The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-02-17

What ought the finder of lost article to
do? Most people will give ready answer,
He should do his best to discover the owner
and restore the lost property to him. But
this standard of moral duty being imper-
fectly recognized by the law, it will be in
tcrcsting to review the decisions on this
subject.
/. The finder need not take charge of the
lost property. There is no legal duty on
him to do it but, if he docs take it into his
possession, he then becomes what is calleG a
dcpositary, and is bound to keep it for the
owner and restore it to him when known.
How long he must keep it, or what efforts
been laid down. An honest man will, of
course, try by inquiry and advertisements
to notify the owner, and he will consult the
newspapers for the owners advertisement.
H. II the finder does not restore the
prof. ecty upon discovering the owner does
he knew, or had reasonable means of know
ing, who the owner was at the time of find
ing. 1t has been held that the finder of II
pocket book, having the owners name lcgi-
bly, written on it, is Il theft, if he conccals
and appropriates the money; but if there is
nothing TO indicate the owner, he does not
become thief in law by so appropriating
the money. The question as to larceny nj
ways is, was the taking wrongful?
Ill. The owner may at any time reclaim
his property, and if the finder refuses to
give it up can recover it, or the value of il
from him. But MS against any one but the
owner the finders title is good, This was
decided in Il celebrated English case, where
chimney sweep found II valuable ring and
| took it to goldsmith to ascertain its value
The goldsmith kept it, took out the stones
and offered the boy the empty socket. The
court decided that the sweep had good
title, and that the goldsmith must pay hin
the value of the best jewels which would
tinto the ring This case is of dsilynpplica
tion. Suppose that policeman seeing
ncwsboy pick up II pocket book or roll o
bank notes in the street should take then
from him, with the view of restoring then
| to the owner. II the owner turns up, wei
and good; but if not after keeping them
reasonable time, the yaluabes should be re
stored to the finder who has the next bes
title, and can enforce it by law.
~ When is II thing to be considered a
LOST 1t has been said in several cases tina
money or other property laid down and fol
gotten is not lost in the legal sense of tn
word The proprietor of the shop, or banb
or place where it is left is the proper perso
to take charge of it,, and those who pick u
the property have no right to keep it, q
the other hand, it has been held that whcl
conductor found money in "a wilway ca
, whose owner could not be usccrluined, |
r had II good title to the money, The cou
said that the place where the article WI
found was not so important as the good fai
of the finder, If he had acted honestly an
, done his best to discover the owner he won
have good title against every one else,
= in Rhode Island, where 4 bought safe
auction and deposited /. with b, and b foul
II roll of money in Il crack at the back of /
I safe, he was held to have II good title
against A, Considering these cases togeth,