Decrease of Vagrants Seen, Fewer Seeking "Flop"

Janesville, Wisconsin, 1915--

DECREASE IN "VAGS" WHO SEEK LODGING

Only Those Who Refuse to Work Apply to Spend Night In City Hall "Bull Pen."

This morning when Officer W. E. Gower opened the doors to the city hall cell room there were five men who walked out after being lodgers in what is commonly styled the "bull pen." One year ago there were just twenty transients released after the night's lodging. The difference shows the decrease in number of transients, hobos and vagrants coming into the city.

So far during the month there have been but eight registered at the city hall station for the so called "flop," as the transients call the lodging. Last year in December there was 287 registered at the free lodging place. In November this year the police books show that ninety stayed at the station, while a year ago during the same month there was a total of 236 listed. Now it appears that the "floppers," as the police call them, who do stay at the jail are professional transients. They belong to the "W. W. W. W. W. association, which means "We Won't Work Will We?"

"The only reason I can account for the enormous decrease is that the men have been able to find work and only those who wouldn't work for love or money are coming into the station. These men who come here report that there is considerable employment to be had around the state and jobs are out looking for the men instead of men looking for jobs," said Chief Champion.

Consequently the police department is not using past kind measures in caring for the transients. Since they won't work, they are not provided with breakfast of coffee and bread. In the past two years this menu, which proved very welcome to the transients, was given in the morning to prevent them begging in the residence district. In the morning the men in the station are given a curt warning to leave the city and if found later in the day are generally brought before the court for vagrancy.

While the increased demand for laborers may be largely responsible for the decrease in the number of vagrants sleeping at the station, the ninety day sentences and strict watchfulness of the department may be partly responsible for the reform.

--Janesville Daily Gazette, Janesville, Wisconsin, December 23, 1915, page 4.

Seven Vags Arrested, Will Break Stone at Jail 15 Days

Sheboygan and Janesville, Wisconsin, 1915--

SEVEN VAGS ARRESTED IN SOUTH YARDS

WILL BREAK STONE AT THE JAIL WORKHOUSE FOR FIFTEEN DAYS

A wholesale arrest of "vags" was made this morning by Detective Luft of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, Undersheriff Hugo Fesing and Deputy Sheriff George Goodell. Seven hoboes were arrested in South Yards. They give their names and ages as follows:

Frank Bertschy, 26; Rodger Plude, 21; E. Becker, 28; Jim Wise, 30; John Marshall, 22; Matt Kowatch, 30; John Zagortz.

The vags were taken before Justice of the Peace George Reuther and sentenced to 15 days in the workhouse. Most of them are from Milwaukee. They have been hanging about the yards waiting a chance to beat their way out of the city.

--The Sheboygan Press, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, August 27, 1915, page 6.



VAGRANT IS SENTENCED FOR A THIRTY DAY TERM

William Morris, formerly of Milwaukee, was sentenced to thirty days under the commitment law in the municipal court this morning when he pleaded guilty to the double charge of drunkenness and vagrancy. Morris was arrested for "panhandling" on Main street by Patrolman Charles Handy.

--Janesville Daily Gazette, Janesville, Wisconsin, November 11, 1915, page 2.

Some Day You'll Be Busted, Herding with the Vags

Racine and Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 1915--

"Walt Mason Says"
By Walt Mason

IN YEARS TO COME

Money comes in easy, when a man is young, and in manner breezy to the birds it's flung. "He's a tightwad fossil who would save," he cries, and in rout and wassail, fast the money flies. Thrown into the gutters, thrown at drakes and ducks! "There is more," he mutters, "where I got these bucks." Youth, alas, is fleeting, as a pair of steers, and there's no repeating of the sunny years. You don't duly prize it, boys so blithe and gay! You don't realize it, till you're growing gray! Youth is swiftly speeding, years that won't return, and you'll soon be needing all this coin you burn. There is nothing sadder in this vale of tears, than a worn-out gadder, crippled by the years, toiling, poor and lonely, up and down the street, sighing, "If I only had some grub to eat!" There is nothing tougher than to see a gent starve and weep and suffer, when with age he's bent. All the battered relics who for handouts crave, once were giddy alecks who refused to save. Don't be too disgusted when you see their rags; some day you'll be busted, herding with the vags!

