Criminals I Have Known Author:Arthur Griffiths Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE HINDOO'S BOX Loamsiiire is a very extensive county intersected with great roads leading to many seaports and prosperous cities. These highways are constan... more »tly infested with tramps, who are such a continual danger, that those who administer the law are very severe in their reprisals. As a rule all vagrants and masterless men are sent to gaol. The expression " tramp" moreover has a wide meaning in Loamsbire, and is made to include all itinerant artists, as well as the rogues and vagabonds who take to the road. All wandering musicians, German bandsmen, Italian organ-grinders, all acrobats, stilt-walkers, conjurers, open-air performers of all kinds, have a hard time of it in Loamshire. The county constabulary and the warders of the local prison have to do with so many outlandish foreigneering folk that they have invented a sort of linyiui fittnca which does with all, especially when helped with shrugs and nods, and wavings of the hand. But the gatekeeper and the reception-warder of the gaol were alike puzzled by the dark-skinned gentleman in the red turban who was brought in one morning charged with creating a disturbance and inciting to riot in the village of Hintleton Parva. The boot was really on the other leg. The mild Hindoo (as he was) had been set upon, hustled, stoned, and much maltreated by the rustics, who could make nothing of him or his lingo. The nearest magistrate sided with his tenants, and straightway committed the stranger to prison for a month. " What sort of Johnnie are you ?" asked the gatekeeper, staring with open-mouthed astonishment at the man, who stood making strange bows, with both palms to his head, and muttering incomprehensible phrases. The new-comer wore a stout blue pilot coat of English fashion, but tightly wound around his head was th...« less