The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-08
PETTY PILFERING.
How So-CaIIed Respectable Men Crib
Their Cigars
IPhiladelphia Bulletin.l


philadelphia Bulletin.1
speaking about stealing" said a COM
municative cigar dealer 10 gentleman
who stepped inside his store TO avoid &
crowd that was following policeman who
was escorting a decrepit looking thief TO
the station house, ''if those people"-point-
ing to the captive-''were the only ones
shoP-keepers had to contend with, there
would, comparatively speaking, be but lit
tie trouble. You can nearly always tell
them at sight, but the we'll dressed rogue
Is the bothering one Now take little
thing like g cigar. You wouldn't imagine
any one would steal a single cigar, would
you? But they do. / can understand what
would prompt a man to steal box of
cigars, but when it comes down to a single
weed it's small business"
8 1t is done, though" he continued, =" fire.
quently. In the long run the loss amounts
TO something considerable, but you can i'm
agine what ridicule man would have co
stand were he TO prefer a charge against
each man who pockets a cigar without
pay ng for it. These we'll dressed people
would be virtuously indg nant, shocked and
plead innocence of any harm. Such a
matter of habit they would say, to put
a cigar in my pocket, that l suppose did
it unconsciously.' OF course they would
always come out ahead in a magistrates
court, the pettiness of the charge alone
weighing in their favor. Another remedy
is to kick these offenders out of the shop,
and then suit for assault and battery
would follow, in which the respectable
thief would always come out first best
''The easiest remedy" he continued
slowly, as he rearranged some packages Of
cigarettes that customer had pushed over
while reaching for his change, sis to keep
a close watch on all customers, no matter
how respectable they may appear, and
then if they take anything they don't pay
for, collar them on the spot Speak to
them kindly but firmly, and they viii as
suredly come to time.
Kleptomaniacs are altogether too nu-
merous. Sometimes l think the disease is
altogether overdone, and 1 wonder why |
none but wealthy and respectable people |
are afflicted with it, Other ailments are,
as a rule, no respecter of persons, but this |
is an exception. 1 have an idea of my own |
that with many rich or 'well-off' people, |
kleptomania is handy excuse, kept !
for use, when they are detected in acts /
prompted by their stinginess. Anyhow, ] !
have lots of regular customers; perhaps I |
should not say lots but 1 have a great
many, who have no more computations
about putting cigar in their pockets with
out paying for it than they have about
smoking it after they get it out of sight.
The way it is done is this: A man comes in,
asks for three-for- quarter, two-for-a
quarter, or something cheaper, as the cas-
may be. Then he wants another brand,
and turn around to get it, and he slips a
MP his coat sleeve, lowers his arm TIC
gar III ~. S,.,.,.rssjs coat, and the weed
ops into his pocket. TINS Is -
tie, and l have no doubt it works mint If
mes out of ten. Another man will quietly in
Ike the cigars and put them in his vest bl
,cket while my back is turned. These
,ople always make purchase and get "
1t. If l have detected their roguery, ~ ~
ention to them in quiet way the next " =.
ne they come in that they forgot to pay ~
r so many cigars when they were last in q,
y place, and they pay up without muir d,
ur. 1t don't do to be rash, you know. Boys o.
ed pretty close watching, but L can ex- al
se boy for being little wrong at times. al
lere is always chance for them to learn NJ
tier as they grow older in the ways OF d.
e world. But do detest to see man, W
no is continually poking around picking ST
, little things that don't belong to him
is contemplate, but what can fellow o.
"" g
And the cigar seller picked out cheap .,
gar and smothered his wrath in smoke. n