be com
plete harmony among us. Ferdinand
to to die. But he and Alexander mere
ly lead the procession of ghosts. There
are others to follow them Into Hades.
And that to only the beginning of our
work. We shall find half of Europe
arrayed against us. The new republic
will have to fight perhaps for its ex
istence. We shall need money, and
comrade Kuhn has pledged his mil
lions 'to the cause "
"But only on the condition that
England had refused ' to aid Ferdi
nand," interrupted Kuhn defiantly. "I
say you have tricked me into commit
ting myself."
"And if," fiercely shouted Gortscha
koff of Servia, "the British ambassa
dor were actually living if he could
promise what he, has been vainly
asked, it could avail nothing now. Has
not Ferdinand heard the names of all
of us? Can he not see us? Enough
of this vain talk. Gornji speak with
reason. We can have ao traitors
among us. If Caesar fell pierced by
the 'daggers of 50 senators. Ferdinand
must be content with' eight But
there can be no shirking. Each man
must have a band in his death."
"All in good time. But first of
all I would answer our skeptical
friend here. You say, Kuhn. that the
ambassador is living. If I shew him
to- you on -his bier vwill you believe
me?" .
"Prove to me what you say," said
Kuhn. uneasily.
"I tell you that it is you who would
have been tricked had U not been
for my vigilance. Sir Mortimer Brett
has been dead these four days. With
his death ended the schemes of the
woman, the Countess Sarahoff, Fer
dinand's spy. But by one of those
jests of fate she found a ready tool
to aid her as a price for her caresses
This tool of hers bears a marvelous
resemblance to the dead minister.
It was he whom you saw this xnprn
ing and, not Sir Mortimer. He came
to this chateau with the Countess Sar
ahoff to play the part of the English
minister. It was he who was to trick
have you to say?"
.'This sounds, too improbable to be
believed without proof," Kuhn replied,
turning to the two men who stood on
elthnr iMa nf htm ?
"I shall show you the proof." thun
dered Starva, his patience at ah end,
"and that before you leave this castle.
I hold them all in the hollow of my
hand the countess herself, her ac
complice, and the king's messenger.
Now what, have you to say?"
"Show me this man who has trick
ed me, and I am with you heart and
soul," was Kuhn's response. His
words were brave enough, but they
were those of a man forced into a cor
ner.. "I told you that I wish only to
go into this affair with my eyes
open?'
"You see. friends," said Starva, "a
little patience was all that was neces
sary. Our comrade needed but to
be convinced. I shall satisfy his curi
osity without delay." He raised his
voice: "Jacques!"
The servant came forth from the
dining-room and stood silent before
him.
"Jacques, go to the-tower and bring
to me the .friend of Countess Sara
hoff. You are armed? If he gives
you any trouble, call me.
"He will give me no trouble," said
the 'man, contemptuously, starting on
his errand.
Locke and. I ' instinctively poised
ourselves to, leave our hiding place to
greet Jacques when he should near
us.
"But when this man comes," object
ed Ignatieff, angrily, "is he to recog
nize all of us to gratify the curiosity
of Kuhn? Unless he to to go with Fer
dinand" (TO BE CONTINUED!.)
turb, with a brain that no sophistry
could obscure, and with a military ge
niu before which criticism is humbly
silent
He was treacherous even In a
treacherous age. Wholly devoid of
'cruelty, aad by nature humane,, he is
said never to have sacrificed an un
necessary life. He used his fellow
creatures for his own purposes, and
when he had no further use for them
he forgot their existence. He made
his plans and carried them out ;with
the absolute efficiency of sheer intel
ligence and the serene implacability of
impersonal fate.