--The Racine Journal-News, Racine, Wisconsin, August 3, 1915, page 4.



HAS NO HOME, DOESN'T WORK, MUST BE VAG

"Where do you live?"
"No place."
"Where do you work?"
"No place."

These questions and answers settled a case in court this morning when John Klabeck, Austrian, was arraigned on a charge of vagrancy.

Klabeck was unable to understand much English and did not know the meaning of the word "vagrant" or "guilt," so the judge used simpler terms.

Klabeck was given 10 days in the county jail workhouse. He was arrested by Officer Heimke in Mike Keenan's horse shed, which he would not claim as his residence.

--The Sheboygan Press, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, August 27, 1915, page 3.

Police: No More Coffee and Bread for Vagrants

Janesville and Grand Island, Wisconsin, 1915--

STOP FEEDING VAGRANTS AT CITY POLICE STATION

Chief Champion this morning discontinued the practice of giving the transients and city police station lodgers coffee and bread for breakfast. It was decided the demand for labor was sufficient for the men to find jobs if they cared to work, and the "vags" will be "drilled" out of town each morning after being released. A report will be made on the number received at the station and the cost of feeding them by Chief Champion within a fortnight.

The begging evil is promised to be checked by the energy of the police department in preventing "panhandling," and the heavy jail sentences that have been given offenders for vagrancy in the municipal court.

--Janesville Daily Gazette, Janesville, Wisconsin, March 30, 1915, page 2.



POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MAN WHO LOST COFFEE

One day last week John Wollach bought a large can of coffee from a stranger, and he bought it so cheap that the police were under the impression that the coffee had been stolen. He was interviewed on the subject and he described the man he had bought the coffee of, and it was decided that the man was James Wilson, a fellow had been released from the county jail only a day or two before. Wilson was rounded up, and notwithstanding that he denied all knowledge of the coffee, he was identified by Wollach as the one who had made the sale.

The police were unable to discover anybody who had lost about ten pounds of roasted coffee, but Wilson plead guilty to a charge of vagrancy and was given twenty days in the county jail.

The police are under the impression that the coffee might have come from the circus that was in the city on Friday, a friend in the cooking department having set it out where it could be picked up a passing stranger without exciting any suspicion.

--The Grand Rapids Tribune, Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, July 21, 1915, page 2.

Comment: The circus that was in town on Friday was the Sells-Floto Circus, including Buffalo Bill's Original Wild West, Friday, July 16.

The Worthless Wrecks of Hobodom

Janesville and Racine, Wisconsin, 1915--

An item from Court News

Charles Alberts, a veteran dwarfed member of the clan of hobodom, who makes a regular visit at the Janesville Police station, came once too often to suit Chief of Police Champion, and he was arraigned in court on the charge of vagrancy. Alberts, on his way to the vagrants' lodging place, stopped in front of the city hall, in plain view of the police station, and started to beg from a pedestrian. He was given ninety days by Judge Maxfield as a thirty day term, given him eight months ago, was not effective in correcting his transient habits.

--Janesville Daily Gazette, Janesville, Wisconsin, February 24, 1915, page 2.




BUMS MAKE LIFE MISERABLE FOR CITIZENS

Racine is infested by a large number of worthless vags and bums. They seek shelter at the Wisconsin street tramp house at night and during the day time make life miserable for citizens. Rear doors are visited by these men and they demand food. When refused insulting language is generally used and often threats are made. Sometimes two and three of them hang around dark corners and accost people, begging nickels and when it is given they "hike" for a saloon. Often they are arrested and taken into court and ordered out of the city, but generally the gang is back in a short time. Solitary confinement of terms from three to five days with bread and water diet is being tried, but that does not seem to chase the fellows away. It has often been suggested that a workhouse might be a good thing.

--The Racine Journal-News, Racine, Wisconsin, March 4, 1915, page 12.




From column: Happenings in Our City

Vags In Court -- John King and Mike Reed, two vags, were arrested last night and in the municipal court this morning each was sentenced to jail for five days, solitary confinement on a diet of bread and water.

--The Racine Journal-News, Racine, Wisconsin, March 22, 1915, page 5.




