The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1892-11-19
SOCIETY THIEVES.
Swell Guests Who Prey Upon
Their Hosts at Banqueta
A Detectives Presence Now Required at
Fashionable Gatherings In New
York to Watch Kiepto-
maniacs.

person" at dinners. There were men In
Paris not so very many years ago who
made it business to serve at short no.
tice as guests at banquets where the
Incident of thirteen ut table occurred,
thus satisfying the superstitious by add,
ing one to the number. The individual
thus called in was introduced as friend
invited to the repast, and there was
nothing about his appearance or de-
meanor which could arouse suspicion
that he was not present on the same
footing with the others.
1t seems surprising to find such GUS
tom, in modified form, newly intro
-duced into New York society, says cor
respondent in the St. Louis Globe Demo-
crat. The fashionable hostess nova
days, in giving dinner commonly en-
cages detective of gentlemanly aspect
and address to take the part of a guest
at her table. He is invited, not for any
superstitious reason, but to protect the
tableware and other household proper
ty from being stolen by the other
diners. Most strange does it appear
that the entertainer should take such
precaution against possible dishonesty
on the part of the people whom she
knows well enough to regale with init
mate hospitality, but experience has
shown that it is very necessary. Such
articles as solid gold spoons are very
likely to be pocketed, and the fact has
long been notorious that no small and
costly piece of bric-a-brac is safe in the
most exclusive drawing-room. ''Klep-
mania" is the term charitably applied
to thieving habit which is not so very
rare among persons of good social
standing.
1.-The other day at Newport" said the
chief of the principal detective agency
in this city, lone of my men was en-
ployed to look out for a large reception.
He saw a handsomely-dressed woman
deliberately take and secrete the top of
a beautiful vase. The object could have
been of no use to her, but the loss of it
would have spoiled an ornament worth
$4,000. He stepped up to her and said
pleasantly: Madam, I presume that
you want to have duplicate of that
vase| oh, yes she replied in some
confusion. Well he replied, I guess
you had better put it back, and you can
get duplicate by sending your artist
here OF course she gave it up at once.
Nothing more was said save that her
name was reported to the hostess, who
dropped it from the list.
THAT is the way we always manage.
Exposure does no good in such cases.
The same method is practiced at din
ner, where the detective keeps quiet
watch upon things, only eating and
drinking enough to keep up appear
ances. One lady of my acquaintance
has all of her most valuable bric-a-brac
fastened securely, so that the articles
cannot be removed. She has given up
having silver-bacled brushes and other
precious appurtenances in the dressing
rooms at her parties, because they were
stolen so frequently.
''But it is at weddings chiefly that
the society kleptomaniacs get in their
work. At large affairs of the kind we
are sometimes called upon to furnish as
many as three men-one to walk about
in the room where the presents are ex-
posed, another to stand by the dia-
monds and third to remain outside on
the sidewalk, for the purpose of keep
ing professional thieves from entering
the house. 1t is fact that thieves in
the regular line of business carefully
watch the announcements of swell
weddings with view to robbery.
my observation has shown that
ltleptomania is actually disease. 1t
is much more common among women
than men Furthermore it is in a sense
inherited, and the investigation in
MANY cases has tended to show that
longings on the part of a mother will
thus affect her unborn child. So thor
oughly am 1 convinced that victims of
it are not responsible that always try
to protect them from exposure. They
steal not from any necessity, but from
morbid fancy. At the same time they
come under the head of opportunity
thieves'-they only yield to the tempta-
ton when good chances offer, and they
think they are secure from detection.
Not long ago 1 caught woman of the
highest social position in the act of Sc
creting a diamond brooch at a jewelers.. |
l followed her carriage home asked to |
see her privately, and obtained from
her a six hundred-dollar check, which |
was the price of the article stolen. Her
husband is one of the best known men
in New York financial circles He
never heard of the transaction. What |
would have been the use of creating
scandal"
A SAN FRANCISCO money lender has
secured judgment for 1918 interest on a
s125 note, although the justice who