Daily Republican., 1883-11-20
TIA r,.,eves Mast 0o.

Tlso Thieves A0ss Gos
The arrest OF persons on sight upon
the mere suspicion that they might %
thieves seems like IN arbitrary proceed
ure and yet when viewed In Q proper
light there is nothing morally wrong In
it, though II pushed to the extreme it
might be found to be legal strain
upon constitutional rights. Such ar.
rests are largely at the discretion OF the
officers making them andconhned to that
reckless. shifting class Of beings without
any visible means of support and go BY
the name of thieves. There is always .
class of people who walk the streets
we'll dressed but who are never known
to labor for q living They are outcasts
from homes-many Of them from good
and com Portable homes. They drop in
and stay at places Of disreputable repute
and understand going the rounds Of
free lunches. Nobody seems to know
how they make living, and seems to
care less until there are reports Of nu.
merous robberies. This and that house
have been broken into apd money, jew
elry and clothing have been taken.
Nobody sees the robbers particularly,
but these finely dressed men who have
no visible means of support are sus-
pccted. They are not unacquainted
with the inside walls of peniten-
tiaries and prisons and numerous visits
back and forth to other cities, convey a
very strong suspicion to the mind that
they are the guilty parties who are COM
mitting the depredations. 1t is under
these circumstances that the suspected
thief law comes into full play, and a
late law passed by the Legislature gives
otti GERS the right. and further makes it
their duty to gather up all such suspi-
cious and suspected persons and have
them sent to prison for term Of days
as vagrants. This is about the scope
and substance of the suspected thief
law and we are glad the Mayor and
Chief of police have issued instructions
to the force under them, to arrest at
sight any person who has the reputa-
ton of being a thief. Already some
well known gentlemen with light fin
gered proclivities have been gathered
up. The restraining Of the liberties of
such men is q positive benefit to So
ciety while the parties arrested instead
of being hurt by the loss of character,
are really benefited.
If this law is rigdly enforced the
many burglars and housebreakings that
have filled the columns Of the papers
for couple Of weeks past will in a
measure cease, and this alone will show
the wisdom of such law. No long
trials are needed to prove positive
burglary, but the decrease in the mum.
Der of burglaries committed is more
positive evidence Of guilt than if tar
ldily proven by court and at heavy
expense to the county.
We hope the officers will make dill.
gent use Of the power entrusted to them
and to use the language Of ex-President
Grant, "let no guilty man escape" 1t
is cheaper to keep our thieves at the ex-
pense of the county than at the risk
|of our personal property being
stolen and perhaps greater evils that
follow life of thievery, for thief that
will enter bed room at night, chloro.
form the inmates if need be in order
that he may the more effectually carry
out his wicked designs, will take life if
necessary to cover up his tracks.
The order to arrest at sight these per
sons who are well known by reputation
to be thieves, comes not moment too
soon. The large number of late rob.
berries have exasperated the people and
have well nigh driven them TO take the
law in their own hands, and bed rooms
and parlors are by degrees being con-
verted into arsenals, thereby rushing
into that other danger Of keeping load
ed re arms accessible to children and
inexperienced persons who might be
fatally injured by the Use Of them.
| The voice Of every good citizen will
be heard in support of this movement
to drive the suspected thieves out of the
city and to make it so hot for them that
they will not care about returning soon.
No matter about preliminary hearings
admitting to bail, or the compliance OF
the law strictly as in ordinary cases
The great thing to be accomplished i.
to drive out the thieves, and the catcl
. word of every honest man, woman anc
=. child in Wilmington should be, thu
thieves must 60"
81 The Terror OF Thieves,