The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-15
WOMEN'S CRIME FOR
 LOVE OF DRESS
Eleven are Recently Sentenced in Windy
 City for Burglary.

Chicago, Feb. 15.-Po1ice and court 1 officials here are astonished at the re- suit of statistics that were recently compiled regarding crime among Chi cago women. If the figures do not l lie, more refined women become crim- dnals in this city than in any other large city, perhaps, in the world. What ] is more astonishing to the officials of the criminal courts is the fact that crime among refined women seems to
 be spreading rapidly. Since the first of the year eleven prepossessing ing women have been sentenced to do
 time for burglary, not to mention the large number that were arrested and
 got off easily because it was their first | offense. None of the women tried
 since the first of the year have crim-
 inal records
 This revelation has started the crim-
 inologists of the city thinking. They
 are trying to find out the cause of
 crime among Chicago women. The
 police won't admit that the induce
 ments for crime is greater here than
 in any other large city. Nor will they admit that it is easier to commit crime here than anywhere else under the same conditions. One wise one hit on a happy explanation and many believe his solution is an accurate one. He thinks that the cause of crime among refined woman is the desire to dress beyond their means and to outshine their neighbors and aequaintances.
 'I think can see how woman of limited means is prompted to steal or commit robbery by the desire to adorn herseIf,' said this criminologist, who would not let his name be used. Dress in Chicago has come to be a large part of woman's life. She knows that If she cannot dress as well as her friends sste will fall behind socially. Hence she is determined to look just as pretty as her neighbor and will dress if she has to steal to do it. Then there is the rivalry. among pretty women in re- spect oE men If two women are bid ding for the favor of one man, they know that the one who can make her. self look the prettiest will win in the contest for his heart.'
 Since January 1 twice as many wo- men have been convicted of larceny iod of any other year. In the last few weeks it was a common sight to see a pretty, well- dressed woman sit ting as defendant in the criminal courts with able counsel defending her. Many of these comedy women so ex- cited the mercy of the count and jury that they have been released on bond. Not only are a majority of them re- fined and well dressed, but many of them are we'll educated. The theory that educated women do not stoOp to crime seems to have gone to smash here in the last few weeks.
 Bulletins of the police department show that in the first three weeks of January thirty-three women burglars were arraigned in the Municipal courts. Two women were tried for murder, one for assault with intent to kill, one for arson, one for receiving stolen prop erty and another for contributing to the downfall of young girls.
 The theory that most of the women commit crime to dress themselves is borne out by the fact that in almost all the cases of larceny the things stolen were things to wear. Among the things stolen were muffs, boas, sealskin coats and even expensive headgear.