The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-11-28
SELLING STOLEN GOODS.
A DETECTIVE TELLS HOW THIEVES
DISPOSE OF THEIR PLUMBER.
The Greatest Receptacle in the
Country for Stolen Gold aud Sill
yer Is the United States Mint,

The Greatest Receptacle in the
Country for Stolen Gold aud Sill
Yer is the United States Mint.
"You would hardly suppose it but the
greatest receptacle of stolen good, in this
country, and the one which battles us
completely in our efforts either torecover
stolen property or to trace the thief, is
the United States Mint, said Detective
Block, as he examined the pawnhokers'
report at the Washington Police Head
quarters one day recently.
at is II fact, nevertheless, !" continued
the officer, as he laid the reports aside
and turned to the reporter; sand that, ~
said he, sis one of the reasons why we
are so anxious to break up the small
fences in this city. Nova fence, every
one knows, is place where stolen goods
are purchased; but there are different
kinds of fences, and the most difficult
for the police to deal with are those
where old gold and silver are purchased.
Many of these are run openly, and
the people who conduct them have no
idea that they are violating law, but all
the same they are aiding the thieves, and
in most instances are doing their utmost
to prevent the officers from catching the
thief. You may accept it as an absolute
fact that with but one or two exceptions
every jeweler in this city, and the pro.
prietor of every other establishment that
displays the sign: 'Old Gold and Silver
Bought, is --~-;'-~~ g ".~'~~ --.~I-
for in our .N
and silver S g..
'What h ... ..
it?"
1.-The bu ,...
ried on, ant, ,uo .......------ -.... ID. ....a .
profitable is the mint The mint will re
ceive anything in the way of gold OF
silver over the value of 500, and the
smaller dealers turn their supplies over to
some middle man, who sends it off in
quantity to the mint, where no questions
are asked, and where valuable plate and
jewelry, marked often with the owners
name, are put in a crucible and assayed at
Government expense. This, of course,
destroys all trace Of the metal, and even
when we are able to ascertain through
what channels it has passed, we are rem
dered absolutely hopeless by the impossi-
bility of securing the goods or of accom-
plishing its Identification.
"Who buys the old metal2"
"The business of buying old gold and
silver is carried on in various WAYS in
this city. There are the fences where
little else than stolen property is received;
then there are the jewellers and others
who purchase it openly, and advertise for
all the metal of that kind they can get
and last, but not least in impol lance, the
men who go from house to house and
purchase anything from the fragment of
4 broken scarf pin to set of silver
plate.
''Ihe latter class of dealers are by far
She most dangerous. They go in and
out of alleys, keep engagements with
servants and children, and are willing to
purchase anything that may be offered
them. The result is that the temptation
offered to servant girls and bad boys to
rob their mistresses or parents becomes
irresistible, and large amount of pilfer-
ing that we never hear of is made easy
and profitable. The smaller dealers who
do this part of the business generally turn
their stores over to one of the large deal
ers, who sends it to the mint"
SIS the business proftable?"
"Yes, the profits in this traffic are
enormous. The dealers pay about a
tenth of the value of the article hut