, 1873-07-15
PAWNDR0KERS, POLICEMEN, AN
THIEVES,
AN

him, will ho accepted by many ns IN admission
that those chargos would hnvo been Sustained.
Tho substance Of the accusation against him is
reported to tho police; that subsequently tho
stolen property was placed in tho hands Of
Hickey subject to certain pocuniary chnrgos;
that tho owner OF tho property paid $780, and
Hickey restored tho property. Whether Hickey
received tho $3.50 for himself Or for
tho unknown part1ea, ia q question in dis
puto; 1o donios that q dollar OF 1t
passed into his hands, aud no suppose that, 1t
tho prosecution woro urged, ho could In IN OK
tremity produce somebody who had received the
whole sum. Wo aro not going to discuss tho
merits Of the Hickey caso further than to say
TINT, substantially, it Ia but Quo Of q thousand
similar casos, mud Is In porfoct keoping with tho
police practice Of this city for tho last sixteen
yonrB. II tho ioiBo mado about Hickey shall
lead to reform Of tho established practice IN
such oasos In this city, then It will havo done
aomo good; otherwise, Hiokey'a removal or res-
ignation will have no other effect than to place
his share OF that kind of business in tho handa Of
fresh man.
Chicago, like nll other largo cittea, includoa
among its floating population q largo number Of
professional thieyeB; also large number Of
licensed pawnbrokora. It is possible that at
times tho two occupations may bo carried On by
tho same person or firm. The police know all
the thieves, and can toll the particular branch
to Which zach ono Is attached. They know,
also, all tho rawnbrokors. Thoro Is another class
OF people, who aro not thieves In tho aonao tint
they steal or commit robbery, but who, when
robbery is committed, Gun md will,
for consideration, restore any partio-
ular property,-the confederation varying
according to tho va!uo Of tho property. Tho po-
lice know all these persona. When 4 man is
robbed, ho Is, rs general thing, moro anxious
to got his property buck than to havo tho thief
punished. Hence the frequent announcements Of
offering to divide with tho thief and "no quoH-
tions askod." When q robbery Of property or
goods is reported to tho police, tho first thing
dono is to visit tho pawn-shopa. We believe
there is m ofIicor in zach division Of tho citY
assigned to tho duty Of taking list OF re-
ported stolen property to tho pawn-shops, and
aacertaining, not by search but by inquiry, If tho
Hamo has been loft thoro. In a majority Of
caaeH, unless tho property be exceedingly yalu-
nblo. or 30 bully Us to attract much attontiou,
tho property Is found at pawnbrokers. Where
upon tho owner is notified that 1o eau obtain
his spoons, watch, Jowolry, or other property at
Potter Funk'a establishment. No. / sixteonth
avenue, OF Whereyor 1t may ho, but ho will hayo
to pay honest Potter ten, fifty, or hundred dol
lara' advances made by him to the thief who had
pawnod 1t. Having dono this much, tho police
wash their hands Of tho matter, aud It becomes
question between tho pawnbrokor aud tho ownor.
The ownor has two romodioa: i. TO pay tho
domand and take Ills property; 2. To roplevy
tho property, employ lawyer, attend court soy-
oral terms, and eventually got Judgment, having
expended, porhapa, three times as much in low
Us was demanded by tho pawnbrokora. IA u
goncral thing, therefore, tho ownor gets Ills
property back by paying from 80 to 60 per cont
of it's valuc. II tho samo article bo stolon a
second timo, tho chances arc ho Will find 1t in
for its redemption. Now tho police system
Of Chicago, aomo years ago, adopted
tho pawnbrokora shops as m auxiliary
of tho forco for tho recovery Of stolen goods.
and they lavo continued to bo snch until tho
preaont timo Whothor tho $4,000 worth of
diamonds in this caso waa roturnod to the owner
upon payment Of $3.50 by pawnhroker. or by
professional go-Eotwoon, or by police officer,
tho crimo against society, against law, against
morals, ID precisely the Ea1no. Had Hickey loft
tho diamonds at pawnbrokor's, and sent Lizzio
Moore thero to get thom, 1t would hayo cost
lor tho aamc; but, wlilo TINT would have
been In perfect harmony with tho police
practice, how would it hayo diminished
tho ormo ? Is not every case whorostoleu prop
orty is thua restored undor the compulsory pay-
mont Of money double me,-oxtortion from
tho ownor, aud compoundlng with the receiver
and with tho original thott? It haB not beon a |
yoar ainco an ontire jewclry establishment In |
thia city WAS carried OF. Within fortnight |
tho ontiro stock waH delivered to tho ownor, ho
having pA1 from $1,000 to 81, 900 for fta rostora-
ton. Wo will not do tho police Of this city tho
injustico OF aupposiug tint thoy do not know all
the "details Of this transaction, and no havo no
doubt that II each ono Of tho 400 police ofcora
wore directed to writo the name Of tho man who |
tho robbors in tho mattor, and re-
coiyod tho money for them, thoro wonld bo but |
ono namo written by tlom all. That affair passod |
into history rs precolont, mud tloro IL hardly |
wook paseoB, perhaps, TINT like transactions do
not takc place. Superintendent Waahburn stated
that whenoyer poraonH robbed advertised to pay
a reward for tho return Of property, and "no
questions asked" ho had natruoted tho police to
give no attention to such oases. Tho thieyos
who atolo the diamonds in this oaao unquoatlou-
ably rolled Oh the established police practice Of
Chicago, They Intended to return them, first do
maudlng 30 per cent Of tho1r value. Hickey admits
Le violated tho ruloa technically by delivering !
Iho popda himpolf fnRtoad Of &allib1 the woman