The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-02-08
Van BIBBER'S KLEPTOMANTA
He Secretes Spoons and Becomes a
Terror of Teas.

New York Sun.
Mr. Van Bibber and the other men of his par
ticular set were grouped around the club win
dow after luncheon, or breakfast as it Happened
to be, when Van Bibber said he thought seri-
ously of entering upon q career of crime. Van
Bibber was given to making disturbing state
ments of this sort, which required one to think,
even if one did not reply to them, and the other
men rather wished he would not
"For instance" said young Van Bibber, ''I
went to dance last night, and the room where
you were to put your hat was filled with old
silver, little bits of it-snuff-boxes and spec
tacle-cases, and bon-bon boxes and buckles and
girdles The chap had made collection of
them, and had them all lying around loose.
had good mind to fill my overcoat with half
of 'em, and then 1 thought it would be much
more fun to fill every other mans pockets, and
wait and see the row. But some one came in
and couldn't do it. Now, there are these teas
and receptions and days and all that sort of
thing that women go to. Why shouldn't 1
start out some afternoon and sweep the places
bare and melt the silver down and get rich? I
might become sort of Jack the Ripper or
Louis the Litter. I'll bet," exclaimed Van
Bibber, becoming more interested in his idea,
back more than five hundred dollars worth of
silver and bric-a-brac. And I'll do it, too if
any of you have any sporting blood" There
was no question as to the men having sporting
blood. They jumped at the chance. Van Bib
ber found not the least difficulty in dividing up
his wager among them all.
"But wait,'' said Travers: show do we know
that Van Bibber won't fix it with the people in
handling the bric-a-brac. or even if he put
fork down his coat-sleeve, they'd hot say any
thing. They'd think he was Joking. Or he NAV
let them into it beforehand"
well. l must say appreciate your conf
dence," growled Van Bibber; s'I'll play fair,
OF course, and lll tell you what Ill do: to make
know me, and I'll bring back spoons marked
with the peoples inltials.''
This recklessress delighted his friends.
"You're sport, Van Bibber," they cried with
admiration, ''and you'll be in Jail before 5
o'clock.
The servant brought them society paper
that made feature of printing the announce
ments of coming social events, and Van Bibber
carefully selected the names of five estimable
ladies who were giving receptions that afternoon,
and who We're making desperate fight to get
into society, as the proper people to rob. At
he ordered hansom put his list inside his
hat, placed fresh chrysanthemum in his
of crime His friends watched him from the
window with keen delight and with much ex-
citement.
"Now, then," said Travers, promptly and
decidedly, 1.-THE thing for us to do is to
send detective after him and have him ar
rested.'
"EXactly," said the rest. Mr. Van Bibber
alighted first at very handsome brown-stone
house, just few doors off the avenue, on
Forty-third street. There was an awning over
the door and line of carriages on either side
of the street. The name of the lady who was
paying for this he discovered, by referring to
his slip, to be MOBILES. The man saw him
through the door and opened it for him, saving.
.sThird floor, front" Mr.. Van Bibber pushed
his way through the crowd of women and girls
and old men and pots of chrysanthemums and
threw his oyercoat in a corner. There was no
one in the room, and Van Bibber, while adjust
ing his crayat, cast wandering eye over the
dressing table 1t was Uttered with bright sill
yer toilet articles He picked some of these up
and bit them in most professional manner
Plated" he remarked, with some disgust;
'lady probably gets her silver from a caterer
Hardly worth while to try downstairs Guess
I'll move on to next placer
He picked up his oVercoat and hat again and
went out without having gaZed upon Mrs No
bles The next place was on the avenue itself,
and was very crowded. Van Bibber pushed
his way slowly upstairs to the second floor and
without a moments hesitation, gathered up
four photograph frames, complete mani
cure SET OF silver, gold watch, Which hung in
a slipper at the side of bed, and a pair of sill
ver-backed hair-brushes. He placed these care
fully in his oVercoat, and went downstairs in a
stately and dignified manner. He avoided the
first door, where he guessed the hostess was
stationed, and made his way toward the rear
There was terrible crush, and yet he saw no one
he knew. In the rear room there was a long
table overloaded with things to eat. He gath
cred up three or four spoons, one at time
after examining them carefully, and stored
them away back of bit of china on sideboard
then he went back after more spoons Nobody
paid any attention to him, and he paid no at
tention to any one else He carried a plate
with some salad on it in his hand, and picked
at this daintily with the spoons as he trans
ferred them from the table to the sideboard
When he had dozen he covered them with his
handkerchief and slipped them into his coat-tail
pocket. Then he put on his great-coat and went
out as calmly as he had come in. He found
the stolen articles somewhat heavy, SO, as soon
as he was in the hanson, he took them out and
put them under the seat
Mrs. Charles r. Van Dyke was the name of
the hostess at the next place. Van Bibbey shot
quickly upstairs, and opened two or three
bureau-drawers, a writting-desk, and a secre-
tary, but found nothing of value. There was
an immense silver water-pitcher in one corner
with two goblets, which he thought of taking,
but he could think of no way of getting it out
unobserFed unless he lowered it down the
eleYator-shaft with a rope. In the dining-rOom,
however, the spoons were undisturbed as yet,
L.