From a longer article on sports

Signs of spring are evident and plentiful but few have elected to shed the winter clothing for fear the weather man would turn freakish and do the unexpected. There are plenty of geese and ducks going north and the Honk! Honk! of the northern ganders have been heard frequently during the night and early morning. Nearly everyone has seen the first robin of the season -- and now the "spring dopers" are looking for other spring harbingers. The police will tell you that warm weather is surely here, for the clan of Hobodom has shed their winter collection of clothing and do not come to the station in great numbers for a "flop" or night's lodging. Hundreds of the transients have passed through Janesville and all declare "they are on their way to Baraboo to join a circus." The Ringling Brothers would have enough "razorbacks" for three shows if all the tramps and "vags" that have stopped off in Janesville really go to Baraboo.

--Janesville Daily Gazette, Janesville, Wisconsin, March 25, 1915, page 3.

Vast Army of Weary Willies Find Their Way To Racine

Racine, Wisconsin, 1915--

Members of the police department agree that just now a larger number of vagrants and tramps infest the city than was ever known before. They come from Chicago, Milwaukee and other cities and pretend that they are in search of employment, but the majority of them would not work "on a bet." These fellows seek shelter at the Wisconsin street tramp house and the hard luck stories told would fill a big book. Usually they claim to have a wife and children in some distant city suffering for the want of the necessities of life, while they are out seeking something to do. Of course they always walk into town, when the truth is they steal rides on freight or passenger trains.

Some nights as high as forty can be seen sleeping on the plank beds in the Wisconsin street abode. When released in the morning the majority hike for the back doors of homes and beg for breakfast. They tell housekeepers that they have not had a morsel to eat for from twenty-four to forty-eight hours and are fast starving to death. Usually a warm breakfast is served and a nice little paper of food put up for lunch while they are traveling the highways looking for a job.

Only yesterday morning a citizen offered to pay not less than five strong and able bodied fellows 25 cents an hour to shovel snow. Two of the men took shovels and after starting in quit before the sidewalk was half cleaned. The other three complained that they were ill and unable to do such hard work.

On the other hand, many men who call at the police office for shelter are unfortunate and only too willing to work and to do anything to earn an honest living. It is this class of fellows who suffer on account of the actions of the disreputable and tricky vags. It should be a stone pile or workhouse for the dishonest crowd and kindness and help to the worthy -- but discrimination is hard work.

Although Judge Smieding sentences these unworthy tramps to the county jail for from three to five days' solitary confinement, they seem to come back every week or two and often flatly deny that they have ever been arrested before.

On Main and Sixth streets these fellows haunt the dark doorways; they linger close to some of the churches on Sunday morning and beg for nickels and dimes, and, if successful, nine out of ten of them get into a sample room as fast as possible and call for liquor. It is seldom that one of them spends the money for food.

Chicago, Milwaukee, and other cities have ruled against the imported tramp, that is, the tramp and vag who is placed on a train and shipped from other towns.

There is no doubt but that a good per cent of the human wrecks who come here are chased from other cities, in fact placed on trains and sent out of town in order to get rid of them.

More than one-half of the robberies in boarding houses and farm residences are committed by this class of men. They sneak in, steal a suit of clothing or any other article of value, get away, travel to another city and do the same thing.

--The Racine Journal-News, Racine, Wisconsin, February 2, 1915, page 1.

The Trouble With Vagrants

Racine and LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 1915--

From Police Blotter

Joe Davis and Joe King, strangers, regular vags, appeared at the corner of Sixth street and Grand avenue on Saturday night. They held up every pedestrian who came along and demanded money. Both were locked up at the police station.

--The Racine Journal-News, Racine, Wisconsin, January 11, 1915, page 6.



Happenings in Our City

Vags Arrested -- Joe Davis and Dave Carr, two vags, appeared in front of the Holy Name church Sunday and commenced begging from people. They were arrested. Each was sentenced to jail this morning for three days' solitary confinement.

--The Racine Journal-News, Racine, Wisconsin, January 25, 1915, page 5.



Man Freezes His Feet

The first case of a jail sentence for having frozen feet took place today, when Judge Brindley sentenced Frank Weltemut, La Crosse, to thirty days in county jail. The formal charge was vagrancy.

--The La Crosse Tribune, La Crosse, Wisconsin, February 1, 1915, page 6.