Richmond Press, Inc.                          Richmond, VA                          1938

The Hobo Gang

This was, in its day, one of the most distinguished gangs of the city.  Its hang-out was at the corner of Third and Main and it was made up of sons of the wealthiest and most fashionable families of Richmond.  They even pervaded the Y.M.C.A. building, the old one, that is, which stood at the corner of Sixth and Main, and affrighted the soul of the Secretary, who imagined them to be very bad indeed, with high principles (all boys have high principles, even the bad ones, we would have you to know), they were just enterprising and daring, with many ingenious ideas, that was all.

One of their fields was the Allan lot at Fifth and Main, where had stood formerly the mansion of John Allan, Poe's adopted father.  Here, on a Christmas eve, they would make their bonfire, piling the many barrels they had accumulated and stored in a secret place during long months for the occasion, aspiring to build the tallest pile and light the biggest bonfire that ever was in Richmond.  It was as high as a house, contained many barrels and hogsheads and, when set afire, made a burning comparable only to the splendid conflagration of Troy.

When Cleveland was elected President in 1892 and the great torchlight parade was organized, they went around to their friends, the business men, for they knew intimately the wealthiest merchants and bankers in town, and solicited contributions.  They hired riding horses and caparisoned them, hired costumes, raked their fathers' old war swords out of closets, bought fireworks; and when the procession started, fell in at their appointed place, making a splendid appearance.

Such were their ambitions and accomplishments.

They had a friend-oh! never let it be said that we would leave him out, or ever forget him! The most faithful and loving friend that ever boys had, Popcracker, the Hoboes' dog.  He was a good big dog, shaggy and brindled, a rare combination in a dog.  No one ever knew where he came from, or who was his original master.  He belonged to the Hoboes-that was all.  He used to sleep in the street, right in the middle of Main Street, fearing nothing.  Once the street car cut off one of his toes; later on it cut off a foot; then at last, oh! the grief of the Hoboes! it killed him.  Such was the sad end of Popcracker.

Leigh and George Burton, Merwin and John Branch (Junk, he was called), Dick Cullen, Richey Walden, Hunter Preston, Charles de Nordendorf, one of the Glovers, Stuart Cooke, the handsomest little villain that ever swiped a lady's ash-barrel for Christmas, John Mason, David Weisiger and many other scions of noble families, such as dwelt in those days on the fashionable thoroughfares of Third Street, Cary, Franklin, Grace, Fifth Streets and adjacent neighborhoods, made up the clan.