One hundred years ago many in the CU area were concerned about the police being too quick to use their guns. In this story it is pointed out how the officers from Urbana handled this confrontation without guns. The Big Four Shops, once one of the largest employers in the area, was located on West University where the MTD is now headquartered. The Jungles where the fight happened would roughly be where the old county landfill is. Story is from the November 27th, 1914 issue of the Urbana Courier.
TRAMPS BATTLE THREE OFFICERS
TWO DEPUTIES AND POLICEMAN
BEAT 0FF FORTY BUMS.
Fight Takes Place In "The Jungles" North of Big Four Shops - Many Heads Cracked Before Hoboes
Are Subdued.
About forty tramps put up a fight when officers visited "the Jungles" north of the Big Four shops this morning in search of goods stolen from B. P. Stevenson's grocery, and a dozen or more heads were cracked before the gang was subdued.
Deputy sheriffs Edward Ulltach and Chester Davis, and Police Officer Frank Gleason were the men who beat the hoboes when they invaded the shack of Barney Wolf, city dog catcher, situated in the midst of the hobo stamping grounds, Barney blocked their way and struck at Deputy Ulltach. The latter tore one of the dog catcher's cheeks nearly of by a blow with his fist, and Barney ploughed furrow in the ground by sliding down a hill, greasy with dishwater on his nose.
Tramps who were lounging about everywhere, inside the shack and out, rallied, to give, battle. Several were knocked down by the fists of the officers only to arise and come right back, Clubs were drawn and the bums went down in droves. Many were game and kept coming until beaten into insensibility
Not an officer drew his, gun, a fact of which Champaign's excitable force would do well to take note. The three guardians of the peace whipped to a frazzle a force thirteen times their strength and did it with bare fists and clubs.
After the tramps had been conquered, the conquerers herded them together and marched them down the tracks to the city limits. One 200 pounder tried to escape by jumping on a moving freight train and Officer Gleason gave chase. Separated from the rest, he jerked the big fellow from the side of the car and the two had a warm row all to themselves. The tramp charged on Gleason several times, but the officer traded blow for blow with his fists. When he had bruised his knuckles until they hurt
he took his club and fanned his antagonist on both sides of the head. The hobo finally surrendered and was marched out of town with the rest of the gang.
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