The suburban citizen., 1902-07-05


the people who are arrested as thieves
are simply kleptomaniacs. Some of
these unfortunates who take things are
not even guilty of covetousness. There
is an Overwhelmingly irresistible de-
sire to take and take it is, and then
men like you howl thief and hound
the poor devils to prison. Read my
books on kleptomania, or if you won't
do that, come over to the Northeast
Side Medical School next Monday and
hear me lecture to the physicians oil
the future on the honest thief. why
tell you again that some Of the cleanest
consciences on earth are in the breasts
if that's where the conscience Is STU
ated--of some of these State street
women shoppers that the tioorwalkers ,
are always looking out for
1t was only three days later that De- !
tective John Broderick, of the central F!
detail, arrested Mary Brown for the (
larceny of three diamond rings from /
tray on the showcase of Poor Il Allen.
The salesman and the detective both
declared it to be cold case of steal
The Justice Of the peace held Mary
Brown, and the Grand Jury indicted
her. Subsequently the trial was held
before Judge Chetlain
Coke was there as the jewelers. rep
resentative to aid in the prosecution.
In fact, the preparation of the case, It's
presenting and the appeal to the jury
for conviction were mainly his. The
defense put in a plea of kleptomana.
Mary Brown was good looking. I1e
Jury was told to look at her. The jury
did. The jury was then told that Mary
Brown when q child stole blackberry
lam from the buttery that in later
wears she had taken other things, but
in each case had she been impelled not
by wickedness, but by desire that
amounted to a disease to possess things
that were not her own.
Coke managed to offset by sheer
strength Of argument a good deal of
Mary's beauty and much of the force
of the kleptomanical argument. The
iurymen seemed TO have level heads,
and the fact that Mary had selected
the costliest rings in the tray to slip in
| her glove KuNt tNlutnCc VI a IlN''J N'''
amount of mental responsibility
Coke was well satisfied with the stu
alton of affairs, when to his utter
amazement the lawyer for the defense
called out "Dr. John Broadhead."
J. DR.. Broadhead came hustling for
e ward from a seat in the far rear of the
f courtroom. Attorney Coke sighed
S when he saw his friend, the alienlst
d "Its all up nOw," he said to himself
e The eminent physician took the stand.
= He declared in a voice almost subtly
+ sympathetic that in his opinion Mary
d Brown was kleptomaniac; that she
e had taken things because Of an incllna-
il ton to take that was so powerful that
n neither the human mind nor the human
hand could resist. "These people need
r sympathy, not punishment, gentlemen,
n said the doctor.
al There was no use trying to stem the
er tide of the effect Of the great alienist
A. testimony. Not all Coke's eloquencC
er availed a jot. The jury filed out
in turned around and filed in andacquitteC
y. Mary Brown
re That night at dinner James CokC
to was in deep thought. He said so little
III and looked so immersed in his musings
le that his wife regarded him a bit Gu
m riously Finally gleam came into IN
a. lawyers eye. Jane" he said, "Dl
ks Broadhead and 1 have been collector
lis of nature books for years, haven't we
Id That's true, you say, and, yes, we bot
have very fine collections. My colle(
as tion, however, isn't as fine as 1t use
in. to be. and haven't sold any books
c's either. think I'll call on the docto
nd for an hour or so tonight"
,ly Two hours later James Coke returne
de home. He had a parcel under his arm
est "What have you in the pacKag
ty, james," asked his wife.
IS" The lawyers answer was not dlrec
- 81 found that DR.. Broadhead was ou
~ lane, and told the maid that | wou
Zh wait in his library for awhile until
M came back. / had the best chance
~ some time to look over his books. ID
5A YOU ask what / have in the packag
lA Jane? Well" and the lawyer cut t
b% string and took off the paper. Here
H@ my copy of Walton Complete An
SH ler.' a first edition that disappear
~ mysteriously from my shelves tN
ina years ago. Here is Whites 'Natul
NW History of selborne' that went the W
BMR of the Walton year ago. Here is
wan old Aristotle on Birds and here
SNM all the rest that have been mournil
aM "Jane, it's curious, isn't If, but
~ Broadhead is out tonight lecturing
r. kleptomana. The next time that
calls here, my dear, see to 1t that
p book cases are locked. ."-Chicago X
ord-Herald
rrn.. ~ nf nnnnnn-