Thanks to Fay & Doug for those snippets from the past. Seems to be an indication of tough times abroad .. I have been doing some newspaper research at the time of the 1930s and have similar stories. No more THOMPSON at this stage, but it seems there was a general feeling of sympathy for the tragic circumstances. Here in Australia there was a general crackdown on those 'jumping the rattler' or sneaking onto trains to save the footslogging to the next town in the hope of finding work, even if for a few hours. One such story describes a young man ending up in court charged with trespass because he walked onto some railway property to get a drink of water from a tap.. He was found guilty and sentenced to 'the rising of the court' and sent on his way after the court passed around the hat and handed him some money!. A couple of days later he was found hanged. Anne Maye