CHAPTER XXXVII.

 

VAGRANTS—DISORDERLY PERSONS

 

CONTENTS.

 

SECTION 1.  Beggars, idlers, vagrants —How punished.

2.  Gamesters. jugglers, fortune tellers, sorcerers, etc—How punished.

3.     Where time offender is a minor or a married woman.

4.     Magistrate to sentence at hard labor.

 

      1.    Any idle person whine is able to work, who habitually goes about begging for his own support and profit, or for the support of his family, or who, without visible means of support, lives in idleness eating the food of others, and any person wandering abroad, and not giving a good account of himself, may be arrested and carried before any police or district justice, who shall have the power of committing any such person to the district workhouse, or to the cutting of stone, or such other government work as may be usual in the district in which such person is arrested, for any period not exceeding six months; or to bind out such idler to labor for a term not exceeding one year at any one time, with any agriculturist, planter or farmer in any of the islands, or with any mechanic or artizan. The hire paid for the services of such idler, if any, shall go two thirds to the person thus apprenticed and one-third to the exchequer; and in case, the idler thus apprenticed shall neglect or refuse to do the reasonable labor required of him, the person to whom he is bound is authorized to use such reasonable coercive measures as the police or district justice of the district in which he resides may front time to time indicate.

 

2.   Any persons who, having no visible calling, support themselves for the most part by gaming

      Any juggler, or any person who practices hoomanamana or pretends to tell fortunes, or where lost and stolen goods may be found:

      Any person who practices anaana or pretends to have the power of praying persons to death

   Any common prostitute

Any person who is lewd, wanton, or lascivious in speeches or behavior

Any keeper of a bawdy house:

Any common railer or brawler:

Any common drunkard:

Any person who neglects his calling or employment, misspends what ho earns and does not provide support for himself and his family

Any person who is a dangerous or disorderly person by reason of his being a rioter, disturber of the peace; going offensively armed, uttering menaces or threatening speeches, or otherwise:

 Any person who plays in the public streets, or highways, with cards, dice, coin, or other instruments or device for gambling 

And any other idle or disorderly person may each of them be committed by order of any police court or district justice to the, jail, fort or workhouse, at the discretion of the court or magistrate, there to be detained, subject to the rules and regulations of such place of imprisonment or detention, for any period not exceeding six months:

 

Provided, however, that if the party charged shall give recognizance to the government  in a sum, and with surety or sureties, to be approved by the court or magistrate taking cogzance of the ease, conditioned that he shall not commit the offense complained of within any time prescribed by such court or magistrate, not less than six months, nor more than two years, he shall be discharged.

 

It shall be competent for any police court or district justice to cause any idle or disorderly person to be detained for a period not exceeding two years. (1868, p. 8.)

 

3. If the panty changed be a minor or married woman, other parties may recognize in his or her behalf.

 

4.  The court or magistrate having jurisdiction of the offenses specified in the 2d section of this chapter, when in their opinion a sentence to imprisonment merely would not subserve the ends of justice, are hereby authorized to sentence any such person as shall have been found guilty of any of the said offenses, to imprisonment at hand labor for a term not exceeding three months. (1860, p. 13.)