Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-03


occasion serves.
EMHEXX7.ERS AND THIEVES.
Inspector Sharp TaIhs AsSus the PHI
losOphy of Crime.
| THE MOTIVES WHICH ACTUATE MEN WHO sACHI-
FICE THEIR GOOD NAME FOR MOSEY--THE EAsT
STAGES BY WHICH A HIGi-ToNEp CITIZEN BE-
COMES A THIEF-HoW THE GREED FOR GAIN
ovERCoMEs THE JUDGMENT AND MAKES
P0wERLESS THE Observation-Disclosures
DRAWN FROM RECENT AND wELI-KNowN CASES.
"You ask me to tell yon how a man reconciles
his Judgment with life of Systematic steal
ing. Well, that Is answered easily enough.
They don't do it," The speaker was Col. A. G.
Sharp. the chief of the Post Office inspectors.
who has. in one capacity OR another, spent many
years Of a life not yet passed the middle line in
tracking down and bringing to justice that class
of criminals who violate trusts reposcd in them
In his present official capacity lie has the duty
In connection with his corps of assistants of Sc
curing the honest administration Of the revenue
derived from the $4,000 post Offices scattered
throughout the country. He is in consequence
brought in contact with what might be termed
the higher class Of criminals, men OF
good social position and character, who
have through some influence gone wrong.
The discovery of such cases of breach Of trust s
always shock to tile public mind and generally
a source Of amRZement TO even their most init
| mate circle of friends and acquaintance. 1t is
commonly asked what could have been their
motives and the mental process by which they
were enabled to carry on q systematic course OF
| stealing and yet hold their heads high In the
community and associate with honest people?
| The conversation which STAR reporter had
! begun with Col. Sharp had reached the point
which is indicated by the answer given above.
Reference had been made to the case of Brugge-
/ man, formerly clerk in the Post Office depart
Ment. who has Just been sentenced to the peni-
Tertiary for stealing stamps which, owing to
some defect In the printing Of the sheets had
been sent to the department to be counted and
| destroyed
| THE LOVE OF MONEY.
''Take the case of Bruggeman' continued the
colonel. "He was an honest man and an up
! right citizen; temperate in habits; careful and
saving; no great ambition in life apparently was
to get to&tther enough money to complete the
| payment on his house. and thus secure home
Tor his family. in whose society he found his
chief happiness. When he saw this opportunity
OF making money his Judgment undoubtedly
condemned it. 1t told him that it was wrong,
and that III the event of discovery lie would be
ruined for life But the desire for sudden &C
QUESTION for the rapid accumulation of money
overcame his Judgment. He had not the moral
courage to resist the temptation. and so he tell.
lt was not because his judgment had proved de-
fective. that his reason had failed him. but be-
cause this desire for money overpowered them
and became the dominant influence in his life.
i can well understand his state of mind when in
court. as the sentence was about to be imposed,
ne mad nothing to say except blame for HIM
self"
Il think that l had the same feeling once
myself" added the colonel. and then. seeing the
look of surprise in the face of his listener, he
smiled and said, 'but it was only in dream.
| ana 1t happened some years ago. | was at that
time in comfortable circumstances and in no
| need Of money. But 1 dreamed that had
stolen $500; that had deliberately taken that
amount from friend and gone away with It.
! In the progress of the dream was arrested and
put in jail. Friends came to me and expressed
their sympathy. and said that / must not stay
| in jail, and that they would get me out on BAIL
But said no. that did not want to get out
knew that had stolen the money and that
that 1 used to know, but my only wish was to
stay and suffer the penalty Of my crime"
| COMMON THIEF's EXPERIENCES.
| 81 used to be an assistant warden in A
penitertiary," went on the speaker, after
brief pause, land in that capacity
came in contact with great many GRIM
| inals. have been told BY thieves that when
! they first began to steal they were troubled in
! their minds to such an extent that they could
| not sleep and would be afraid to meet peopIe in
| the streets. The second theft did not disturb
| them SO much. and finally they reached such a
| state of mind that they would steal with the
same unconcern as they would eat their meals.
Their conscience, their moral nature was dead
ened and they no longer were disturbed by
thoughts which at first made them start at
shadows. But this is the ordinary experience Z"
| DISTINCTION IN CRIME
ut was long WHILE" said the colonel as he
struck match and lit cigar, "before l found
! out the difference between an embezzler and q
| thief. used to think that an embezzler was a
thief. and that was all there was about it. Now
| / know that an embezzpr is not necessarily a
| thief at first, although he may become so. and
| as rule he generally does. In the beginning
| an embeZzler simply takes the money Of some
one else as loan to himself for short time.
For instance, suppose that have four or FIVE
| thousand dollars belonging to the government
! III my safe. Afriend comes to me and says: Look
here Sharp. lhave got good thing andifyou put
! III $1,000 you can make handsome profit
l go to the safe and take out 81 600 and leave
q Slip OF paper in it's place. indicating that am
responsible tOrit After while the money Is
returned, perhaps with profit, and return It
to the safe. Suppose however. instead of
making money lose $500. l feel blue over the
| loss and resolve to replace the money as soon as
possible. 1t Is as much a loan in my mind as if
had given regular note Then another OBJ
pOrtunity Is presented to me of making little
investment with favorable chances of hand
some profit. | risk 81, ZOO borrowed in the
same way. Suppose lose another $500. Then
think to myself Gracious I must make up
that money some way Another investment
follows and perhaps another and il there are
losses, with each loss the anxiety to make it up
grows, and my investments become more fire.
quent and my loans to myself Of MONEY more
numerous. 1t may have taken years to reach
this stage, or perhaps few months, the time
varying according to the character OF the man
for cautiousness. At any rate, whether a
shorter OR q longer time i find myself
In debt perhaps to the extent of thousands
of dollars. much larger sum than can ever
hope to make up. At this point change from
an embezzer to thief Heretofore. with strict
honesty OF purpose, have regarded the money
taken as loans and fully intended to make II ali
good. Now ! know that 1t is not loan. and
yet continue to take the money of other peo-
pie and appropriate 1t to nv own USE I nm n
thief. In outlines merely, this IL the mental
history OF nearly every embezZler, and YOU can
attach to this skeleton the we-known features
and dress Of some one you have known. who
has been and is now fallen and you have the
man complete"
THE BURNSIDE CASE TYPE
"Col. Burnside" continued the Colonel. "wbo
used to be the Disturbing officer OF this denart-
ment, is good illustration of this process Of
Development. During the years that be was a
thief he must have been in hell and suffered
torments, although to all outward appearance
| he was happy contented man. ALWAYS liked
him, but was never able to become Intimate
with him. believe that this insanity which has
now developed itself was the result of the CON
Staut apprehension in which he dailv Ifvo3 n.