Evening star., 1896-03-31
BICYCLE EMDEZZLER.
A New Type and the Course Of His
Development.

New Type and the Course Of His
Development.
From the New York Herald.
Upon reading the record Of the hicyclist
embezzler one feels that he probably would
have remained poor and fairly honest all
his life if some maker of wheels had not
discovered speed in his legs, and so ura1it
tingly started him on downward career.
1 learned of the existence of this euG of the
century criminal from chance remark
made the other day by private detective.
We were talking of a young fellow who
had forged his firms Endorsement to two
hundred-dollar check and was now held for
trial.
Nothing will he done to him. He's BIZ
cycle embezzler," said the detective 1.-The
bicycle embezzler's friends or relatives al
ways come up and settle and the boy goes
free"
But this was the forgery of a check'' 1
said; and besides, how could bicycle be
embeZzled?"
into crime replied the detective. 1T
used to be fast horses. Now it's fast wheels
that run men into trouble. They are an in
ferior class of criminals, a rule-noi
much ingenuity or backbone. Break down
the minute you arrest 'em. Queer thing
how they fall. I've brought in more than
fifty of 'em in the last eight years-most of
the lot since 1892.
races you will find some manufacturers
agent locking for promising material. Most
OF the amateur wheelmen who race are
toys anywhere from seventeen to twenty
one years old. They are not very well off,
as rule. AS soon as a young fellow has
won few races in style that proves him a
flyer he is approached by an agent, who
sees advertising possibilities in him.
Eow would You like to ride for the Big
sprocket Wheel Company he asks the hoy.
Wen give you $50 week and train you.
Think it over
''Of course, the thinking process doesn't
last very long. The boy Is poor clerk
somewhere earning s. or SO a week. He
has had to Scrimp on car fares, lunches,
cigars and everything else for months to
buy his wheel. Now ne sees fame and for
tune ahead of him-races to be won. with
fat prizes, the applause of ;he crowd, the
worlds record for nineteeE-twentieths of a
mile from standing start. and all that
sort of thing. TIe jumps at the offer, and
presently finds himself living i'll a kind CT
sporting heaven. Instead of pinching him
self to supply a very ordinary bike. he
learns that all he has to do is to express
the wish and he is promptly measured for
the finest, highest, strongest wheel his COM
pany can turn out. He has fantastic cos
tunes in profusion. He adopts his colors
whenever he finishes a practice spin en-
the track two men rub him down with all
the care he used to devote to rubbing down
his wheel. trainer gravely cOnfers with
him and delicateiy offers advice abous pace
III
race. The boys head is turned. He sees
his name in the sporting columns every
day with statements about his speed, his
staying power, his ability to sprint at the
end of a lorg race. his pluck-in one word
everything about his racing qualifications
No more getting up at O'Clock in the
morning and rushing to a stuffy desk in an
Office at 8. He lives a life of luxury rises
at O'Clock, takes his morning spin at II,
and enjoys his new-found prosperity I'M
mensely. He is a full-fedged professional
amateur wheelman.
His salary of $50 a week is more money
than he ever dreamed of earning. He
doesn't know what to do with it. He can't
spend it, for his employer feeds and keeps
him Generally he buys gorgeous suits of
clothes. gold watch, diamond ring and
then diamond headlight for his scarf. He
wins prizes worth anywhere from $50 to
800 nearly every week. You can t-uthfully
say of him that he mas more riches than
he can count Oh handle.
This would all be very we'll il 1t was not
for the winter, the season of dullness and
no racing. The young man now learns the
than he ever dreamed of. The chances are
that he will come out little rusty in the
spring and find it hard to get in condition
for racing Some of the weak youngsters
break down at this period and go back to
working for living. They have not yet
forgotten their simple habits of life. They
are the lucky ones. The strong fellows
Keep up the pace for two. three or maybe
months hard training and five months
dissipation every year breaks them down,
They lose their speed and stamina. Their
employers discharge them and take up the
younger. quicker men who are always COM
ing to the front.
Right Eere is where the bicycle embez-
zler is developed. He is too fine a gentle
man to drive truck or do anything labor
ious. All he knows is clerking at 81 or $40
a week. He finds employ ment, but an Office
is mean, narrow prison for him after his
years of outdoor life and the fame that ac-
ccmpanied it. Besides. it's hard to come
down from an income of 5000 or $4,000 a
year above all legitimate expenses to a
n,ere 500 or $500 year to cover every
thing. He cannot get rid of his expensive
tastes. He must have money. His watch
and diamonds go to his uncle and SO he
scrapes along for while. At last he has
nothing more to pawn, and he faces the
old problem of how to satisfy SIS a week
appetite on $40 "A week income. He takes
a check to the bank for his firm some day,
cashes it and skips. Generally he is
caught in short order, his friends make
good his stealing, and the firm drops the