Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1880 — Kleptomania. [ARTICLE]

Kleptomania.

About eight years ago an alarm reached the chief police office in London that jewels of great value had been stolen from a lady of high rank while a guest at a quiet Northern country house. A handsome reward was offered, and not long afterward it became known that the property had been recovered. Astounding as it may seem, it is nevertheless true that the temporary appropriator of these fine things was a millionaire peer, who, albeit in no wise penurious, is singularly simple in his personal habits, and does not spend one-fourth of his income. The matter was all hushed up, and very few persons outside of the family knew who the thief, if we can so call him, really was. This was a genuine case of kleptomania, and proves beyond doubt that it really exists. An English Earl of high distinction had this weakness from boyhood, and it involved his leaving Eton. "When, in after years, he entered the Cabinet, it was rumored

that Lord had entirely conquered the propensity, “except that at a Cab inet council he never could resist ’ Dizzy’s’new green kid gloves.” The alarming disappearance of wax candles at the Travelers’ Club, London, some years ago, caused some dismay. The myetery was at length solved by a member of the committee seeing the old Duke C. (with a clear §750,000 a year) ambling along the corridor with a can die sticking out of each coat-tail pocket. His family were communicated with, and his Grace ceased to come to the club. Possibly, a similar tendency may perhaps explain an untoward incident which occurred at Newport, aud has lately been recalled by a concatenation of carious circumstances. There is doubtless a good deal of sham kleptomania, but it is not the less true that sopaetimes it is perfectly genuine. It is, however, unfortunate to be at orej kleptomaniac and impecunious. —New York paper\