The record-union., 1891-01-14
I'm A DELIRIUM OF DESPAIR. "
Strange Confession of the Man Who
Took Prof. DahI's 0yercoat.
Peculiar Actions of the Police in Re-
storing the Stolen Property
to the Owner.

AS has been related in the RECORD
was stolen from the City Library Satur-
day morning.
He found it the same day in a second
hand store on X street. The police seized
the coat, but refused to deliver it to the
owner. and advised him to settle with
the receiver. Dahl refused to accede to
storekeeper's demand, holding that to
buy his own because his property had
been stolen from him, was farce on
justice.
The police then advised Dahl to bring
an action of replevin for his property.
This he also declined to do, as he was not
able to bear the expense, and thought it
injustice besides. He stood ready to
swear out II warrant for an unknown
thief or for the receiver, and then prove
the theft and the identity of his property
and ask for an order OF the Police Court
for its delivery.
He could get no satisfaction out of the
police, and then appealed to City Attor-
ney Hart, but in the meantime the party
who bought the coat of the thief went and
TAINTED DAHL
And wanted to bet him $40 that he'd not
IttoNCl Ills COstb NltEOttl I}iNIIlO IDT III.
| City Attorney Hart, however. sat down
and wrote Il liote 20 the receiver, and adj
! vised him to withdraw his claim or Dahl
would commence proceedings against
him, and he, the City Attorney, would
aid him to do so.
AS Mr.. Hart went from his office to
send the letter. he met Captain Lee, who
informed him that he had just called
upon the secondhand dealer and had
prevailed upon him to forego his claim,
! putting q case tike this: ''If you had
bought horse for $50, and it turned out
it had been stolen do you think you
should be paid $50 by the owner?''
| Thcrenpon Mr.. Hart and Captain Lee
delivered Professor Dahl his coat, and
Mr.. Hart did not send his letter.
Professor Dahl declares that it takes five
| times the trouble to recover ones stolen
property in America, after the police re-
cover it, than it does III any of the colln-
tries of Europe, with whose system ne is
| familiar.
In the meantime there has come
/ through the mail to Professor Dahl, a
letter very neatly written, and evidently
by II foreigner, and apparently Il sincere
and scholarly person. 1t is signed by
what purports to be the full nalne of the
thief, who, Professor Dahl says, lie would
not want arrested now, if he had to 60
without an overcOat for the remainder OF
THE CONFESSION.
SACRAMENTO January -, 'ol.
| Professor Ddhi-DEAE SIR: Confession
| With due respect l take the liberty to bring
the following to your notice. There are periods
| in human life when every trouble disaster
and misfortune seems to have combined to-
gether to crush all earthly hopes Of n man in /,
common ruin. am in such a period now. A
! stranger i'll this city, trough circumstance OF
| wich had no control whatever, brought to
absolute misery, had no more control over
myself. Possessing fine education, talking
| and writing fiuently four or five modern Ian
! guages, having first-cltss reference willing to
do anything TO make an honest living, willing
| to work for my board only till 1 could send
| for assistance TO my family, 1t was impossible
| for me 10, obtain employment. Four days
| was without anything to eat. The cold dur.
! ing the night, especially in the silent hours OF
the morning, was such that prayed to God
to let me die there and thcli and If had pos.
sessed the means l would have committed
suicide Saturday morning 1 entered the city
library to obtain some warmth. ] saw an
overcoat hanging there, and / thought how
| warm it would be to have one during the
night. ] had To sell mine to get something to
eat; the temptation was too strong, and in dc
lirium of despair, without knowing the extent
| of my crime, the coat was in my hands. Oh
how suffered after the deed was done; how ]
suffer yet. would give my left hand to undo
what did. Forgive Inc, dear sir, the troubles
] gave you. assure you, when | obtain em
ployment / will restore everything you may
have lost byit. Last night was the first in 4
days l had y bed, but il was impossible for me
to sleep, my conscience would not let me rest
! walked UP, and down my room, almost on
| the verge OF insanity, from fear of being ar
rested, and be ruined forever, and then the
disgrace l bring on my mother and sisters
to think on that WAS enough to make me pa
| a sleepless and crying night. l send you this
| letter to tell you never did any wrong in my
life before SO you can understand perhaps
| how suffered before fell to temptation.
never, so help me God, will commit another
will die from hunger before 1 Will attempt
another theft. You may scorn me, but think
knowing nay circumstances, you will pity me
| also. Respectfully.