Crabapple buds

The local weekly paper has a section called 'Looking Back' where they publish newspaper items from their archives of 10-20-30-...-110-120 years ago.  My brother Phil was reading an item from 120 years ago. 'Some scapegrace swiped fifteen dollars from one of the boys working for the town company adjacent to Warner.  The fellow is known and as soon as sufficient proof can be had, he will be given a free ride.  The better way to deal with such people is to serve them like the fellows who broke into the store several years ago, give them a good thumping and then kick them out of town.'  Phil looks up at me and says, "What do you suppose a 'scapegrace' is?"