King of the Hobos dead at 89

Maurice Graham, who began hopping trains at age 14, died Saturday following a recent stroke. Graham, nicknamed "Steamtrain Maury," was a medical technician during World War II, then spent most of his life hitching rides on trains and living in hobo camps until 1980. During his travels, Graham visited penitentiaries and veterans homes, motivating inmates and cheering patients. Graham also spread goodwill for thirty years as Santa Claus at the Franklin Park Mall in Toledo. He was a founding member of the National Hobo Foundation and helped establish the Hobo Museum in Britt, Iowa. In 1990, he wrote Tales of the Iron Road: My Life As King of the Hobos. He was honored as National Hobo King five times at Britt's annual hobo convention, and was given the coveted title of Grand Patriarch of Hobos in 2004. Graham was 89.

Sources: Hobo News, Associated Press