Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-03
QuEER CASE.
The Story or 3 Combined Elspto-
maniac.
A Kentsees<a MAO coalaa't Resist the
1s1aptlfi0s - sks4t-fhs f4fhss's
Narrative q His SoG's
InhFf.ity.

Narrative a ss. Ss4.
Innra.ity.
Cs-sFisr-
A ys-s- maa with = i0~, rstroating
forehead. faint, struggling promise u
barnsiies aad = CHASTITY pale fSce. sat 10
the prisoners d0ek IA the CiTeait Court
Yesterday. His small. dark eyes glanced
aaxiously atoag the room, and his hands
nervosisly toysd with bis coat. fne Young
mans name wzs James Heath. ant he y as
there Oa the charge of grand larceny. lie
looked more ike leader ia yoang mems
Christian society meeting, or Sunday
school teacher, then thief. lie was arrest
81 for stealing couple Of seaiskin eioaks
and soalskia cap from Mr.. Lewis, the hat
ter. The evidence against Heath Was over
whelming aud the y0ang man pleaded
guilty. His counsel. Adron kohn, offered
as a defense that Heath was a kleptomanlac.
The frst witness introduced was Heath's
father, an honest looking old gentleman,
whose face was furrowed with the weight
Of years and or many trUui les de told
his story ia a conscientious, straigbtior-
ward way that carried conviction With Il.
His evident grief at his sons disgrace Won
the sympathy of all
My son was born In lexington" said
Mr. Heath, lat the most exciting period of
the war. His mother was deeply interest
Ell in the cause OF the South. She donated
all her time TO gathering up money and
necessaries for its armies She took every
thing she could get, food, clothes aud
money. She spent all her time in devising
sch mes for concealing these things and
getting them thI oagh the lines. IL was IN
these trying times. an d while his mothers
! mind was engrossed with these duties, that
James was born. Ny wife had 20 put the
boy out 20 a wet nurse We gave him 10 "A
negro woman whom we afterward discov-
erred To be an incorrigible thief.
"From his earliest childhood James took
everything he could lay his hands OF.
/ While he was still in dresses he would
| steal We moved TO this city and did
everything in our power 10 cure the boy of
1 his terrible habit. | remember one day,
when he was still child, that he came
/ home with an IRISH potato IN one pocket,
sweet potato in another and plug OF to-
bacco in a third. When his mother asked
him where be got them he replied that be
took them from a grocery. He admitted
that he did wrong, but said he couldn't
help it. tie US "a TO steal tobacco, although
he never used bit of it in his life. He
never had the slightest idea OF the value of
money. lie was expelled from sew
eral schools for stealing. He would
take books, states aud everything he could
carry off. He had no motive for it, as he
would never sell them, and never attempt
ed to. When questioned he admitted his
guilt and told where he had the goods con-
cealed."
Mr.. Pratt next testified. He said that he
was friend OF Mr.. Heath's, and On that
account took the boy into his service and
into his home. II was satisfied that the
boy was a kleptOmaniac. His wife once
bought six pair of handsome towels.
/ Young Heath stole six of them and select
ed one of each kind. He finally brought
three of them into Mr.. Pratt's Office. He
opened letters, stole stamps, checks, col
lected bills, and, in fact, d.,played de-
sire TO take everything that was not nailed.
When questioned, the boy would give a
very feeble mind u answer. Once he
siened Mr.. Pratt's name to a check. although
he knew he could get no money on it. He
collected one ill three months before it
fell due. Mr.. Pratt tired of him at length,
and sent him back TO his father.
DR.. Larabee has been the family ply
sician of the Heaths for many years. He
is satisfied that the boys brain is de-
fective. His will power is not strong
enough TO withstand the overpowering
temptation 20 steal. If he were lecturing
on kleptomania, he would cite this as an
instance.
A. Flexner went to the same school with
Heath. He bore Mr.. Heath out in the state
ments about the young mans habits at
school. He took the other boys books,
states and everything he could lay his
hands on and concealed them.
Mr. Kohn made a lengthy speech in con-
clusion. He said it was perfectly apparent
that young Heath was a kleptomaniac.
There could be no DOUBT about it. In such
case the intention of the commonwealth
was not to punish. 1t was case that re-
quired pity more than punishment. He
hoped the Judge would hold hun over un-
der as light bail as possible, If be did not
free him.
Judge Thompson said he was not sure
that he could free him, because the case
was one for a jury to decide and not au
examining court. He would investigate the
law on the subject and see what could be
done.
Two Cautious Women