The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-03
One Way Of the Police for
Catching Thieves.
They Are Furnished With a Daily
Record Of the Pawn Business.
Now Want a Similar Law to Apply to
Second Hand Dealers.

There is some talk In police circles
about presenting bill at the next gener-
oil assembly, to the effect that all second
hand dealers will be governed by the
same laws that pawnbrokers are.
The above subject was brought 10 the
attention Of News representative by u
well-known city official, who said that a
man doing pawn brokers' business was
obliged TO record the name and addrt 81
OF any person from whom he may buy,
or who pledges any article, and a full
description OF the article, and send a
copy OF the same TO the chief OF police at
noon each day. The article bought or
pledged, must not be bold for a certain
number OF days.
'"Now what we want" said the off,
cial, ''is to have the second hand dealer
obliged 10 do the same, and IL this Is
done, large amount Of the petty thiev-
Ing will be done away with.
"There are but few stolen articles dis
posed OF at pawn shops, unless by some
one who is About to leave the city, but 1t
is quite different With the second hand
dealer-for instance. Your coat IL stolen
by some tramp or thief, he will take II TO
the nearest secondhand dealer and sell
II, and perhaps In less than an hour, the
secondhand dealer finds a customer for
your coat, and that Ia the last OF II.
"Now IL the dealer was obliged to reg
lister the persons name from whom he
purchased the coat and keep II, say
three days, you can report your case 10
the police, and 10 chances to i you get IT.
"The dealers would then be more careful
from whom they buy, and IL they had
an idea that the goods offered for sale had
been stolen, they would not receive
themn
When the official was told that there
are many times when an honest person
does business with both second hand
dealers and pawnbrokers, and that they,
too, would be classed with thieves and
would not care TO have their names
known to the police, he said:
swell, let me inform you on that point.
IL you have an article to dispose OF In
this manner, you can do so, none will be
the wiser, providing, however, the goods
have not been stolen. These dealers are
excellent readers OF human nature and
know what kind of a "story" you are
telling them, and so far as the police
seeing your name, that amounts to moth
ing;c
that Is given them from the pawn brokers,
then they take the list of articles that
have been reported to them as having
been stolen, we will say a watch, num-
bered 1912 Should such a number ap-
pear on the pawnbrokers list, they will fol-
low along the line bearing that number,
and there find the name of the person
that SOLD 1t, and IL such number does
not appear, the name is not noticed.
snow, then, for the other side of the
question, suppose you wanted to borrow
$40 from pawnbroker on your watch,
or any other article, YOU. can do so, and
the police will be none the wiser.
"Sometimes they ind a certain name
that appears on the lists quite num-
Der OF times. This will be looked up in q
quiet way, and II everything is all right
on your part, there will be no trouble.
"The idea is to put stop to thieving,
and this 10 one OF the best plans to adopt, |
supposing the person that is obliged |
to pawn an article does not like to see |
the protection the rest of the citizens |
would get. To my mind it's a good idea,
and hope such law will be passed."
The fficial talked and acted as IL the |
matter was going to be pushed.