The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-10
A CITY OF THIEVES.

New York gentleman, who has made the
subject Of thieves something Of a study, writes to
the Troy Times, over the signature of the " Her.
init Of New York." an interesting letter, portions
of which we give to our readers:
This city is a rogne's elysum, and we doubt
very much the propriety OF granting its liberty
10 any one who has not proved himself thief.
owe all steal" would be a suitable motto for our
city government, and we think the time has come
when il should he adopted. We are aware that
some persons affect TO consider stealing wrong,
and that as a consequence, many excellent people
are thrust into Jail for exercising their gifts 10 this
line; but this erroneous view should be done
away with. Stealing was an honored custom ia
ancient Sparta. and New York should at least
keep up with the past, to say nothing Of progress
with the age. We have in this greater variety
OF thieves than elsew in the world.
Our municipal thieves, otherwise known as "the
ring" steal about ten millions q year. That is.
psy taxes TO the amount OF twenty-four mil
lions, and of which sum the entire expense Of our
city cannot reach stwo-thirds The question
proposed by each man to himself on entering
Office is this. How much can | steal?" and when
the term closes II brings many regret that be
had not stolen more. Stealing 10 this line is of
vastly d. ferent character from the common lay.
The thief is, SO 10 speak. gentleman. He wears
fine clothes, drinks the best of liquors, and
smokes dvinely. He ia far removed from the
coarse brute who uses the sungshOt at midnight
TO get mere watch or wallet. He pockets $500
TO 5000 at lift, without soing his fingers. No
BODY arrests him. lie stdDu3 IN no beFrOr Oh ln-
diciment He is in 70 danger of getting into the
Toombs (ss long as he is an alderman, except
when he enters for curiosity, and then the big
rogue, no Coubt, contemplates with contempt the
army Of petty rogues before bin. Why did the
fools not get elected to Office before they began
to steal? And then he feels fresh sense of the
immunity which the ring enjoys. We have about
five hundred thieves Ia the roombs, and double
that number at Blackwell's Island. WHAT mere
handfnl when compared with those outside the
walls. 10 this city of a million inhabitants, we
may estimate every man TO be a thief. One may
begin with the thieves of the banks and railroads.
Every little while defalcation is announced,
and after few days the matter Is hushed. De.
fanlters are never punished, and in many cases
are never brought TO light. IL is now well
fabiished fact that system of surveillance can
defend bank from the light fingers of the clerks,
and We do not believe there is a single bank in
this city which is not robbed by some of its Off
cials. On our city railroads each conductor is
convicted thief. We say convicted, because the
companies pay such light wages that they know
DO man will lake the Office without the expecta'
HNN, At making living out of it in some way.
thief ibeVst The man In way that makes him
One OF these Is sSs:Ssnize system OF guards.
report at the ofce-this repors ssss1e E and
with the drivers return. But they do Nv ~ CARED
the latter from taking care of himself.
Stealing is large feature in the retail trade
Ii Was this which compelled Stewart to adopt the
a. cash boy" system, an example which has been
generally followed. This prevents the saIeman
from handing money; but be may carry OF goods
To guard against this danger no one of the en-
ployes is allowed 10 carry out any parcel, but he
may still accomplish fraud by handing parcels
TO o confederate. This involves the necessity for
counter check in the rule to allow no parcel to
be delivered by the salesman to the purchaser.
The goods are done up by person appointed to
this work, and compared with the amount re-
ceiyed in order TO insure accuracy. Ia this way
Stewart and other leading retailers treat all their
clerks as though they were thieves. We do not
al. a.. tkaxr n4allu in 10 nfnion 90
although most Of their employe IS may be honest
still there is enough thievng among the clerks of
the city 10 give bad character TO the entire class
and We do not believe that there ia single retail
store of any extent that nas not one thief, and
nsrbaps more. tie pay roll. The greatest acil.
ties for this kind Of larceny are afforded bv our
retail groceries, where the cash boy system ia not
practicable. Where the clerks sell goods do them
up, and take the pay, and hence have good Oh.
portunities for knocking down change,n as il is
called. We know Of one retailer whose head
cletb in this way knocked down" enough to buy
a large piece Of real estate.
But thieviDg is not confined to clerks. Some
buEiDess men do good deal in that line, and VIC
know of one dry goods man on the east side OF
the town who, while making purchases, contrved
TO seal whole pieces Of goods, which he hid
under his cloak, and thus carried to his store. II
was supposed that his offerings 10 this way had
smopnted to many thousands OF dollars before
at this line, and hence are generally watched
whilp making purchases. We know an importer
OF ibe goods whose standing rule was that when
ever any of this class appeared ia the store two
CLERKS we're Immediately detailed as watchmen
and frequently the make. believe purchasers were
DETECTED ia the very act of theft.
Another class of persons who steal under pre-.
tencs Of making purchases are the female shop.
liitess, who 80 often figure in our police reports
Thet generally operate in couples. aud one of them
absorbs The attention of the clerk while the other
slips goods into her muf, up her sleeve and into
her cloak. This method of stealing is prevalent
10 m and wa hall
IN every fair days shopping the large retail
establishments suffer heavy losses ia this manner
This fact being well understood, II is rule among
these dealers TO make examples of all who are
detected in this crime.
In the wholesale trade there is proportonate
degree OF theft, the amount being less because
the opportunities are diminished. Here arrange
ments sometimes exist between the clerk and no
town retailer, by means of which the latter our.
chsses a lot Of goods and the former throws ia a
few extra pieces for which he receives a subse-
euebt gratuity. Notwithstanding all their watch.
funsss, the great house of Clafin Il Co.. was
robbed In this and in similar ways of goods 10 the
value of sl5 600. In the wholesale grocery trade
theft ranges in the line of nutmegs aud indigo
and other articles which can be carried of in the
POCKET, and considerable larceny Of cigars is
prseticed. This trade, however, Ia less liable to
such inroads than any other, the advantage being
chiefly in the hands Of the concern and we are
very sorry to say that il is often employed against
their customers. We mean by this that the whoIe-
such as are found nowhere else. except in the |
lQubr trade. For instance, purchasers are
chekted in tsres and in weights, and in gauges to
a ptodieious extent.
L, is very easy to obviate @ gauge mark on 4
bsrlel, and with q tool called scribe 4" to cut
sngher, and few men will notice the difference of
ghllon. On teas if there be a tare of thirteen
pounds on a half chest, only twelve will be
allowed and in some smaller articles, such As five
boxes of CASTLE soap no taTe at all is given We
have seen great deal OF this done while in the
service of an eminent merchant, who. though OF
high standing in the world, richly deserves State
prifoD.
Ia Wall street every one steals who can, and
mott OF the robberies of bonds Of which we read
so much in the papers are the work Of the bro
kefs, who rob each other without regard to the
claims Of the craft. The Rufus Lord robbery. ia
which 81 SEQ 000 In bonds were taken away, WAS
we believe, the work of a ring of brokers who
robbed the old man under guise OF friendly visits
in broad daylight, and were never detected.
The cigar makers, at Westfield, Mass, are in
the midst Of trade difficulty, in consequence Of
their refusal TO allow q widow women to be en-
ployed by firm in the town. The Arm de elined