The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-01-23
RAGE FOR STEALING.
Ladies of standing in Society Vic
Tins of KleptomGntG.
How Store-Keepcrs Got Even with So.
Called Unconscious Pilforers The t,ea-
sons and Causes OF n Peculiar Dis
easc-A Detectives Talk.

caSc-A DetectiYs's Talk.
81 beg your pardon, madam, this ia
clinging to the fringe of your wrap"
Tho speaker was the floor-walker in ono
of the large retail stores of the city, and
the person he addressed was a fashions
ably-dressed lady. Ho had caught her
in the act of sccreting a cheap purse
under her wrap, and only took this
means of letting her know that no had
noticed her. Tho lady blushed, and
~murmurlng something walked to another
counter, but all tho time she was in tho
store sharp eyes were watching her.
When she socreted some lace in her
pocket nothing was said about it, but
the amount was added to the bill her
husband paid at tho end Of tho month.
care thore many klcptomaniacs in
this city?" asked an Indianapolis News
reporter of a detective.
about fifty" was the astonishing an
swer. They are well known to tho
merchants, and as soon as they step
into a store they arc watched, and 10
matter how sly they work, they arc
always detected. 1t is not very
often that they arc called upon to dis
gorge. If their husbands are not able
to pay for the articles taken, the lady is
asked to step into q private room,
and there y female clerk relieves them
of the stolen goods. 1t is seldom that
any information concerning tho theft is
lodged with the police or gets outside
the store. Tho merchant never prose-
cutcs them. To do SO would ruin his
business. Tho bill is always settled,
and that ends it. A floor-walker told
me recently that when the theft OF an
article is noticed q bill for double tho
value of the article is made out and all
abovo tho selling price OF the article
goes to the person who detects tho theft.
In some stores young ladies arc en-
ploycd who are ready detectives, and
whose business is simply to watch for
pilfcrers.
There is q woman hero who every
Wednesday puts IN an old s~un-bonnct,
and taking n basket goes out begging
for bread. If she can steal q loaf. or an
ear of corn, or any trivial thing, she will
do So. Yet this woman is far above want
in n financial sense. Another recently
stole s~eventy-1vo yards of silk. Another
took two hundred yards of lace. An
other will pick up buttons and all sorts
of Insignificant articles. They do this
believing themselves unnoticed, and
t.':' risks thai n professional thief or
81 sitter would not think of taking.
c." lady has such n penchant for pilfcr-
II t4Jo she has u companion with her
a. I'll times. This companion sees that
g.,',,, ,,.in1n, n,n ,;tl,n, ,,.,,,,-J -.
p tCr. Whenever n new store strikes
town the kleps' all flock to it, but there
is generally SOC o ono employed who
knows these people, and they do not get
away with very much before they arc
caught
Major Carter, of tho Secret Service,
relates this instance: "At a country
church down South a gourd was used at
the fountain. An old lady walked up to
the fountain, took n drink, and, in tho
presence of the entire congregation, Sc
erected the gourd under her shawl and
walked back to her seat, fully satisfied
that 90 one had seen her take thu
gourd. That is tho worst case OF klepto-
mania l ever heard Of"
Scientific research cas- as yet failed to
IlliII cHDItAl lIft ItStSOliS anu CtllStS q!
this peculiar disease-for a disease il
surely is. 1t is one of tho mysteries of
poor human nature. Every locality
has its full share OF kleptomaniacs,"
said DR.. carp. 1T is not ~infrequent
that some of them receive sentence in
police courts, while a large majority of
them in the higher walks of society arc
protected by friends in order 10
spare tho feelings of their rcla-
tiyes, and it is often understood that
. settlement will be made for goods
purloined. These persons are moro
often women than men, which is UNI
q~uestionably due to the peculiarities of
the sex, prone to conditions that invite
strange demeanor. They are not gem
orally known in q community as insane
persons, and yet there sometimes seems
that tendency. Insane persons havo de-
fective power of tho will. If it be
mental alteration il the same degree
cases occur whore thcrp is n pprversion
of morality, intense jealousy, suspicion
which may, If not at the time, eventual
~ lead to y disturbance of tho intellect.
Yet it woull be extremely unfortunate
il the lilcptomaniac was considered ir-
responsible for all his acts, since it
would easily establish q precedent for
the protection of tho criminal classes.
The morbid disposition which leads
the individual to the act ofinccndiarism
is akin to the same category, yet these
persons are of q lower social standing
and the same clemency is seldom TX
tcnucn TO them. These ardent morbid
desires which constantly battle control
surely furnish u chain Of circumstances
that sreak STRONGLY in ~eXtenuation."