News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
THE COST OF A CRIMINAL.
NEW AND PECULIAR VIEW OF TaE
PEST OF sOtIkTY.
What n Single Thief infiIcts Upon Society,"
AnAppni.ing WASTE
From the New York Hour.l

From the New York Hour.l
The actual loss in dollars and cents
which single criminal irficts upon So
ciety is sometimes appalling. We groan
at the iniquity of politicians, and rejoice
when one of them who has stolen few
thousand dollars is driven to Jail or out
of the country; but tsuch q fellow is, as
rule, less dangerous than some common
criminal who is sentenced for term OF
years for small burglary or for steal
ing a horse. For the criminal classes
waste far more than they consume; it is
beyond doubt that th,ef--and most
criminals live by theftsa thief, who
does nothing whatever for society but
prey upon it, always takes far more
than he would need were bis operations
honest. Money is worth its face value,
no matter in what hands 1t happens to
be; bit the pickpocket whose specially
is watches, knows that to earn twenty
dollars by his delicate handiwork lie
must steal at least hundred dollars
worth of timepieces, The Junk" thief
will tear out of house, in course of
erection, all the lead pipe of the plumb
ing system, which in material and labor
has cost several hundred dollars, and sell
it by the pound as old lead, being we'll
satisfied if he can get ten dollars for his
nights work. The financial results OF
some great burglaries of dry goods and
jewelers. shops, silk houses and private
residences have been shown, at the trial
of the thieves, to be only one-tenth, one
twentieth, and even smaller fractions oi
the value of the goods taken. Even il
great bond robbery cases the thieves
have obtained but very small proper
ton of the actual value of the securities
stolen. Theft, like many other indus
tries, is not complete in itself; the booty
must be sold, frequently it must gc
through several hands, to each of which
sticks part of the price, and no one o
them is the hand of person who il
earning an honest living.
This would be bad enough, even wer
every thief persistent in trying to keel
down expenses in his personal and do
aestic management. Unfortunately
however, among the virtues which som
criminals profess and practice, econom.
will be sought in vain. No reckless hei
of a million was ever more free-hande,
than the thief is while his money lasts
He wears fine clothes of faultless cut, h
} smokes the best cigars; and in the ding
back-rooms of grogshops, in the street
} most frequented by thieves, there
more champagne opened than in som
famous places on Broadway. Burglar
always drive good horses, and thei
feminine companions are arrayed lik
Solomon in all his glory. Sucis luxurie
.~st goat desu osla4sna- 30 yh
thief who does not want 90 Change hi
habits is obliged to be industrious
business, and lose no good chanc
through carelessness. If ne spends tiv
thousand dollars per year, he must stet
fifty thousand, in which case he cost
society as much as a hundred homes
day-laborers, and gives society nothin
in return but an undeniable sense OF al
prehension.
Like breeds like" and criminal
families may always be depended upo
to live by crime. Perhaps not a
thieves and bad characters in gener
: can repeat the appalling record of IL
Dukes family, which gave the countl
several hundred criminals; but they
their utmost, in that direction, multipl
; lug rapidly and neglecting to train the
offspring to live properly.
5 1t will thus be seen to reform even
single criminal is to spare society SCI
s GUS and steady infiction. A CONNIE
Ii thief, who lives by his craft, steals mo
in his lifetime than any great rogu
l. who is not bank president, ever ge
it by single "haul." 1t is hard for
= sentimentalist, or even missionary,
II regard such a fellow with tenderne
and brotherly love, but any one can 1
v ford to wish the rascal's business met
it DDS were different. Topersuade and
it sist discharged criminals to lead hone
b. and self-supporting lives is one OF Il
er tasks to which the National Prison A
.h sociation has addressed itself. Ii
nj work should commend itself to any mai
common sense and pocket.