The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-18

Detective Bedford Wood vas seen yes
tsrday and asked Il their were many
bicycles being stolen. He said that there
were very few wheels stolen in Wichita
but the police department received cards
every day from adjoining towns and
from Oklahoma and Colorado asking
them 10 look out for stolen bicycles
The professional bicycle thief is one OF
the hardest criminals 10 apprehend IN
the calender of criminals. Most OF the
stolen wheels are shipped by express 10
a fence in the east. where they are re-
modelled and changed 50 that they are
past recognition. They have hundred
different ways OF stealing bicycles.
The methods q the bicycle thief are
various. The Least ingenious is the most
common. The thief is professional. as
most of them ara-slinks around where
wheels 10 most abound with an eye
for the temporarily deserted and I'M
guarded machine. BY ample experience
he can tell the propitious moment 10
approach, mount. and ride OIL Some
times the approach $ made leisurely, az
II ne were the owner. and with the in
tent OF producing that impression upon
any chance spectator. and MS departure
is accomplished in the same unhurrled
flshion-it leas: until ne has turned
friendly corner. At other times ne
Judges that expedition is his best policy.
and makes off with the speed OF the
practised scorcher. once started with
out detection. his escape is almost GER
tain. for the noiselssS and swift ma
chine enables him in short time TO put
such a distance between him and pnr-
suit that the latter : hopeless. Besides.
one man on q wheels looks much like
another. and he can mingle with and
lose himself in a crowd of cyclists with
far greater ease than the pickpockeI
can disappear in throng Of pedestrians
after committing a theft, for a man on
foot in any unusual hurry is likely
enough 10 excite suspicion, while
scorcber. though he has a bad reputa-
ton with all right-ninied people, viii
not be imagined criminal-unless
"cop" should regard his scorching as
excessive and infractive Of city ord
nance
Most bicycles are snatched n the fore
going fashion from temporary resting
place on the street. but many are alb
stracted from area-ways. where their
owners have deposited them with a
feeling OF extreme confidence. Much less
common is stealing from within house
or a store or a shop. When this has oc-
CURED it has usually been sneak-thiev-
ing; few burgl1ries have been commit
ted for the sake OF getting wheels. the
reason doubtless beng that one bicycle
is about as much as one man can easily
and safely make off with. under ordinary
and the danger and pen
alties of burglary are 100 great to be
risked for booty so slight.
Another scheme is TO rent a wheel on
several successive days, returning each
time and paying for the hire. Then on
a Saturday night they will rent the wheel
and ride away and the unsuspicious
dealer thinks that probably an accident
detained the thief. And before the deal
or is aware OF the theft the thief IS
miles away.
Another means OF Disgusting a pur-
Joined wheel is to re-enamei il, and now
that so many bicycles are enameIled in
all sorts OF colors instead Of the sober
black which prevailed few years ago.
10 amount Of guadness in the coloring
attracts any especial attention. There q
no doubt that among the numerous fear
fully and wonderfully hue5 bicycles seen
on The streets nowadays are many whose ,
righJful owners are not seated on them. /