The Hazlehurst signal., 1884-01-17
A SOCIETY OF YOUNG THIEVES.

A SOCIETY OF YOUNG TlilE'ES.
A curious discovery of secret soci-
city was made in this city last week. II
was composed of clerks in retail grocery
stores. who were pledged to steal from
their employers one hundred and twcn-
ty-hyc dollars apiece each. month. The
sum was paid over To the treasurer of
the society. and divided among the
members according To certain rules.
Sometimes an amount @ Iual to two
thousand tive hundred dollars was given
to any one who was going into business
for himself. This society has been In
existence less than year, and after
leading tO the failure Of one or two
firms, suspicion wa> excited which led
to discovery. The confession of >omc
of these ruscalS may be- followed 10y the
conviction Of all of them. This is their
ruin in all probability. They have madc
shipwrccN of character before they are
twcntv-unc yeas of agc.
There art condtion> Of life in which
children grow up To- bc thieves. Such
are their surroundings scarcely any
thing else can bc expected. But when
boys have attained 10 such an are as tO
become clerks IN stores, and have had
education and training TO Justify 4 trades
man in intruSt'ng them with goods and
money i'm store. /; seems nj first view
incredible that an organized fraternity
could exist among them for the express
purpose oi robhing their employers.
And what degree of deprayity il dis
closes: far more base than the burglar
or highway robbcr. This stealing in
wolves meanncSS and ingra,itudc
which are not among the peculiar sins
oi one who breaks into rich mans
house or knocks him down. in the street.
To betray Il trust, TO steal from ones
parent or employer. taking advantage
of confidence rcpuSc !, is crinic of
such baScncSS - tO incur contempt ~
well as Indignation. Ii j. shifting the
hand that feeds; serpent singing the
bosom that warns il into life.
| am toll. and recent revelations jus
tify the statement. that every depart
mcnt If business AMI trade. especially
of public business where money Is
handled, is more or less filed with
agents who in ono way or another man.
are to ret more than Their wages. In
other words, MANY of them are thieves.
IL is very hard to prove il ON any one in
particular The ingenuity of lawyers
and detectives is taNct to the ut
most 10 find out who has been
stealth. hundreds of thousands of dol
lars from the city during long series
oi years. II is going on ut this moment
in all human probability. a society oil
young thieves, perhaps If old thieves,
may be in existence. perhaps has eN-
istcd many years, in which the members
play into one anothcr'S hands, cover up
tracks. and render detection almost ini-
possible. There must bc some secret
affinity between rugues which helps
them 10 know each other at iirst sight,
so that they can trust one another with
the fearful secret of their guilt. There
j. little honor among thieves they
know this very well. and hence must be
careful how they put themselves into
IN" u wcr of one who may bctray them
at the first moment Of danger, or on the
first awakening of conscience. So they
are hcdged about with difficulties and
bcsct with foes within and without.
The usual excuse made for the men,
bcrs os this society of young thieves is
tempted to steal. This. OF course, is no
justification OF their crime. But 1t is
worthy ot the careful attention of em-
ploycrs. To oppresS laborcr is as
great sin rs TO steal, and il may be
that employers who give starvation"
wages are responsible in part for the
sins OF those who are driven by stress
of circumstances e. help themselves To
money which il not theirs. Yet IL is not
probable that one in ten thousand of the
host of thieves. pcculators in stores and
Offices, steals to get bread. They steal
that they may consume ii on their lusts.
The Young man who earns only enough
10 get food and raiment may, by strict
attention 10 business. making himself in
dispcnsable to his employer, secure be-
fore long an increase of pay. But II he
spends few cents day for some use
less indulgence. IL he treats himself and
friend To entertainments in the even
inc, IL he joins with others in frolics
which cost only n little money at time.
he very readily consumes large part OF
his scant income increases his longing Tor
more. weakcns his moral principle, par
lcys with temptation, and joins n socic-
" of Young thieves, or becomes THIEF
on his own hook. The way TO ruin is
very smooth and down-hill always. 1t
is full Of travellers. And to stop while
going down-hill is hard.
Is there no balm in Gilead? Norem-
cdy for this state of things? Well, L
would say. in the first place, there al
ways was similar state of things. not
so bad perhaps n just now. But pick
ings and stealings always were the prey
of those who are intrusted with other
peoples goods. In many store
n clerk learns TO steal by seeing
that his employer cheats his customer.
II the boy-clerk is taught TO adulterate
the goods. to mix poor Hour with good.
it Is not strange that he learns to cheat
and steal for himself. II was an old
libel on pious tradesmen. which has
been often repeated: The grocer calls
to his clerk: ..IIayc YOU sanded the
sugar?H ..Ycs." "Flave you watered
the rum?' "Yes." "Well, then. come
into prayers" This is designed 10 in
sinuatc that ;he grocer is great hypo-
A,,I thnnaanha nm