The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
Cab Stealing in Chicago.

The depredations of malefactors in Chi
cago do not, it would appear, stop short
with the larceny of personal and ordinary
property. Even cabs are now forcibly taken
by miscreants in the streets Of Chicago and
sold, the proceeds Of such unauthorized sale
being appropriated to the uses of the high.
waymen. In the PIoTRowsKI case, when
the defendant was charged before Judge
KERsTEN with cab stealing on the Chi.
cago plan, the defendant interposed this
explanations: Il did not know what l was
doing. I am a hard working man and
would not steal anything" The cab, how
ever, had been found in the possession Of
PIoTRowsKI in the vicinity of the State
street bridge, INT a fine of $15 was imposed
upon the delinquent, that being the stand
ard penalty for drunkenness in Chicago
when accompanied with disorderly con-
duct. On Cottage Grove avenue the same
day that PIoTRowsKI was arrested, another
Chicago man was accused of stealing acab;
the name of this delinquent was KoRzEN-
D~oRFULFoR. The cab from which the horse
had been unhitched was on Cottage Grove
avenue near lakewood avenue, and the de-
PENDANT, as alleged, put his shoulder to the
wheel, or rather his shoulder to the
back Of the cab between the two wheels, and
pushed the cab around the corner and sold
1t. When he was arrested KoRZENDoRFUL-
FoR's defence was that he did not know
what he could have been thinking OF. A
more fragrant case occurred in front of the
Harrison street police station. If the
Chicago highwaymen pause anywhere,
Withholding their brigand hands from
the property Of others, it might naturally be
supposed that they would be admonished
to caution at the very door of the Chicago
police station. But 1t seems that such is
not the case, so far as the experience of
Cabman JOHN MCKAY extends, for while
he was in the police station explaining to
the officer in charge of it the loss from his
cab of a valisc, the property Of a customer,
which had been stolen earlier in the even
ing, an audacious Chicago cab-stealer com-
pleted the work by stealing the cab, horse,
harness, lamps, whip, lap robes, and printed
schedule of charges.
The stealing of cabs In the city of Chicago
is especially to be condemned because in
consequence OF the size of that city,
and the insufilciency OF lines Of commune.
cation, an epidemic Of cab stealing would
be most injurious to the comfort of many
citizens. The official rate for transportation
by cab is moderate in Chicago, though 1t is
not likely to remain so II, from time to
time, the cabs are stolen. For n mile or
less, one or two passengers, the legal rate
of fare as fixed by the Chicago City Coun-
ell, is fifty cents; for each additional mile
1t ia twenty-five cents. For "services
outside the city limits" or trips into rural
Illinois, 81 an hour is charged. Chill
dren between five and fourteen years of age
are charged half rate; for children of less
than five years there is no charge, and each
adult passenger is allowed a trunk and
twenty-five pounds Of other baggage. 1t
has been suggested that, as a measure of
p%recaution, and to Illustrate the professional
cabthleves of Chicago, these vehicles should
be ballastcd SO as to reduce the chance of
loss. So far the cab takers have sedulously
refrained from stealing cabs with passen-
gers in them, and II this plan is adhered to,
the dangers of travel by vehicle in Chicago
will not be increased but crime may finally
be encouraged until the nefarious business
of cab stealing In Chicago is extended to
cabs with passengers In them.