Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-10-24
kLsprOMANIA.
.rrest OF the Beautiful Mrs. Castle Recall.
Many Strange Cases.


wife, the wealthy and prominent
Americans, who Will have to stand tria
for shoplfting in London. will under
take to convince a British jury thai
Mrs. Castle is victim of kleptomania
The common thief steals for the love
of stealing, and that he may secure
the profits: the kleptomaniac steals
/ for the love Of stealing. pure and sim
pie, without any idea of profit and in
| obedience 10 an irresistible impulse.
! in one case the misdoer is responsible
! that is. accountable for his acts--in
| the other, the victim of distinct moral
and mental alteration.
| But how is the world to distinguish
| between these two? Undoubtedly many
| llleptonanlacs have been punished as
| common thieves. for the world is skep-
| tical and the disease is more prevalent
| than is generally supposed. The re-
| corded instances are numerous and De
culiar
DR.. w. \. Hammond of New York.
has the complete record of a case of
undoubted kleptomania. A young law
student had. under his care. just re-
covered from scarlet fever. During
conTalescence he was sitting by a WIN
dow, when his attention was attracted
! oy two men. both of whom wore very
heavy watch chains. That night he
aWoke from a sound sleep with the
idea that he must have those chains
ine idea possessed his mind all the
| next day, by which time he had deter
mined that he would have them. He
was in good circumstances with the
nlgnest reputation. He had a watch
ana handsome chain of his own. and
could nave bought another if he had
wanted ii. Week after week he haunt
, ed jewelers. shops. theaters, hotels. in
the hope of seeing the men. Gradual
iy the idea seemed to leave him. His
neaith apparently recovered, and he
resumed his law studies.
one evening he came face to face
with one of the men. Instantly he
turned and followed the man until he
saw him enter a jewelers.. 1t was for
the purpose of having the watch re-
paired. The young lawyer snatched
the watch and chain from his hand and
disappeared. He carefully packed the
watch and returned it to the ieweler.
! The chain he cared nothing for. All
! the JOY of possession had passed in the
/
suade himself to return it. He buried
II IN the cellar. Months afterward he
returned that also The memory OF the
! whole incident was a horror to him
and he never again had the impulse to
steal Dr. hammond declares that in
this case the brain was still weak from
the recent feVer. Who doubts if this
young man had been caught with tie
"atch and chain in his possession that
ne would have been sentenced to a
term or Imprisonment. He was not in
sane-the only plea that could have
been made was his past good reputa
ton and the lack of necessity for
stealing.
indeed. piifering by a hitherto honest
person is often a sign of mental aber
ration that soon becomes so nro-
nonnced as to cause the victim to be
/ declared insane. Those of unso,,nd
| mind often wander about all day nick.
ing up whatever they can Law their
hands on and carefully concealinar tha
articles in their rooms. A case is re-
iated of a man who would not eat nm
less the food We're stolen, and food was
concealed in his room for him to fira
more often than not the articles stola,
have no value
me famous DR.. Rush had a patient
| who would fill her pockets with bre.,1
crusts, bones. and fruit parings at
tables where she dined She inyariabl,.
carried away the spoons and napkins
"hlch her family as carefully returned
next Day. She was allowed to have M
Keys SO that she could lock stolen or
ticles away. She suffered great shame
ana modification. Some times she di6
not remember taking the articles. and
at other times would declare thai sha
was unable to resist the impulse.
Lavater knew doctor who co,,a
not go TO patients room without mr.
lolninG small belongings. His wife al
ways searched his pockets when he re-
turned from round of visits and 70.
stored the property to their owners
Most or the articles were useless n
nm and valueless. The almoner of a
RUSSIAN regiment stole the handker-
cnieis OF the officers when on parade
ana TINS same unfortunate man. whan
ne came to die, secreted the SNUFF hox
OF ms rather confessor
Ihere is case on record of a rarisb
clergyman being unfrocked for steal
lee. III out at 1ippar 10 ,.u,..