The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-03-31

WhAT PEOPLE SAL .
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There ia a general mlHunderHtand-
ING 81 what ls mesnt BY kleptoman-
IN. and O. wrong application fire.
auently made II IL. Tho true sight
firatiun is Insanity with an ire
slstablr propensity 20 steal Persons
inborinR under the insanity called
naania. who betray this particular
pfourness are called hept0mauiacs.
These persons having an unbalanced
n1ind are Of course eNcusahic. The
term iH sometimes applied 90 others,
pho. white not considered insane.
take what belongs 70 other people
whenever an Opportunity offers. al
though they have no use whatever
~ the stolen goods. store them
away and never attempt TO make
Use 81 them. These persons must esf-
IDENTIFY be on the border land 81 in
sanity or such conduct would not be
placed 60 their credit for they do
not steal 60 make II profitable. With
them this r. no doubt an INHERITED
ehafact cristic. and IL attributable to
loss Of win power that should con
troll their actions For many years
an effort has been made to apply
the term kleptomaniac 60 persons In
good social standing who are so lost
to a sense Of moral uprightness and
honesty as TO take what does not
belong 90 them and use n FOR their
profit This motive for stealing. dif-
fcrcntiatos II from the last consider
rd. and places 1t properly In the
.
fort Of friends who have influence
this plea h sometimes made. 10
stick Hut IL is misapplication Of
the word. and f. totally wrong. for
everyone should have justice melted
out Co him according to his deserts.
rich and poor, high and low. all alike.
We're the things thus stolen. ap-
propristed by persons OF no social
standing. or hobo may be 10 aiiay
the pnpga OF hunger. no one would
be found 70 give Il any other name
than down right stealing. and the
perpetrat0r would be branded aud
tried as "a thief Because Of their
less favored education and oppor-
tunitics " any persons deserve
shielding from the law, IL would
seem their claim Of Ignorance and
weak mental powers should be con-
sidercd The tendency 20 excuse and
shield the more respectable OF
thieves uud robbers outruges the
laH. AMI does great t'iretiee Il
mixer hratI err following the same
unholy business. Thioviug rruren=
Eitics come from two causes. First
inherited tendency second evil as
socintiuns ana the loss Of character
through strong drink and other Ekr
practices. When once established
ne habit % g. next to Impossible 20
reform the cuirrit. ftf the will pow
or has bccnme too weak 10 exercise
proper restraint. Hence the crim-
iual records show that few thieves
ever settle down To an honest livelt- /
hood n they are no smart as "a |
Keep from being caught they con
tinue 60 prey ON thcr fellows hut |
generally they 80 te the penitentiary |
time and again until their worthless
lives are ended. As oonfirmatory Of
this statement. only recently this
city has sent a criminal TO the poni=
teutbry. 10 heng his ninth term Of
service and Just two or three
months ago Charles Williams was
sent TO the pcnitcutiary FOR The
twelfth time from Missouri When
his present term is out he VIII have
served 3sis years in prison. and Is
now Is years old. our late state
law. giving o life sentence after the
second offence. il a plan recognition :
of this fact, and IL founded in strict