Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-02-20
eAsHFuL VICTIMS OF THIEVES.
People Who Are Robbed and Conceal
Their Loss.
From the New York Sun

Hioil IN view 1OTk Ouu.
Most people suppose that the police
get word of the greater number Of in
stances of robbery. petty thieving and
pocket picking. This is far from being
the case. In fact social investigators
report that with a large class of people
there is a decided aversion to informing
the police of q loss.
A great many seem to shrink from
making n formal complaint. When es-
.orted to the station house for the pur-
pose they turn red, nervously shuttle
and act as though they wished they
We're 100 miles away. The fact that
they have been robbed seems to be a
secondary consideration compared with
having the eyes of their neighbors as
we'll as the police turned on them.
A railroad terminal detective recent
iy declared that it was lucky for him
that there were people too bashful to
complain of their losses or he and his
associates would have a hard time OF
1t. There is no doubt there is a great
deal of pocket picking in the rains of
the subway. The crowded conditions
makes 1t a paradise for the light fling
her handbag to get her purse finds
1t gone. Some shoppers, it is true.
make a loud complaint. Others realize
at once that there is little use Of COM
planning about what has happened in
such a jam. and they do not.
Recently an electrical contractor
from West Virginia paid a visit to New
YORK and went to a theater near Forty.
second street on Broadway. Betweea
acts he Went to a cafe. It was one
OF the brightest spots on Broadway.
All the West Virginian knew two min
utes after he entered the cafe was that
he was on the floor With a man trying
to help him up. He was told he had
slipped. He was bruised by the fan
and went to a nearby club. There he
Hn11n6 fhot ~ a. -.1 fcn -,
taken from him.
Did he tell the police? Not at all.
He was going to carry the experience
back to Virginia with him and lock it
up in his remembrance. He happened
TO tel a friend the next day. 1t wa.
all the friend could dc to drag hin, t.,
the police headquarters and make his
loss known. The watch was recovered
Short time ago u Bronx man and his
Wife returned from the theater to fine
that their flat had been entered and
ebcut $50 worth of property stolen.
They sat down, talked it over, pictured
che detectives coming in and the rob-
berry getting into the paper and they
decided to keep still! about it.
better pass it up" said the man
after the conference was over, the
publicity will be more bothersome than
the loss" And his wife agreed with
him.
Sometimes there is a human nature
reason for keeping still about a loss,
There's q certain detective of the CITY
police force who tool his wife on aIl
all-day automobile ride on his day off q
short time ago. When they got home
Mrs. Detective went to a clothes closet
to change her street gown for a kimono
She screamed with establishment. Their
wardrobe had been cleaned out.
Did the detective say anything about
IT? Not at all. And he enjoined the
strlctest secrecy on his wife. "If there's
any searching to be done I'll do it out
side OF the department." he said. I'm to
now the clothese have not been re-
covered.
Many who drop coins in cars or
~restaurants turn red and absolutely re-
fuse to hunt for the rolling piece of
silver. Men have been known to for
get to wait or take their change al
subway ticket offices and refuse to 20
PACK and inquire for what Is rightfuily
theirs. Barber shop thieves are com
mon. Many a new had has beer taken
and an old one left in it's place while
the rlghtful owner was being drowsily
iatnered. And in many instances when
the exchange was discovered the. owner
looked furtively about to see il Others
notlced the change and hurried out be
lore he attracted attention