New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-01
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RlrfirfbN a. tlOiiN GoobN
The aiirrt oi thr woman MundrllnW h7 u lr-
rrNl. of stolen -ool, has revived reports CON
corning hol connection with thcG'm'nI classes
which have been in circulation ior mnt} years
II i, ALLEGED that thi, woman has been almost
without Disguise carrying ou the business al
receiver for the space oi full generation ana
that through her intimate connection win
habihml thieves shc has established "a sort oil
sovereignty over them, virtually employing
them in stealing, mt scar'y wages, with o." u.u-
mate ohioc; of increasing her already consider
able wealth. Now the existence OF such people
rs " Mother Mandclhaum is unfortunately no
new thing. They are to be foGnd in all large
cities. and have liourishcd in all times ana
countries I'm the history OF English crime
long succession of them can be traced. JON
athan Wild was the most notorious, and he was
a thial-catchrr rs well a. "a thief breeder In
later times London has produced an key SOLO
mons (wcll-kn0wn also in New York; and,
more recently, a Money Moses -; and now
that these have disappeared their places are
flied with equally vile and mischievouS per-
sons. The fact that receivers. though known to
the notice. escape arrest, is not necessarily
consequence of ycnality on the part OF the
officers. The truth i, that the law makes identi-
Gc3t,on of stolen property very difficult and
that since guilty knowledge on the part OF the
receiver must be proved it Is seldom that the
nccc,sar, proofs 20 secure conviction are forth
coming.
To illustrate this difficulty case may be
cited. The shop of London shoemaker was
looted one night by burglars. Gho carried off
1 nj off
ward at key Solomons's; and though the
officers were morally certain that the goods
were those which had been stolen, and though
the owner of the goods was sure OF 1t, yet 80
sl,ilfully and completely had all the marks been
removed that ii was impossible To swear to the
propcrty. and Solomons impudcntly dciicd the
police to remove a single pair OF shoes. The
end was that the shoemaker was obliged to pay
$500 To recover his stock, and could get no re-
dress. Cases like this have been frequent in all
countries. In France the authorities employ
greater severity, and do not hesitate TO encroIch
unon the abstract privileges and rights of the
citizen i'm criminal cases. The condition Of
things which permits fences to ply their
business in all large cities with virtual impunity
is however plainly anomalous. The re-
cciycr has been said by popular saw to be as
/ bad as the thief; but in reality hc is much
worse. Indeed. 50 high judicial authority as
Sir james Stephen holds the business, To- be- so
dangerous and dcprlyng that ne has in one of
! his legal works seriously advised making it
capital offence after certain number of con
| yiclions
This estimate of the receiver il based upon
| knowledge. II is certain that these people are
/ the most active promoters of crime and the
/ most extensive bcncfciiics from it. They are
| indispensable 60 professional thieves and at the
| same time they absorb the lions share of the
! thieves plumber They make the II cvcs tako
MI the tiRk and they seize the prmcipn gain
! Themselves Few or none Of them are cSci true
to their nAsocntcs. Most OF them. II not ALL
hnvc had ur have secret dealings with the pu.
! lice, In which some burglar ot nhoplillcr IN hr
nnycd and mcrinccd They are the middlcmen
of the criminal clnHscs u double curse 10 the
Door wrctrhcs upon whose vices they sub,ist.
Nothing so thoroughly vile and dcmomiling u.s.
the occupation of the receiver is perhaps known
i'm society," and there can be no doubt that if
these centres of crime could be destroyed all
police administration would be greatly simpli-
fed. and the protection OF the mercantile public
would be far more complete Bnt while the
law operates TO shield these arch-crininals very
little can be done, and though the police may
have known for years what was going on at
Mother Mandelbaum's, it is quite possible that
they were unable to fasten upon her any charge
that would stick. a change in the law admit
ting the operation of commonsensc in such
cases would unite the hands of the police, and
assist them in roofing out the nurseries of crime
which all receivers establishments are Thus
far. however, 2 Governments have occupied them
selves in trying to punish the thieves in detail,
while the thief-makcrs have been allowed to
keep up the supply indefinitely, and to prevent
the escape of the old ones from their clutches.
Legislation aimed at the receivers is one of the
things next in order.
DRUNK FOR FIFTEEN YEARS
One Of tl,.. II mat and CartainlY the