The Penn's Grove record., 1891-07-31
Petty 'Tbieyiug.

George Strade was fined s. and cost,
i'll Wilmington, last week for stealing
canned goods out of a car. From his
statement he seemed to he m of Herr
Most's Socialistic followers. He said
that the ''devil" told him to take the
stuff, and that the owners were rich
and would not miss the few articles
that he was TO take, and that he
(Strade) was a poor, hungry man and
had a right to them and that it was no
wrong to take from persons who were
wealthy.
There are more people than Strade of
the same way OF thinking who do not
have any conscientious scruples about
taking little things which do not belong
| to them under the plea that they need
them more than the person who owns
| them, as they will not be missed OF the
| article is of little or no use to them.
| Penn's Grove has its full share OF petty
| pilferers some whom you would not
| think guilty of such little devilish acts,
some whose names may be on Church
records. No n can have a garden of
vegetable or more especially fruits free
from thieves unless it is under the close
watch of the household and for small
articles to once get lost, Or mislaid is
generally a sure case for the owner
never to see them again.
This habit of petty pilfering seems to
be bred in the bones of some for genera
lions and hard TO get out even by super
natural miracles. Some have no res
pect for law, human nor divine, unless
it comes at them with boots on" and
then they are so suppliant and humble
and plead poverty that, the persons
whose rights are trespassed on give
merry and often overlook the petty
thieving for the sake of parents or fam
lily, or to avoid trouble and expense.
The owner may not miss the articles or
need them yet the principle involved
and the human and divine law should
be respected.
Only a short time ago all agent of the
Albany Beef Packing Co., went to their
large house or the shore TO sell some
valuable machinery, but he found it
broken up, part sold and the remainder
in a bad condition from the effects of
~, tn ..Iarg Thn anrna.. .,IxA hi Tho
depreciation are known, but their plea
was the same as Stiade's and Herr
Most's. As the proper0 had not been
used for years and seemed to be with
out visible ownership they appropriated
it to their wv revenue, which was
stealing and merited a fine or Judgment
in Jail, but like anyother ~offenses may
go without being punished.
No person has II right to a thing un-
less they have purchased it or received
it as a gift, yet many claim ownership
because some M else does not because
the owner may not know their article
has strayed Or been stolen. Ii a thing
is found lost or damaged it is the find
ers moral duty to try to restore it to its
owner, and not wait for the owner to
try to find it for the owner may not dis
cover his loss until the finder may have
forgotten or appropriated it to his own
use.
There are a large class Of criminals
who are never tried and convicted in.
court and the leniency Of the looser in
many petty cases only leads to more
lawlessness. An open rebuke by the
law. ever if it makes h~ardships, hard.
feeling and troubles, is most wholesome
for the public good and a most valuable
lesson to not only the petty criminal
but to restrain Others from doing the
like. Honest is not only the best policy
but the best principle aud these who do
not possess it should he taught it with
the most severe means. A word to the
wise is sufficient.