The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-12
LIKELY TO Be WAR
Petween Police Officers and
PaWnbrokerS of Wichita
OVERPROPOSED ORDINANCE
To Compel Them to Keep
Register of Goods Bought.

There is likely to be war between the
pawnbrokers and police officers of WITCH
ita, over a proposed ordinance. which q
great many persons desire to have adopt
ed by the city council, which ordinance
will compel pawnbrokers to keep a regis
ter Of all goods bought and d description
% the person from whom purchased. The
object of such law is TO assist the To-
lice and detectives of the city in their
work of recovering stolen goods. II is
understood the pawnbrokers will fight
such an ordinance to a finish, out the
pawnbrokers are few and far between
in Wichita
The policemen and detectives Of the
city are not exactly satisfied WIKI the
2 esent ordinance which compels second
hand dealers TO keep a record of all goods
purchased. The ordinance is desig nad 10
assist in the work Of capturing stolen
goods, and the thieves who steal them
and so fan as it goes IS considered all
right, but the officers say it does not go
far enough. They think the ordinance
should be constructed so as to include
pawnbrokers. The latter class are the
ones TO whom thieves generally go with
their most valuable wares. and there is
no way by which a pawnbroker can be
made to show an officer any of the late
goods purchased or give him any infor-
nation whatever to assist him in cap
turing the thief. The officers think pawn
brokers should keep registers in which
pawned goods are fully enumerated also
compelling them to furnish the chief Of
police with a list Of the same each day.
It is very likely thatIa new ordinance
will be submitted to the council at its
next meeting which will meet all the Ie-
quirements and make it very hard for
professional house-breakers to dispose Of
any of their nl-gotteA wares in this city
The detectives say fiat such an ordi-
nance would greatlysbssen the tendency
to burglarize stores and residences and
would be measure in the interest OF
the public good.
An ordinance similar to the following
one which has been drafted, ready for
submission TO the council, is considered
the proper thing:
1T shall be the duty Of every licensed
pawnbroker, secondhand dealer and junk
shop keeper to make out and deliver TO
the chief Of police each day, before the
hour of y m, a legible and correct copy
from the registers required of them, Civ
ing an accurate account and description
of all personal property and other valu-
able things received on deposit or pur-
chased on the preceding day, together
with the time, mentioning the hour, when
received or purchased. and a description
of the person or persons of whom the
same were purchased. This section shall
apply also to secondhand dealers and
junk shop keepers.
No personal property received on de-
post, purchased CT pledged, by any such
licensed pawnbrol1er, secondhand dealer
or junk shop keeper. shall be sold or per-
mitted to be redeemed or removed from
the place of business Of such licensed
pawnbroker, secondhand dealers or junk
shop dealers, for the space of twenty
four hours after the copy and statement
required TO be delivered to the chief of
police, shall have been delivered as re-
quired by the preceding section"
For failure to comply with the provis-
ions Of the proposed ordinance the pawn
broker, secondhand dealer or junk shop
keeper, is held liable to fine OF not less
than $50 nor more than $500.