Evening star., 1899-03-08
SOLD TO HIGHEST BIDDER
IL i
Annual Auction of Years Collection Of
0dda, and Ends
Property Abandoned and Articles
Taken From ROgues by the Police
-Increasing Pension Fund.


heterogeneous crowd of prospective pur-
chasers and curiosity mongers were the
usual features ats the annual police sale
which took place this morning at 10 o'clock
In Ratci1ffe's auction rooms on Pennsyl-
Vania avenue. Each year the varied assort-
ment of articles, constituting the stolen
property recovered by the police depart
ment during twelve month, and not iden-
tilted or claimed by the rightful owners, is
knocked down to the highest bidders. The
money derived from these sales is turned
into the police pension fund, thus bringing
the rosues gallery to good use.
The stock this morning consisted of sew
eral thousand articles, for the most part
having little value. Three hundred pocket
KNIVES, done up in packages of ten, brought
from to cents apiece. There was much
qulet numor IN the grouping OF some of the
property. For instance, my ladys powder
pun was placed alongside a horse collar,
while PAIR of suspenders was doing duty
next demijohn of mammoth proportions.
Ihls was declared to be due to an endeavor
on the part of some blue-ribbon attendant
OF the sale to show the inclination of man,
even down to his wearing paraphernaiia, to
De IN close proximity to the jug.
illustrates the Lot.
-Four boxes of axle grease gave evidence
OF the operations of some slick thief and
a lawn waist and skirt represented the
futile effort of some dead gOne,' dishonest
gent to provide apparel for his baby"
| A dozen Slot machines were included in the
| sale, illustrative of the desire of some per-
sons lacking in that which always proves
the best policy, to break into some other
mans business. The sacrilege of robbery
was strongly demonstrated by the presence
OF a cross IN the list of stolen goods. Cheap
| bicycles and accessories of the wheel, such
| as lamps, saddies, ETC., gave bitter evidence
| OF the operations of this class OF lgnt-
| fingered gentry during the past year. Wear
| ing apparel formed large portion of the
goods put up for auction
Vanity in man extends even to the house.
breaker, and while often such stuff is taken
of it is for personal wear What sad tale
of a little heart broken could be told Ii
the truth of the loss of the small boy
wagon and tricycle. were known. Some
knee pants and baby carriage were nur-
sery features of the sale. Cheap jeweiry,
shovels, lead pipe, junk OF every sort,
chewing tobacco and shaving brushes,
hammers for the knockers and hatchets Tor
the choppers, socks and stockings, SHOES
and gum boots, gloves and trowels, neck
ties and underciothing, pillow cases and
robes du mutt, combs and dress goods, UNI
brellas and pants, fur coats and nesNse
shirts, violet water and rum jugs, Mason
ic pin and a pair of spectacles, scrubblng
brushes and tooth brushes, a straw nat
and earrings, a fishing seine and box OF
paint, a horse blanket and black shaWl,
silver-plated pin tray and two iron gates,
an atomizer and an ice pick, all were mixed
up in the general mass,
The Crowd of Bidders.
A big crowd Of bidders was present when
Mr.. Ratcliffe ascended the block, his trusty
assistants standing on either side. Mr.
Ratcliffe has conducted the sales before
and he knows how to get rid of an abun-
dance of stuff in the shortest possible space.
He has a keen perception of the ridiculous,
too, and enlivens the sale OF musty arucIgs
by puns and sayings decidedly 1resh. lie
disposes of articles at q flying gait.
''What a lot of cheek, it required to steal
this brass" said Ihe in opening the sale.
What do 1 get fer it. Twenty-Five cents?
Let 'er co.
Dangerous firearms and deadly weapons
have>no place in the sale nowadays. They
are confiscated and destroyed, the debris
being forever put out of the ouslnessy by
being dump ed into the Rotomac..
What will l get for this mllsket?' asked
Mr. Ratciffe, as he held to view rusty
time worn, Misunderstanding shot gun.
Hold on, that thing might be loaded"
What's the diff! What's the diff! Itll
only shoot the man upstairs. Sc-ci-ty-fve.
Sic-ci-ty-five. Who'll gimme sev-nty?"
And so the sale went on. A pair of ice
tongs brought fifty-five cents, and a ring
only ten cents. One old fellow in the crowd
bought picture frame for ten cents and
passed up the dime.
Here; stop the Sale!' shouted an at
tendant above the roar and roll of Mr.. Rat
cliffes resounding vocal organs. I've got
a bum dime
The money was made good and the auc-
tion proceeded.
Some of the Prices.
Ladies' shoes created a bull movement
One pair of C's brought fifty-ive cents. A
pair of mems shoes, put up next, brought
but fifteen, making the masculine sex look
pretty cheap. Bicycle lamps went for a
quarter. Some looked like thirty cents, and
brought it. Two kegs of nails were opened
up and were soon nailed at a low figure A
doS-collar brought nickel. Clothes went
dirt cheap. Two colored shirts We're sold
to a white party, while. pair of white
linen fronts went to colored man. A
case of surgical instruments also went to a
colored party-a newly made MD, prepar-
ing for trade-for- thirty-five cents.
There were no women at the sale, and
consequently feminine attire was bid in
with ,commendable timidty and modesty
on the part Of the men. The auction VI as a
big success, and when it had concluded
shortly after noon quite a sum had been