The Washington herald., 1919-07-13

II a person steals from another. Is
convicted and sent to Jail, the prison
term Is supposed to balance the Of
tense done to society. II the person
steals again. is convicted and sent
to prison. the punishment is likely
10 be much more severe. II the per-
son steals a third time, the offender
is branded as an habitual criminal
In New York recently ]. Frank
Lilly. a man Of high education and
fine ability. fed from his office leav-
ing his safes stripped of money and
MS customers likewise. He Is said
o have left a deficit of 100000 and
o have 16.O0O creditors, nearly all OF
-hese persons who entrusted money
to him. Not a few of these creditors
are women
There is nothing peculiar about
Lilly's case. He was a curb market
operator. There are many persons
with a criminal record connected with
the curb market The man who has
been the leading operator on the euro
has a record Of three terms in prison
apd a recent criminal indictment
Lilly put in a considerable time study
ing the curb market before he launch
ed into business on his own account.
He had been superintendent of schools
in a Western State and professor OF
psychology in a middle West unit
versity. His method of swindling was
not new. He played fair with his
patrons for a while and got a oig
following He had every opportunity
to make a good profit by being honest
but in the company of sharpers he did
as the sharpers do. Instead Of trans
acting business he "bucketed" the Or
ders Of his customers. When the mar
ket failed TO wipe out his customers
he wiped them out by fleeing with
whatever he could lay his hands on
that belonged to them in the shape
OF money or securities.
Polite In Nationwide Hunt.
4 general alarm was sent over the
country for his arrest and the arrest
OF his associates. One Of these days
he will be captured. Then he will be
tried after all the laws delays have
been worked in his behalf by his law
yers. Then. il he is convicted. effort
will be made for a new trial. II he
Eocs to jail it will be after years have
softened the memories OF the wrongs
he has committed. If his lawyers are
clever to a high degree he will never
go to prison.
II the statement of the district at
tOrney of New York is correct j.
Frank Lilly committed 10000 crimes.
Every customer whose money he
stole was his victim. Yet. IL he
ever goes to Jail. he will go for ons
offense and the other 1899 will go
by the board.
Not one person out OF ten who
practices the high art of swindlinS
in Wall street goes to Jail. There
i
tn criminal than the Wall street
district. There Is no place where
he can come from Jail. put out his
sign and be welcome as he is ION
the curb" 1t actually is a fact that
George Graham Rice came straight
from prison to Wall street (after be-
ing in prison twice before) bought
an old and staid financial publica-
tion, hlled IL with stuff to decisive
and defraud the public and. that
accomplished. assumed the position
OF leading operator on the curb.
safe to Rob 10000.
The case Of ]. Frank Lilly is
unique only in that he had been ar
educator so long and had played Sc
much OF a part in shaping the minds
and lives of persons. II he robbed
one person in Wall street he would
he in danger. in robbing 10000 he
is comparatively safe.
BY the Unique operation of the
law in America there is less of pun
ishment for many crimes in a group
than in a single offense no matpe
how many may suffer through the
many crimes and how few in the
one offense.
m, as is suggested. the Mexican
government comes to an agreement
whereby the American. British and
oil er companies operating in the Mex
lean oil fields can be assured of a
settled policy and no interference in
their oil production that settlement
may have a revolutionary effect in
ocean navigation
The costs OF ocean carriage are az