Hmm, wonder what the 1891 definition of "tramps" is versus "vagrants?" (I have the old Sonny & Cher song "Gypsies, tramps & thieves..." running through my mind...) I also love the phrase saying the tramps "hover around in a wonderful manner." Obviously "wonderful" does not have the same meaning it did 100 years ago! I found a distant relative (who has the same name as my G Grandfather) was in prison for "making counterfeit coin" in 1870. Have to love those criminals, at least they show up in the records! Carolyn At 9:43 AM -0600 10/17/02, Bill Grummons wrote: >The Owego RECORD >March 12, 1891 > > >BEFORE JUSTICE BROWN. > >THE RECORD OF CONVICTIONS DURING THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, >1891-"ALL OFF THE CORPORATION" OR SAID TO BE. > > Since January 6, 1891, when the amended charter went in effect, the >officers, other then the regularly appointed police officers of the village >of Owego, have no right to charge the town of Owego for summary arrests on >the corporation nor has any justice of the peace any right to make any >charge for his actions in similar cases. > > It is said, however, that tramps and vagrants do hover around the >outskirts of Owego in a wonderful manner and the sheriff and his deputies >seem to know, almost by intuition or previous understanding, where they do >congregate at such times. It is wonderful what a tender solicitude the >"chief executive of a bailiwick that that extends 500 feet outside of all >boarders of Tioga county," as Sheriff George M. GEER terms himself, does >develop that the tramps, which are outside corporation limits, should be >brought to it's, to him, central point, the common jail. -- Carolyn Ybarra Redwood City, CA [email protected] Researching SOUTHWELL, BUSKE, EIGHMEY, BISHOP, McKEE, MAGEE

Maybe "tramps and vagrants" is a case of legal redundancy like "cease and desist" and "null and void". My dictionary defines "tramp" and "vagrant" similarly but I've always thought of a tramp as someone who wanders from town to town whereas a vagrant doesn't necessarily move around, a tramp would be a vagrant but a vagrant wouldn't necessarily be a tramp. I suspect that "wonderful" was intended as satire. -----Original Message----- From: Carolyn Ybarra [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 3:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [NYFL] Tioga County News March 12, 1891 (cont.) Hmm, wonder what the 1891 definition of "tramps" is versus "vagrants?" (I have the old Sonny & Cher song "Gypsies, tramps & thieves..." running through my mind...) I also love the phrase saying the tramps "hover around in a wonderful manner." Obviously "wonderful" does not have the same meaning it did 100 years ago! I found a distant relative (who has the same name as my G Grandfather) was in prison for "making counterfeit coin" in 1870. Have to love those criminals, at least they show up in the records! Carolyn At 9:43 AM -0600 10/17/02, Bill Grummons wrote: >The Owego RECORD >March 12, 1891 > > >BEFORE JUSTICE BROWN. > >THE RECORD OF CONVICTIONS DURING THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, >1891-"ALL OFF THE CORPORATION" OR SAID TO BE. > > Since January 6, 1891, when the amended charter went in effect, the >officers, other then the regularly appointed police officers of the village >of Owego, have no right to charge the town of Owego for summary arrests on >the corporation nor has any justice of the peace any right to make any >charge for his actions in similar cases. > > It is said, however, that tramps and vagrants do hover around the >outskirts of Owego in a wonderful manner and the sheriff and his deputies >seem to know, almost by intuition or previous understanding, where they do >congregate at such times. It is wonderful what a tender solicitude the >"chief executive of a bailiwick that that extends 500 feet outside of all >boarders of Tioga county," as Sheriff George M. GEER terms himself, does >develop that the tramps, which are outside corporation limits, should be >brought to it's, to him, central point, the common jail. -- Carolyn Ybarra Redwood City, CA [email protected] Researching SOUTHWELL, BUSKE, EIGHMEY, BISHOP, McKEE, MAGEE ______________________________