IKAMr bf IL uUblS
Jsnsm sml I H ssTH smBn Ban Bssm BsBBf BBn BBS Ml H BB I nsmn BM I BsmY
nmanV mM 1 1' BsasnV I I ssnai I IBsst Bsmssmi I ml I I ml smBBBBnBBn
mw asmar
It SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR IMH6ERS
Common Carriers and Charitable Or
ganizations Alike Seek Remedial
Legislation Wrecks and Robberies
Are Laid to the Doors of Vagrants
Problem Most Acute in Eastern
States.
Chicago. What to do with the then
sands of tramps who wander aimlessly
about the country and Interfere with
the safety of passengers traveling on
the different railroad systems has be
come a serious problem, and has
aroused the charity organizations and
the railroad companies to the need of
a general cooperation with the au
thorities in an attempt to put an end
to vagrancy in all its forms.
At a recent conference of represen
tatives of several large, railroads ia
Minneapolis there was presented from
each road a set of figures approximat
ing the amount of damage. sustained
by the different systems through the
depredations of tramps. The total sum
reached the amazing figure of $25,000,
000. The showing made in the reports
was supplemented by reports of the
Interstate commerce commission,
which stated that in the last five years
23,974 trespassers had been killed.
Not all of that slaughtered army were
tramps, yet it was shown that the
vast majority were, of the class of
aimless wanderers whose vagrancy is
much' mixed 'with viciousness.
An Army of Vagrants.
Representatives of the Baltimore ft
Ohio railroad reported to the confer
ence that these hordes of the Tents of
Shem constitute one of the most seri
ous' problems with .which the road
had to deal: Others, .who were compe
tent to testify, asserted that from one.
half to three-fourths of all trespassers
were tramps.
James McCres, president of the
Pennsylvania railroad, declared that
the 900 vagrants arrested on his road
for trespassing in 1906 were but a
small percentage of the vagrants con
stantly, traveling .over the Pennsylva
nia system.
Conference' in Minneapolis,
At the Minneapolis conference ini
tial steps were taken to establish a
national vagrancy committee, which
will have as its work the study of
vagrancy and the recommendation of
measures for the reduction of vag
rancy and for the more rational assist
ance of the honest wayfarer out. of
work. Its field to very large, and be
cause general knowledge of the real
facts of vagrancy is so limited, the ef
fect of the committee's work will prob
ably not be immediately apparent.
Yet It to evident that much thought is
to-day being given to the question of
the public's duty to' the vagrant, and
of the vagrant's danger to the public
Professional Jokemakers have cre
ated out of the tramp or the "hobo,"
as he is more familiarly known, a pic
turesque, happy-go-lucky soldier of for
tune. Possibly one.tramp in a thou
J A 7&4Z J27 77ZZ
iaGmPrtftrttfaffvifirlflr'iti)ri
COURAGEOUS COWARDS.
I'
Famous Men Whose Hearts Failed
Them in Their First Battle.
It was fortunate for Frederick the
Great that he was not under the com
mand of Gen. Bingham, the police com
missioner of New York, says the Bos
ton Globe. If, instead of, a prince, he
had been "one of the finest," he sure
ly would have lost his badge and been
kicked off the force, sharing the hard
fate of the policeman who was de
graded for feeing from a man with a
smoking revolver.
Frederick never would have receiv
ed a second chance after his celebrat
ed flunk at Molwitz. It would have
.been all over with him when he fled
from that first battle. There was no
door for him to get behind, as there
was for the tenr-stricken patrolman,
and so he spurred his horse till he
was miles and miles away from the
frightful scene, where he had aban
doned his army and sought safety in
flight. Late at night he was found cow
ering in an old mill and his humilia
tion was'only deepened when he learn-
sand justifies this pleasant concep
tion, but those who know them best
have no illusions about the thousands
of vagrants who roam over the coun
try. In cities persons .generally re
gard the tramp frivolously as they
laugh at the colored pictures la comic
weeklies; but it to very different with
those who dwell in thinly settled dis
tricts. There the "hobo" to a serious
menace he trespasses, steals aad
sometimes even wrecks a railroad
train and commits assault or murder.
