The Meeker herald., 1890-02-15
MEEl\ER HERALD.
RAGE FOR STEALING.
Ladies' of Standing in Society Vic
tins of Kleptomania-



81 beg your pardon, madam, this is
clinging to the fringe Of your wrap
The speaker was the fioor-valkor In ono
u tho large rotail stores of the city, and
tho person he addressed was a fashion
ably-drosssd lady. lie had caught her
in tho act OF ,.creting cheap purs"
under her wrap, and only took this
means OF letting her know that ho had
notlaod her. The lady blushod. and
murmuring something walked 20 another
counter, but all tho tituu she was Ia tho
,t0r" sharp eyes wnr" watching her.
Whom she seorotci some lace In hor
pocket nothing wAs said about IL, but
the amount was added - the bill her
husband paid at the end Of the month.
Arc there many klrptom-niacs in
this cltye'' asked an indianapolis News
reporter of detective.
About nifty" Was IN" astonishing An
Swor. They are veil known 10 tho
merchants, and "a soon a. they step
into store they are watched, and No
mntt"r now sIs sn"y aVTt, sn-y 81"
alwAys detected. 4, II no, very
often that they are called upon To dis
gorge. II their husbands arr not able
"a pay for the articles takrn, the Lady i
asked 20 step into private rlom,
and there female clerk relieves Lhcm
II tho stolen goods. II is seldom that
amy Information concerning the tan't II
lodged with the polio" ur gets outsia"
the store. Tho merchant never prose-
cute, Thorn. To do W would ruin his
business. Tho bill Is aiways settled.
and that ends IL. 4 fuur-Nalk"r told
mo recently that when tho iho;t Of an
article 4, noticed \ bill Tor double tho
value Of tho ar;iri" 4, mad" Out aud all
above tho selling price OF th" article
gD-, "a Ia. person who detects th. theft.
In some stor,. young ladies aru en-
pl0yti who ar" r-aiy detectives, and
uhns" business IN simply 10 watch for
pil'"rcrs-
There IL = woman hero who every
"Wednesday puts ON an old sun-h1nnrt,
and taking a basket FoS, out bcsRins
'or broad. II Eho eau sigai = loaf, or an
ear q; corn. or any trivial thing, she Wiii
do -. Yo; this wuman Ia far above want
In a financial sense. Another recently
stole s-yoa,y,nyu yards Of silk. Another
took tao hundred yards Of lace. An
other will pick up hui,sns and all sort,
believing ;homsalv,-. unno,ic.d, anI
tax" risks tina, a professional thief or
shop.iifi"r would not ihink Of taking.
ono lady has such prnrhan; f1r pll'-r-
Ing ;ha, sho has companion with hcr
a. all Zines. This companion Hr-s that
stolen articles AZ, -lihcr returned or
Paid for. Whenever ncw s;nr- stakes
tnsn the 'kl-p.' all flock - 10. bat there
IL generally 500. one employed who
knows ,hnss people. md they do not ~;
away with very much before ihcy AF-
caught"
MAJOR Carter, Of the Score, Service,
relates ,hl, instance; "Nt \ country
esl sa sis s.viAs sgsp ara .asia e. q,
tho fountain. took n drink. and. Ia tho
presence Of the -n,ir- congregation. s.-
erected tho 4ngri under her shawl aud
walked back Ia her sat, Ally satisfied
tina, NO ono had s--n her TAX. tho
spurl. Tha; IL the vur,; ca.~ of kirpis-
mania ever heard OF
Scl"n;ihc rys"arch has a. yet failed 81
fully explain III" reason. and causes Of
this peculiar disoa,--ipr a disease lt
surely Ia. IL IA ono q. IA" mysteries II
poor human nature. Every luratIty
las iis full Hharr Of klrpiomAuiarS"
saii nr. Earp. "ti IL not iufruurui
that some ~ them r-criyu scntrnr" In
polio" cpuris. Whii- larsu majority 81
Jhrm In the higher walks 81 society arr
protected by fri-fds In order to
.paro tho feelings ot their t-l4-
lives. and 1t il often understood that
n sot,lCm-n, will h" made Tor gpyIs
rurloin"d. Th"." persons aro NOR.
often WOMEN than men. which il un.
pu"siiunahly due Ia III" ps'ruliariiivs II
the s"s, y-unc Ia conditions that invite
sirauF' d"m"anur. Thcy sro not r-n.
orally known In . community ~ insane
persons. and y"t there sometimes seems
that tendency. Insane persons hay-dc-
i~-iiyr power Of tho will II IL b-
mental alteration In IN" same dcrr-.
css-s pcrur whore thor" IN prry"r.ian
ot morality. intense jealousy. suspicion
which may, u not at tn" time. eventual.
" LEAD to disturbance Of tho intellect.
Yet II would be- extremely unfortunate
u I'll" kl"pipmaniAr wa. considered ir-
responsible for all his acts. since Il
would easily establish prccc,icn; for
tn" protection Of the criminal classes.
THE morhiid!spusition which leads
the individual ,D the act OF inc.ndlaFi.fn
Il akin to the same category. vet these
persons are Of lower social standing
and the same clcmcncy IL seldom OK.
tended TO them. These ardent morbid
desires which constantly hafiln control
surely furnish chain OF circumstances