Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-23
FANCY PRICES FOR KISSES
High and Low Standards Depends
on the Whims of
JurteS,

Has DIR. hamilton FislSe Biggar of Chi
cago raised or lowered the standard price
of a kiss? Is 500 a proper osculatory valu-
alton? Is he a union or nonunion kisser?
These are questions which just now are
vexing the human kissing bugs.
DR.. Biggar's case is unique. So far as
is known, he is the first man who has
publicly offered kisses for sale and his
price is certainly under that ordinarily
placed on stolen sweets by women.
Women's ideas of the value of kisses
(stolen or obtained by Misrepresentation
vary greatly as these cases, most OF which
have figured in the courts will show:
Not long ago, Kate Hall, a pretty school
teacher, walked into the real estate offices
of Townsend Smith in the Boyce building,
Chicago. MIR. Smith and Miss Hall went to
school together in a little old red school
house. They got to talking over old school
days, and then, she alleged, he kissed her.
For that kiss she got a judgment Of $4,000.
She declared the stolen kiss was worth
every penny Of the amount and a lot
more. Subsequently the judgment was set
aside.
Mary Clark lived in apartments on Oak
icy avenue. One day the ~Janitor lust
Ep-a4SI9sG9SSKzKEad "a ..EExsI
Mary. Miss Clark placed a valuation on
Nhdt MIS- "a SoVtvvV. buN WHen the lTldl Came
off the court had a different opinion and
said the kis was worth only 81.
Chicago police court circles would charge
DR.. Biggar with stock initiation and over
valuation. Three dollars have been known
to pay for a kiss and there have been in
stances where kisser and kissee have been
told 20 go home and not be caught at It
again.
But in other circles kissese rate far above
the Biggar kiss, Kisses have gone at
premiums at charity balls. One North Side
beauty is said to have earned 500 for n
hospital fund through the sale Of her
kisses.
And they were worth double" declared
an enthusiastic subscriber who bought two.
Mrs. Laura White OF Central Valley. N.
Y. put in a bid of $500 for three kisses
and q similar number of hugs alleged TO
have been stolen by former Fire Commits
sioner John j. scannel. The bill was never
receipted.
A fair young woman of Ballston. Pa.
demanded $500 for 1885 kisses borrowed
and accepted. but the bewhiskered Jury
allowed her only 5000 or t2.42 per kiss.
Mrs. Antonio Fflskow Of New York City
estimated the value OF a kiss taken by DR..
Anthony Hoffman from her cheek at S5 .OOI
and another from her lips at the same
figure.
The lowest on record for a kiss is 6 cents.
awarded I'm Newark, n. j.. to Miss Theresa
Harvey, who asked for $500. But here il
was proven that she had forgiven the Of
fender. in 1900. Recorder walcott of Little
Falls, n. Y, fined a kiss p~ilferer, $500, but
the county got the price OF this luxury and
not the maid.
Mrs. Mary Reilly OF New York CITY
asked for $4,000 for one kiss and one huR
stolen. she alleged by Samuel Nelson. a
wealthy plumber. Mrs. Rose Wilson. the
comedy wife Of a New York bank clerk
got 6 cents for a kiss plucked by her
dentist, Or. AdoIph stein.
Tw~elve-year-old Blossom squires OF st.
Louis was kissed by sn elderly confectioner
and the latter paid $3.50 for not flrst obtain
ing her consent.
In Jersey City, Patrolman Michael Rear.
don lost his p~oliceman's shield for kissing
Mrs. Anna Hagan, a good looking jani-
tress.
A verdict for $4,000 as the price Of five
kisses was awarded by a jury in Wiscon-
sin. This was at the rate OF $1,000 per kiss.
In Oklahoma. a pilfered kiss is valued
at soc. That price was fixed by a jury
at Guthrie, which awarded that sum 10
Mrs. Maud b. Leeds. Evers White, presI-
dent Of the Oklahoma Board OF AgrlcuI.
ture, paid up and declared he got a bar
gain.
DR.. Biggar's valuation is equaled in the
case OF Miss Ellen Won Bokern OF Balti-
more. Nd, to whom a jury gave 500 for
one kiss purloined by Frank P. r. Bo-
hager.
Mrs. Grant Mills Of Mason, KY, put the