The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-10
THE"DEEECEIYE" SYSTEM.
From the Philadelphia Ledeer.1


On the morning Of the 9TH Of April last. the
people of Philadelphia were startled by the
announcement that one Of the siupendous
hond robber3es that have become peculiar to
own city, and that the victims on this occasion
were the Beneficial Saving Fund and it's thou
sands of poor deposltors. This villany trans
cended % any that had gone before it in the same
hne OF business" The plunder exceeded a
million OF dollars, and was composed of bonds.
large amounts Of them negotiable) cash 10
the amount OF ten thousand dollars, and dia-
monds valued at ten thousand dollars. Eight
hundred thousand dollars of this vast plumber
were the hard earnings and savings of poor
people, and between two and three hundred
thousand dollars we're the property of persons
who had left 1t with the Saving Fund for safe
Keeping. The affair made a.great stir at the
except among tho officers Of the society, the
plundered deposltors and their frIel Ids, and
s2me or the newspaper men, who wero deter-
mined that IT should not slip out Of sight as 80
many other robberles have. A few weeks afi er
the robbery, about two hundred and fifty thous-
and dollars OF the stolen securities were re-
turned, an onymousiy tas aIleged) through
Adams' Express. and on Saturday it was an
nounced that all the rest Of the securities were
returned in the same way. tine thieves reta,n-
inl only the SIC, 600 in cash and the $40 600 in
diamonds, to compensate them for their Sun
days work. IT this be true, as we suppose it is,
the money loss to the Beneficial Saving Fund,
or Its depositors is reduced to about $50. ono;
VIZ: The $4,000 in cash withheld by the
thieves, and the $25 900 to be paid as reward.
The thieves however, make $40 600 clear, and
those eng aged in the negotiations for the re-
turn OF the plunder have claim OF $25 600
more.
The Beneficial Saving Fund is now enabled
to announce that 1t will resume business this
morning, circumstance that every. one viii
be glad to hear, for the cake Of the aepositors
and the estimabie gentlemen who compose the
officers and directors OF the society. And no Y
for the public aspe,ts OF this important mat.
ter. It no longer involves any dangerto the
poor depostors for the public press 10 say
openly and emphatically OF tho system that
led to this affair what should and would have
been SAID long ago If there had been no such
danger. The detective" system Of the large
cities Of the United States encourages and pro.
tects thieves and robbers, ana especially the
most dangerous class OF thleyes and ROBBERS.
those who are go expert as to make rob-
dss s m,ny n large and Tso Who
....detectlve. system," as it Is worked, makes
the ''professlon" not only q very pro-
fitable bnt q very safe .'busineasS Rob
berles Of the class referred TO all follow the
news OF the enormous plunder, then intelli-
gence OF the ''negotiations.' for surrender of
the property, then restoration Of the greater
part Of IT, the thieves always stipnlatiSg that
from prosecution. which they always get, and
immediately begin to lay plans for another
heavy stroke OF business In the same line.
S! NO one. or next TO no one, is ever prosecuted.
This is the regular and orthodox way with the
'detective" system. IT In some one exception
al case there happens TO be prosecution and
conviction, the professional man. Slips
away from the officer while ON his way to prt-
con, as In recent case IN New YORK, The OIL
Ger obligng'y going to sleep to give him the
opportunity. Hence 1t 10 that We say that the
De. detechve. system, as It is worked, makes
" safe business" In all, or nearly nli these
cases the detectives" are actively engaged.
and in some. il not oil Of them, they Rst 4 con.
siderable share OF the plundsr, for ssyerai in
New York and Boston. =