The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-28
THIEVES ARE ALL GREEDY.
A Few Notable Exceptions That Prove
the General Rule.

Rare Instances of Moderation Among
Thieves Remarkable Procedure of
the Man-Who Cashed Coupons of a
Stolen Bond-An Old Mariner Found
Buried Treasure.
From the St Louis-Globe Democrat.
"The case reported Monday of a prin-
ter, who, twenty-seven years ago, stole a
railroad bond and has contented himself
ever since with semi-annually collecting
the maturing coupon, strikes me-" said
Chief of Police Harrigan yesterday, "as
one of the most remarkable criminal in
cidents that / ever heard Of"
''Ninety-nine men out of hundred
would years ago have disposed of the
bond and the remaining coupons at sac
rifice Certainly there would have been
less risk in the bold and complete forgery
at one time of the necessary signatures
than to have gone through the process
every six months on each coupon as the
time for its payment fell due.
81 notice that the theft and forgery
have only been discovered at last by the
fact that the possessor of the bond in pre-
pairing the last coupon for the market
wrote the Presidents name in blue ink
instead of red ink, as in the previous fifty
four instances This man is no ordinary
criminal, if, in fact this does not prove to
be his only Offense. Such confluence is
so rare as to create in my mind more
than passing wonder.
"Oficers of the law depend to a very
large extent upon the criminal furnishing
the means for his own detection. Greed
is essentially the controlling attribute of
the man who seeks the short cut to
wealth by recourse to dishonest means.
Take, for instance, the crime of sweat
ing gold coin, recently described in its
newest aspect. One would think that il
would be quite common and safely fol-
lowed, and so it would be, were it not
that the man who has the self-control 10
be satisfied with a safe but dishonest
revenue of s. to $40 per day is in the very
nature of things honest enough to work
for living.
'sNo, the crook who started in to sweat
golden eagles would not be satisfied with
fifty cents or seventy-fve cents off each
one, which would be no more missed than
the traditional slice off of the cut loaf,
but he would needs sweat off 81 so, 81 or
SO worth of the gold and thus invite de-
lection and arrest.
THE government has rarely been
denomination than s. Whyl Because
the work of engraving a one or two dol
lar bill is just as great, and the risk Of
passing them nearly so.
TAKE the counterfeiting OF silver coin.
What is to prevent the coiner from buy
ing silver at its present value and making
a dollar that is better than that Of the
government, and then leaving himself a
good proft2 No, he prefers TO make mis-
dollar of lead and glass, and take chances
on the penitentiary.
There may be all over this broad land
men living quietly and respectfully upon
the fruits OF one good frst-class crime,
but doubt If there are many of them.
II may sound a little harsh, but am not
a believer in reformation of thieves.
THAT may be because my experience is
against it, but have in my mind right
now, and quite freshly, for that matter,
three cases that bear out my convictions.
The downfall Of all Jaree was a great
shock to the community, but in each case
! had said, These men think they have
reformed, but the opportunity to make