An Incident at Ridaway.,
An incident at RIdgway, da the
Pennsylvania railroad, a week or two
ago shows how trala crews are in
danger from tramps. Ia this case it
was a bottle of nitroglycerin tha did
the damage, putttlng four or five men
In the hospital and injuring one of
them so badly that his leg had to he
amputated.
Two freight trains were about to
leave RIdgway when the conductor of
one of them found a man lying upon
the top of a boxcar. The crews of the
two trains, when about to, eject the
man, found him apparently powerless
to move. He seemed to be in a drunk
en stupor. In his pocket was a bottle
which the trainmen thought to be
whisky. This bottle was taken from
the tramp by an engineman, who
either dropped or threw it on the car.
Immediately it exploded, doing severe
damage.
"Hobo" Depends on Rail.
To nearly everyone the picture of a
"hobo" riding on a freight train is a
familiar sight. It takes only a min
ute's thought to grasp tjie fact .that
the railroads are the most valuable
asset in the tramp's existence. A
tramp cannot remain a tramp long un
less he can move about and be a
stranger to whomever he meets.
Thus the "hobo" depends upon the
railroads to go from city to city and
from state to state. He cannot pay his
fare, rarely having money, so he steals
his rides and thereby becomes a tres
passer. If "ride-stealing" can be pre
vented, vagrancy will receive its
deathblow. And that is the peg upon
which the effort to disband the army
of vagrants Is to be hung.
Cooperation Is Necessary.
Naturally enough the railroads have
always been anxious to stop "free
rides." The trespassers not Infre
quently steal valuable packages of
freight, damage cars, interfere with
signal and switching apparatus and at
times attack and seriously Injure em
ployes. But it has been impossible to
make any headway against "ride-1
--nssne 1 1 rTBmrBBBBnaaa '
tOMYYtwlslBFwtM,y
ed that his troops hsd stood their!
ground and that he had fled from a
field of victory.
Frederick, however, .was king, aad
there was ao one to strip him of his
badge. If he had been a private soldier
he would have been shot In those
times.. As it was, he lived to fight an
other day and to glorify the whole
race of cowards by his daring in many
a battle. ,
Few soldiers, with courage eaough
to tell the truth, will deny that they
longed to ran from their first en
counter with a foe israrms. No one
need be ashamed to confess that he
is in the same class with Grant.
That geaeral, in his plain, un
varnished tale, his "Personal Me
moirs," says very simply and fraakly.
"My sensations as. we t approached
what I supposed might be ,a field of
battle were anything but agree
able. That was at the outset of his
civil war career. He had, it to true,
been in many engagements in Mexi
co, but now he was In command and
he confesses: "I would shave . given
anything then to have been back ia
Illinois." ' .
taM T ? ' Ml mtMa. tat-
BmrBw msssmT. sssTBBnmTmBml BammBsmVm asms- mVBBBBBss
meaae that they hoard
train that cojmes alee.
accomplish
be cooperstiea bet
sad authorities. To obtain
operatic several charity
are planning a
campaign and will seek, to
eaate legislation enacted aad the
enforced. The railroads through
regular employes and .throagh
police departmenta wMI werfc hi
mony with the charity
The tramp problem is
acute in the eastern states.
of tresnassers killed to
rr
a'scx-g&z.
every 100 miles of track in the United
States to 1.6 persons. In the group
bf states including Louisiana. Texas
and New Mexico the proportion falls
to less than a single, person per hms
dred miles.
But in group 2 of the Interstate com
merce commission's classification of
states, comprising New York. Penn
sylvania, New Jersey. Delaware aad
Maryland, the proportion rises to, IX
per hundred miles of railroad in oper
ation. This means that the largest
number of tramps are ia this
neighboring states. The cities
tinue to attract the vagrants.
It Is the country districts and little
towns that suffer most from the "ho
bo." At the same time they are leas,
able to deal with the question because
of the expense involved in the prose
cution and imprisonment of offenders.
