A gentleman in one of the large stores told me that they sometimes lose as much as a thousand dollars a week by shoplifters and employes. When the expert shoplifters come to the Tombs they weep and lament at a great rate. They weep because they have been caught “red-handed with the goods on,” and not because they feel sorry for their crime. They are really crocodile tears shed for the sake of securing sympathy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XVII THE STEAL OR STARVE UNFORTUNATES Many of our most recent sociological writers commenting on some of the causes of crime, omit all mention of poverty. They speak of heredity, environment, intemperance, and many other things, but of poverty they say nothing whatever. Even Henry George in his book on Progress and Poverty is silent on the latter subject as one of the great producing causes of crime. Any one who carefully studies the relation between poverty and crime will see that these two in many cases are vitally connected. It is not necessary in this discussion to enter into all the ramifications of the subject. Indeed nothing would be gained by doing so. In the present instance we simply wish to present to our readers a few cases which will go to show that the question of “bread and butter” is one of paramount importance to the average man. And we shall endeavor to show that poverty is one of the most potent causes of crime in our day, especially in our large cities. The London police authorities have always maintained, and are able to prove by statistics, that when the bakers raise the price of bread only one-half a cent, it means an increase of crime to the extent of ten per cent. And for the reason that so many of the poorer classes are so pinched by poverty, that when the price of food is raised it means to many of them starve or steal. It is foolish any longer to stultify our minds and argue against believing that poverty and crime are vitally related. This is especially true in our large cities, rather than in the country. Not only do they belong to each other like cause and effect,—but poverty in many instances fosters crime. It is a well known fact that when thousands of our laboring classes are out of employment only one week, they are, to use the language of the street, “dead broke.” In a few days the whole family become so affected for want of food that unless the father gets work at once whatever is of value in the house is either put in pawn or sold for what it can bring anywhere. When the house ceases to have anything more to sell, the children are sent out to steal. A large number of those who are arrested by the Children’s Society for various crimes and taken to their rooms before going to Court, eat ravenously of whatever food is set before them. When they are questioned as to why they stole, they usually say they were hungry.