The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-01-12
FOREIGN THIEVES
ARE COMING HERE
Detectives Expect Lively Ddngs
at Social Events This
Winter.
WAR DRIVES CROOKS TO US,
Many Of the Private Agencies Have Re
eeiVed Calls for More Guards
Than EVer-"War Million
aires" In Danger.

WashlngtOn.-If you happen TO own
Jewel collection and your taste runs
toward wearing 1t in public, you had
better hire bodyguard this winter
The United States is over-run with Eu'
rOpean crooks, some of them the
smoothest thieves on the continent
Private detectives and police agen'
cies In New York, Boston, Phlladel'
phia, Washington, Chicago and other
big centers are looking forward to one
Of the most active years in the last
decade. It's all on account of the Eu'
rOpean war, which has made theft
hardly worth while on big scale
across the water.
In Washington, there's a detective
agency which specializes in the
guarding of guests and jewelry at big
social functions. The business of
this agency is not confined to events
at the capital, for private detectives
of faultless manner and speech an
sent out on "jobs" as far west as Chi
cago by this agency.
The man who has devoted years OF
experience and his organization OF
sleuths to the protection Of social
leaders and their guests recently re-
turned from a trip that extended
north to Boston and west to che Mis-
sissippl.
Big Year for Detectives,
ITS going to be a big year for
agencies like ours" he said. "Within
the past twelve months Europe has
been sending over some of the clever
est Jewel thieves this country has
ever seen, and they have only come
here when it was clear that robbery
as a profession was up against hard
times abroad until the war was over.
"These crooks saw, at the close Of
the first year Of the war;" said this
detective, that the big conflict had
put them out Of the running, simply
because it had placed a ban on
extravagant functions in European !
society. Additionally, the habit Of |
thrift is forcing itself upon all classes
of European society now and the |
wearing of more than the simplest |
assortment of jewelry at afternoon
and evening affairs is considered al |
most bad taste. 1t was generally |
believed there, however, that the war
would not run longer than two years .
and the biggest criminals preferred
to lay low for a time, waiting for
peace. Just get it perfectly clear in
your mind that the finished European !
is not anxious to operate
in the United States.
"As a rule" said the detective,
"the language puzzles him, his accent
marks him as a foreigner and besides,
he's not next to the little ins and
outs of our police systems. He prefers
to stay in Europe for the same reason
that a real chorus girl prefers to
stay on Broadway. It's almost de-
to his art to be forced to
seek new fields of operation.
Foreign Crooks Coming.
"Within the past year, though"
this man said, ut has become appar-
ent that efforts to predict the time
the war will end are rather futile,
and a lay-off of more than a year is
out of the question for most Of these
smOOth-fingered boys. So they're
coming over here, and unless So
ciety people keep on their toes, so
to speak, there will be some big hauls
pulled off before spring. The enor-
nous war export trade of the United
States in munitions, foOdstuffs and
the like has created a brand new crop
If war millionaires,' and it must not
De thought that these gentlemen of
crime from across the Atlantic are
gnOrant of that fact. 1t was just
,ne of the reasons why they came, and
continue to come.
"The average war millionaire Of
.916," this detective declares, '1s Of
he suddenly wealthy type, with no
connections or backing Of
he proper social sort, and he makes
comparatively easy mark for the
Oreign crook. These milliOnalres of
916, as a rule, go crazy over the so
ial game within the first six months
lfter they make their money and 1t
axes the loss Of $4,000 or $4,000
n jewelry or artistic treasure to teach
hem not to make friends too quickly.
The real society woman, however, cen
ors her guest lists more cautiously
nd there is less chance Of her being
made the victim of big steal"
Use Girls for MReIIhoNsn