'King of hobos' dead at 92

SHAWNEETOWN, Ill. -- Rudolph W. Phillips, better known as "Rambling Rudy Phillips, King of the Hobos," is dead at age 92.

The longtime Shawneetown resident died Friday at Harrisburg Medical Center after an extended illness.

Phillips was a hobo for seven years after he ran away from his childhood home in East Prairie, Mo., at age 14.

Phillips was officially named "King of the Hobos" in 1986 at the national hobo convention in Britt, Iowa.

As a hobo, Phillips was arrested numerous times for riding in boxcars. But he said that seeing the inside of 27 jails didn't stop him from moving across the country.

To pay for food, Phillips picked up odd jobs in different states.

Phillips came to Old Shawneetown in the 1930s and then served in the Navy during World War II. After his discharge, he opened a restaurant, Rudy's BBQ, which is still open under a different owner.

Over the years, Phillips collected many bits of memorabilia that he put into a backyard museum in 1986, giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like living on the rails and traveling the country.

Along with his museum, Phillips wrote numerous books about hobos and his experiences on boxcars during the Great Depression.

Phillips also had a large family, complete with five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren from his five sons. Phillips also has a sister, Annabelle Smith, who lives in Charlottesville, Va.