New-York tribune., 1896-10-04
BICYCLE ELEPTOHANT4CS.
PEOPLE WHO STEAL WHEELS WHEN THEY COULD
WELL AFFORD TO Buy THEM.

1T may seem a funny thing 20 say" remarked the
Haxkshaw OF the West For,y-second-st station. the
detective who has the record of the city for hunting
down bicycle thieves and getting back machines.
but really believe there Is such a thing bicycle
kepsomania. I've had too many queer tnis
past spring and summer not 10 think So Of course.
the most OF them were pure ihieyery. where young
fellows and girls 'swiped' the wheels 20 take em
pieces and sell the parts. else trade off the whole
machine for ten-dollar note. But I've come across
other cases, of young chaps. and girls, too.
who had no need to steal all the money they wanted
and comfortable homes. and yet who'd take wheels
rgni along. whenever they could the chance, just
for the pure excitement, or because they couldn't
help IL.
There vas a woman l ran down after
rouole-though before could get my hands on her
she managed pull out Of New-York and escape
10 some Western town. whore captured her She
mad stolen two wheels in the boldest In both
Instances she simply walked into a place whore they
rented machines up near the Eighth-ave. circle at
FIf;y-nnth-st-two different places two separate
afternoons-a 'rigged out in her bicycle togs. and
taken wheel for hour two She looked
50 ladyike that both concerns trusted her-and she
never back When she caught We found
out that she'd tried 10 sell either Of the wheels
and able 10 return 'em in perfectly good
condition. she was well able TO buy bicycle If sne
wanted When asked her why she'd
stolen those two. she said she didn't know. and IN
blessed II think she did 1t seemed as If she just
had to take them.
Il could tell you OF good many Of that
sort. than you'd believe but the strangest
Of them all that OF boy seventeen or eighteen
Years old VINO lived right near the station. His
father pretty well off, owned three four
houses on the block and had good business and
nrst rate bank account. When the boy wanted
money all ne had to 90 to go 10 the old man
found out the father never refused him. never
siinied him bit. The boy could have had a bicycle
" ne d asked for it. but ne never did. He was the
ast boy in the city 10 have any reason TO steal
But ne was bicycle thief for fair! Not many Of
.he professionals could beat him for sickness. lie
u.ed the easiest game Of aIi-simpy hiring wnee
siiu never coming back VIII H. Nowadays the
ucycie renting people careful, but In the early
GUNNER they weren't Before we got on MS track
ne made away with four machines. II was past
mon!gnt the night found man. and routed
~ MS household 10 arrest him. The old gentleman
ISane downstairs. and / had 10 tell him the story
.I te was nedrtbroken and amazed. Why the boy
sSnouo DO such a thing ne couldn't for the life OF
IN. nm understand. There must be awful mis-
sasS but when the boy asked he promptly
sh u yes ne took them; he thought he'd liketo have
Ws. Wsni. Not a bit OF sorrow fright did ne snow
the cellar ~ " ~ e''' ~
me old gentleman, in tears. asked II the matter
tn t~rn1t De liked up He found that IL could by re-
ling All the machines TO their owners and paying
s.en' sne rent OF each wheel for the time Il mad
t%osty - nigh At any rate. he bicycle people agreed
eutsd. '""'se' anu '"e oos was Ao' P''''
NO" you see where my theory Of bicycle KEEP