Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-05-19
CASES OF KLEprOMANIA.
Instances Of Theft Traced to wome,
Of Social Prominence.

Instances Of Theft Traced to Women
OF Social Prominence.
care there kleptomaniacs in Louis.
ville?'
The Fourth street jeweler smiled at
the question, says the Courier.J ourn.
al, and led the way to quiet corner.
His feelings had been touched in sore
spot.
A short time ago, according to the
!eweier, wealthy woman bought q
diamond brooch from his store and,
firing of it after q few months wear.
sent it back to be worked into differ.
ent shape. One diamond wae to re.
main over and bereturned it loose with
the brooch. The woman's orders were
carried out, and diamond and brooch
securely wrapped, gwen into her hands
by Trustworthy employe. Hardly
had the man returned from theerrand
when the woman telephoned that the
loose diamond was missing. The lew.
eler was dumfounded. The messenger
declared that he had given the pack.
age to the woman Just as he had re.
ceived it from the jeweler. His EN-.
ployer believed him, but he could not
bring himself to suspect the woman.
Hethought she might have dropped the
stone whileunwrapping the parcel, and
suggested that explanation. But the
woman asposltive that no diamond
was in the parcel when she received it.
There was only one thing to do, and
that was to make up the loss. This
the jeweller did, but his suspicious
were now aroused, and he determined
TO be watchtul. 1t was not q great
while before the woman came to the
store with another piece OF work.
She had a diamond which she WAS 90.
ing to send down to beset in q breast.
pin. In Anew days the diamond came,
and judge OF the jewelers. surprise
when be recognized, by 2 peculiar flaw,
the veay diamond he had returned
with the brooch. The jewelers. course
was quickly taken. He simply kept
the diamond. The woman has tacit-
~ acknowledged her guilt, for,
though this happened several years
ago, she has never had the courage
to claim It,
Another so called kleptomaniac has
proved more than match for
the wariest clerk. She seldom
leaves a store but there is some
article missing. The shop. keepers
know her, and on such occasions @
bill OF whatever is missed
is made out and presented to her hus.
band. He is evidently acquainted
with her pecnliarities, for he always
settles without word. Another well.
known woman the eweller once detect.
ed trying to slip a ring into her pocket.
The PERCENTAGE OF thieves in the upper
circles Is OF course, exceedingly small,
but nevertheless much larger than one
would suppose. That few OF these
thieves are men is not surprising when
one remembers that there is little
sympathy for q masculine thief of any
class, and that therefore they are
more liable to exposure.
Another woman OF almost equal
prominence used to present each of
her daughters on her sixteenth birth
day with handsome pair ofearrlngs.
When the youngest girl reached that
age, her mother went us usual to the
jewelry store and asked to look over
the stock. None OF the earrings seem
ed to please her, and remarking that
she would try Mr. So; and So around
1ne corner, she ie1t the store. When
the clerk counted theearrings, as is the
custom before putting them away,
he found one pair missing, and
notified the proprietor. The pro-
prietor determined 20 await de.
yelopments. In afew days hewoman's
daughter passed the store with the
missing jewels conspicuously dis
played. Clerk and ieweler are both
confident; hut, that there might be no
mistakes, the jeweler decided to wait
for chance to identity them more
accurately. The woman used to send
her girls earrings regularly to be clean.
ed, and that WAS the expected chance,
Soon the earrings OF the older daugh-
tiers came in, as usual, but those OF
the youngest daughter were not with
them. This was done again and again.
the earrings OF the Older daughters
continue at regular intervals to come
in, but the pair oftheyoungest daugh.
ter are cleaned elsewhere. One thing
can be said to the woman's credit.
She is shrewder that the average
kleptomaniac.
knutson Got His Pension.