The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-11-18
SOCIETY THIEVES.
Swell Guests Who Prey Upon
Their Hosts at BanouetS
A Detectives Presence Now Required at
Fashionable Gatherings Ia New
York To Watch hiepto-

Everybody has heard Of the ''QuatOr-
zieme." the professional fourteenth
person at dinners. There were men in
Paris not 80 very many years ago who
made il a business t. serve at short no.
ticc as guests At banqucts where the
accident Of thirteen at table occurred,
thus satisfying the sUperstitious by add
ing one u the number. The individual
thus called in was introduced a a friend
invited u the rcpaSt, and there was
nothing about his appearance OF de-
meanor which could arouse suspicion
that he was not present on the same
footing with the others.
1t seems surprising To find such a Gus
tom. in modified form, newly intro
duced into New York society, says cor
respondent in the ST. Louis Globe-Dcno-
crat The fashionable hostess now-a-
days. in giving "A dinner commonly en-
Cages detective of gcntlemanly aspect
and address to take the part Of a gIcst
at her table He is invited, not for any
supcrstitious reason, bat TO protect the
tableware and other household proper
ty from being stolen 10y the other
diners. Most strange does II appear
that the entertainer should take such
prccaution against possible dishonesty
on the part of the people whom she
knows well enough 10 rcgale with init
mate hospitality, but experience has
% shown that IL i very necessary. Such
articles as solid gold spoons are very
likely To be pocl1cted. and the fact has
long been notorious that no small and
costly piece Of bric-a-brac j safe in the
nost exclusive drawing-room. ''klep-
mania il the term charitably applied
To a thicving habit which Is not 50 very
rare among persons of good social
standing.
The other day AT Newport" said the
chief Of the principal detective agency
in this city, "one of my men was en-
ployed to look out for large reception.
He SAW a handsomcly-drcss 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
5000 lie stepped up To her and said
pleasantly: Madam, / presume that
You want TO have a duplicate 81 that
v.iSc?' oh, yes she replied in some
confusion We'll he replied. / guess
you had better put il back. and You can
get duplicate 10y sending your artist
here OF course she gave il up II once.
Nothing more was said save that her
name was reported 10 the hostess, who
dropped il from the list.
That l. the way we always manage.
Exposure does no good in such cases.
The same method Is practictd at q din
iscr. where the detective keeps a quiet
yat-h upon things, only eating and
drinking enough 10 keep up appear
auccs. One lady Of my acquaintance
has all Of her most valuable bric-l-brac
fastened securely, 50 that the articles
cannot bc removed. She has given up
having silvcr-baciIcd brushes and other
precious appurtenances in the dressing
rooms at her parties, because they were
stolen 50 frequently
but 1t i at weddings chiefly that
the society klcptonaniacs get in their
work. At large affairs Of the kind we
are sometimes called upon u furnish ~
many a. three mcn-one to walk about
in the room where the presents are cX-
posed another u stand 10y the dia-
mouds and a Jhird to remain outside on
the sidewalk. for the purpose OF keep
ing professional thieves from entering
the house. II is fact that thieves in
the regular line Of business carefully
watch the announcements Of swell
weddings with view t. robbery.
My observation has shown that
lllcptomania l. actually a disease. II
IL much more common among women
than men. Furthermore il i in sense
inherited. and the investigation in
many cases has tended II show that
longings on the part of mother viii
thus affect her unborn child. 50 thor
oughly am | convinced that victims of
ii are not responsible that | always try
10 protect them from exposure. They
steal not from any necessity, bat from
morbid fancy. At the same time they
come under the head of opportunity
thievcs'-they only yield 10 the tcmpta-
tion when good chances offer, and they
think they are secure from detection.
Not long ago ! caught a woman of the
highest social position in the act of Sc
crcting diamond brooch at a jewelers..
| followed her carriage home. asked to
see her privately. and obtained from
her a six hundrcd-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"