Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-07-31
PANAMA HATS ARE STOLEN.
Thieves who Make Them Speciality
ESch"nge Cheap limitations for
the Costly Headgcar.

smile, a. he called his press agent
for instructions. "send word to tho
newspapers that we have a good story
for them. At last | am able to cope
with the queens of comic opera and
the gay soubrettes on their own
ground"
what is the matter?" asked tho
press agent. Have you had your dis-
monds stolen?"
diamonds, nothing" said the mat
inee idol, 1--WE had my Panama hat
stolen"
Panama hats are, in fact, attract
ing more attention from the criminal
classes at present than almost any
other forms of property, says the Chi
Tribune recently. There seems to
be fads in the thieving world as there
is in any other. 4 few years ago BIZ
cycles were the greatest temptation
to thieves. just as in the underworld
there have been great bank thieves
and diamond thieves there evolved .
large number of men who won doubt
full fame for being bold and ingenious
bicycle thieves. They devoted their
and many Of those who managed to es-
cape the penitentiary amassed quite
a sum OF money by the disposal OF
their plumber. Then the bicycling fad
died, wheels became scarce, and the
market for pilfered wheels was closed,
and so the bicycle thief was driven
out of business.
But new industry has opened for
a criminal specialist. 1t is the steal
ing of Panama hats. Panama hats,
costing all the way from ten dollars to
500. make good prizes for thieves.
They are easy to carry away. A
Panama hat may be rolled up and
tucked under the coat and carried
without arousing the suspicious of the
sharpest eyed policeman. The hat
can be cleaned and ironed and a new
ribbon and sweat band put in and
then ii is a new hat with no proofs Of
its former ownership remaining and
can be readily disposed of at a good
price.
As a consequence the stealing Of
Panama hats has become almost az
much a fad as the wearing of them.
The police have already commenced
to look for individuals catalogued in
police bulletins as slick Panama hat
thieves"
A Panama hat thief disdains other
forms of plumber. What he is after
is Panama hats. That ia his speciality,
and he doesn't concern himself to
work outside Of his particular line.
In several fats in the city which have
lately been entered by hat thieves val
liable pieces of plate or property Of
various kinds have lain within reach
of the thieves but have not been
touched. The Panama hat thief pre-
ferred to take only the hat and tuck
II snugly out of sight and GO quietly
and safely away with II than to bother
with bulkier and heavier property
which would expose him to greater
risk of detection and could not be so
readily disposed of.
The panama hat thieves have their
own particular fields of operation,
which, of course, are where the great
est number of panama hats are to 10
found. They operate in restaurants
and hotels and wherever men who wear
a good style of headgear are apt to con-
gregate. One trick of the hat thief is
to have a good looking panama hat OF
fair size which, however is of cheap
make, and to substitute this for hat
which his trained eye has told him 10
of about ten times the value of tho
imitation article. II he is caught maxi
ing the change he can merely say that
il was all a mistake and so escape ar
rest.
One man who has a hat which cost
him 500 rescued it three different times
n one week from ambitious thieves
who attempted to palm off $3.50 hats
or il while the owner was dining in .
restaurant.
Another man who bought a SIS hats
month or two ago got into an argu-
nent with a friend last week as to tho
cost of his chapeau. He insisted thatit
cost SIS, but the friend did not think
L could have cost much over Sc at tho
outside. A bet of $40 was made. and
he disputants went back TO the dealer
Who had sold the hat.
well" the dealer said to his GUS
omer, "this hat is only worth at .
rood fair price $3.50.
Then there was a furious customer
n that particular hat store. He called
he dealer a swindler and other I'M
lind names.
you sold me that hat for S75," he
houted. "And now you say it is worth
4. so"
30, no, not at all" replied the dealer.
I sold you a hat for SIS. That's true.
{ is also true that this hat Is only
Worth $3.50, In other words, the hat
sold you and this hat you are wear
ng are two different and separate
hings."
The customer finally awoke to the
act that at some time or place his ex-
ensive hat had been stolen and
heaper one substituted, and he had
one about Chicago he didn't know how
lany DAYS wea ring a 81 90 hat nd toll.