The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-29

than 100 to 1 that the offender has
flown to other fields. Not more than
10 per cent of the professionals are
apprehended in the same town in
which they operate They are either
caught in the act Of passing a bad
check. or make a clean getaway
If some means Of educating bank
customers in keeping their accounts
accurately could be devised, careless
ness would not be so prevalent. The
loss to merchants, thru this route, is
almost negligible. The careless Gus
toner invariably makes good the check
upon notice from the merchant Most
Of them blame the bank for failure to
credit the last deposit, but they rarely
argue with the collector who calls for
the money
Very few checks, written to crafty
a taste for luxuries. are total loss.
Often collection on this class of checks
is slow. as the author must earn
money to make them good Rather
than face prosecution, they make a
strenuous effort TO raise the money in
some way.
money to pay his gambling debts has
the most difficult time in making
them good. Few Of this class are
steadily employed.
Tho.e who are employed at good
jobs rarely play games of chance be-
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youngster. just at the "smarty'' age
becomes fnoculated with the gambling
germ it takes either a good scare or
actual punishment to cure him The
best sort Of punishment is a paternal
club properly administered. Lacking
that at the right time. the cuIprTe
more often than not runs afoul of the
law. which differendates not at all
between persons, young or old
Tin Horn Gamblers Here.
There is Il certain set of ''tfn horn"
gamblers in Topeka who prey upon
the inexperience and culpabuity of
local youth. Their skill with the
pasteboards or tricky cubes yield them
sufficient incomes to ward off the
necessity OF work. The youthful VIC
tins pay the price, too often in jail
sentences or heavy fines. The gam
blers are too wise to take a check.
demanding cash which sometimes
must be raised thru the floating OF
spurious paper
Another set Of vultures. more loath-
some than the professional gambler,
is the women who pray upon the
guiIeless youth Investigation of sew
eraI cases where boys and young men
had written worthless checks, showed
that they were paying tribute TO this
class Of women. Two boys who served
considerable time in the county jail
were thus victimized.
One woman had a clientele of con-
siderable proportions, recruited exclu-
sively from the ranks of boys in the
teen age. She had skiIIfuIly woven
a net into which they became en-
meshed. Some OF the money she re-
cefved was procured thru the medium
of bad checks It is believed that she
urged this method Of securing money,
that she could easily take away from
young boys. thru the appeal to their
sex instinct. She has left Topeka,
however.
That these men and women escape
punishment is one Of the inevitable
injustices. This lure placed in the
path Of Topeka youth should be coun-
teracted in some manner best deter
mined by the fathers and mothers Of
bsys who are likely to fall into the
net so skillfully woven. Unless some
thing is done to thwart the influence
Of the gamblers and bad women, the
check business will continue to be
rushing among this particular class Of
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