The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-22
STOLEN TYPE WRTTERS.
Large Number Carried or Every Year From
all Over the United States.

Talking about stolen type-writers," said
John Is. Culpeper To- TIMES reporter yester-
day. ut is surprising 10 know how many
writing machines are stolen nowadays rive
or six years ago Il was a rare thing 10 have
typewriter reported as stolen, but now l
get on an average of three or four
letters week. from our head Of
fee in New York. notifying me that
a typewriter had been stolen from n GER
tain city. giving me the number and request
ing me TO be ON the lookoutfor IT.. Very oiien
a full description is given of the party steal
ing il and this description IS given 10 me
chiefs of police Of the various cities aho 20
typewriter dealers throughout the Ohlteu
States and Canada"
Are any Of these stolen typewriter5 ever
recovered" ,.c.o.
awhile. A typewriter thief will 20 TO some
city and try 10 dispose of It. Alter vallhy
irving 10 sell IL for a day or two, because pa
ties buying secondhand machines or new
ones from any one other than regular 9etier
are somewhat dubious about the title beng
clear and will not buy until they pave pc
come satisfied rs 10 the ughtiui owner. II
will then be offered 10 the dealer Tor thai
city. and he having the number OF 1t, VIII
claim it as "a stolen machine from some other
dealer or from one If Wyck0ii, Seaman's
Benedict's Offices. and either let the party 90
or turn him over 10 the chief of police.
Have you ever had any type-wrlter' stolen
from You. Mr. Culpeperf / understand You
have been i'm the business nine or ten years.
During the long time that / have been sell
ing tvpe-writers. / have had very few stolen.
A party made away with q No. typewriter
down I'm Raleigh about two years ago and was
owing me fifty dollars IN it, / tried 70 stop
him. but he was a quick mover and the last
time ! heard from him he was IN Vancouver,
Is. G.. About two years ago a young man
q. \
A. of this city brought q man IN
my Office and introduced hlm. saying
me- was a stouOgrapher and typewriter. lie
stated that he was i'm hard luck, had very
little money. and wanted me 10 assist hlm IN
Getting work in this city and rent NM type
writer. I rented him No. 80. 'si. Before l
could oct a nance 10 look him up n situation,
he came In and said he had gotten place
with q weli-knOwn firm i'm the city.
About eight or ten days later / was called
upon at my residence and told chat the party
renting the typewriter could not be- found,
and he thought he had left the city with his
fathers watch and my typewriter. ! lmme-
diutclv took step, 20 stop him IN Baltimore,
Washington or Philadelphia / was pretty
sure he was going North, and that he
left on the York River llne connect
ing at west Point with the steamer for
Baltimore. | knew If he went 10y that
line a telegram tO Baltimore would cause ms
arrest coming of the steamer. ! told Well
known detective of the city 90 wire To- Baltl-
moreat once. audalso % Washington and Phil
adelphia. II seems the night telegram reach
ed Baltimore half an hour after the boat
landed. and the party was seen o. walk OF the
steamer with the typewriter and cover. The
next day | asked Major John Poe. chief N
police, % assist me IN recovering the
typewriter and he Immediately had letters
written 10 thc chiefs Of "a number of cities
to keep sharp watch for him and to have all
the pawn-bgoker's shops shadowed. The
party as ha, been since proven, was proie,-
si0nal Typewriter thief. and AS be went on his
way 10 Canada Doe payned the typewriter IN
Washington. He went via. Philadelphia To
Canada. and arriving at Ottawa, be was arrest
ed and put in prison for one year. ! heard
nothing from the stolen typewriter until "a
week OF more ago, when it was toundin Wash