The evening times., 1897-12-23
SOUVENIRS OF CRIMINALS.
The Annual Police Abandoned
and Stolen Properly Sale.
HUMOR OF The AUCTI0NEER
Remarks About the Number of DAYS
in Jail Certain Articles Cost 'he
Original Owners Brought Smiles
and Iauphter-The Morbid Fen
ture eliminated.

Stacks of the souvenirs OF crime We're
,xposed at the annual police sale held this
morping in the warerooms of Radcliffe Sut-
ton & Co. 1t used TO be that one OF the
principal features OF these sales was the
disposition OF deadly weapons; razors that
had glittered in alley fights knives with
which men had cut their throats, pistols
that had taken away lives, and biack,acks
that had crushed in skulls. Hundreds OF
knives and guns on which the police de-
partment had collected fines and collateral
were slsc scid in the days gone by.
So articles of this character were IN
hibited today. The police department rec
oynized that, however profitable " might
b., it was at least un,iiGnified to take
pistol from a man, tax him sou TO 81 W
for carrying it, appropriate the pistol, sell
a. pubIicly take the name and address of
the Durchaser arrest him on the charge II
carving concealed weapons, fine him, con-
fiscata his property, sell 1t over again, and
then continue as before. This practice 'Tas
abolished year or two ago, and now all
,,ead,y wearous which fall into the hands
of the pplis,e are turned over TO Comnio lore
Sutton, chi # CT the harbor police, for -ie-
structfon. They are smashed between ham
mer and anvil and the fragments thr" cn
into the river.
The sale to-day was attended by about
a hundred Inen and one or two women. The
Caucasian and African races were about
equally represented. Some came through
cur!osit, t. see the relics OF 50 many evil
deeds and others came to pick up bargains.
Irrespective CT the associations clingfnS
round them. Nos: of the articles used by
the human family were mentioned in the
catalot ne. There were clothing, Jewelry,
household goods, sporting goods, toots, anu
edibles. There were racing saddle, TWO
bottles of teer. artists box Of paints and
brushes, footballs, fireworks, shoes, a
doll, six pounds OF coffee, cigars, milk can.
"a box of s., ;,Tdincs. dating stamp, slot ma
chine, bucket tf mince meat, Bibles and
prayer books, dcmijohn, diamond ring,
$50 vaccine points, pin cushion, etc.
These articles accumulated In the h'ils
OF the police departure in various ways
In many cases people convicted OF theft
confess or fail properly TO account for
more stolen goods than is claimed "
losers This surplus is turned over 10
the property clerk. Much plund-r is
abandoned by thieves, and for which 10
rightful claimant can be found Az
ticles found by the police, il unclaimed,
ar. also turned Into this stock. When
people are arrested aud locked up at sta
tions their worldly goods are taken from
them In ct,ses OF conviction some of
this property is never reclaimed. This,
at the end of certain period, goes Into
the general fund
The bidding was spirited and spiritless
by turns, some of the articles bringing about
as much as they would have had they
been new, and come bringing practica ly
nothing. Itall depended upon the number
of bidders wanting the same article. AS
q rule, tools sold best. A wheelbarraw,
pruning shears, monkey wrench, hatcile,,
saws, planes, squares, chisels, countersinK,