If a tramp drops off a freight train at
some village it is much easier and
cheaper for the village constable to
say "Get out of town in 12 hours" than
it to to put the tramp in jail and feed
him for ten days. This "move on"
'order relieves the town of that oae
tramp, but some other town gets him
and some other tramp is unloaded in
a similar manner upon the town that
sent the first one away.
Recruits Constantly Come.
So it goes on interminably. Every
year the number of wanderers with
out available means of support to in
creased by new recruits. The habit ef
idleness once contracted is rarely
abandoned, except under compulsion.
This compulsion has not been supplied
by- separate communities; it wffl
probably have to be brought about hy.
state or national action. -
Railroad police departments have
been mentioned as a probable care for
vagrancy, bat this goes only a short'
way.' If a tramp is arrested, hat ia
discharged in court, the lesson is of
little value; he to then free to resume
his "occupation." This failure to sua-,
ish In most cases may be laid to the'
matter of expense. Therefore, it is
suggested that the expense of main
taining prisoners, or nt least part-of it.
be shared hy the state.
Another method suggested is en-'
forced labor. "Work," says James J:'
Hill, of the Great Northern, "to more
dreaded than all' the other terrors of
the law. If every tramp were sen
tenced, under n penalty of a diet ef
bread aad water, to work hard before
he was passed along, the end would he ,
in sight. The construction of good
roads would be assisted hy compelling
every tramp to break stone, wheel
dirt or go hungry.' This, with a the ,
enforcement of the criminal laws hy '
the local. authorities, would probably
furnish a simple and satisfactory sots-
tion.of the vagrancy problem."
Legislation Suggested.
Railroad policemen who have had
experience with "ride stealers' are
quite as enthusiastic advocates of en
forced labor as Is Mr. HilL "But,"
they ask, "how caa we have enforced
labor for tramps when labor organiza
tions have worked up a powerful
Ument against giving work" to prii
era when 'honest men go Idler. This
opposition to letting prisoners do worh
that wage-earners might do Is regard
ed as a powerful obstacle to the "en
forced labor" solution of the vagrancy
problem.
Nevertheless, he did not turn
run like Frederick. No, bat he modest
ly says that he did not. flee because
"I had not the moral courage to halt
and consider what to do; I kept right
on." In the end he learned a valuable
lesson. He found that the enemy had
fled before him and then 'it occurred
to me that Harris (the confederate
commander) had been us much afraid
of me as I had been of him. This was
a view of the question I had neves
taken lefore; but It was one I never
forgot afterward. From that eveat to
the close of the war I sever experi
enced trepidation upon confronting
the enemy, though I always felt more
or less anxiety."
Lighthorse Harry Lee is another
soldier who had to acquire his conr
sge by experience, for in the early
part of the revolution Washington
was moved to commend him hy chin
ing irony for his "prudence." His hot
retort was "I shall undertake to show
you, sir, that I possess no more of
that cowardly virtue than- yon yonr
self." And no schoolboy to-day looks
upon Lighthorse Harry as a model oh -sradeaoc
or caution,
erage asm in
1
BSF sBBBsSfc.
t VNRnsBnBBnBBnBBnsB X. BnBBnBBnBBnBBnBBnBBnsBnmBnm
P
4
ir 1
.
-'
yW iA- " V
- -, -. s
K
trt
&&
"
.
'5 -
':? .
'lji
.?-. -., .
ti-2ac
v
T ,- ?"?
&.SP0S2gS2
;aaSBsJBM&-
-V" 4
.,- ! .-si-. ri . 4 i-
Mfei
-. Lt
$2t328S3&l
- v
vW 1: "jr
SSS5JSjS
--!f5
&tSir&
h.4j i"-itj i- .
., Vi - - Z -..
jt .nvi'virri, :
: ?v jt 5t h :sr--;j?rV'
rv---si!
. V3ta v fr- 7t f ,
