Pawnbrokers Who Do Not Hesitate to Take Goods of Questionable Origin What is to be done about the armed robber menace? Armed rob-Yeries are so frequent to-day in Shanghai and one has become so accustomed to hearing that seven or even twelve armed robberies have been perpetrated within 24 hours, and money, jewellery, and clothing to the estimated value of, say, $6, 000 have been stolen, that such events pass with less comment than the trapping of a diseased dog, who, not trapped, might attack one, og witness the recent attack on a small child in Hongkew Park by rabid animal, Less than three years ago such a state of offal would have aroused the community small degree. Yet, with policemen losing their lives almost weekly in gallant attempts to safeguard Chinese residents in the Settlements, litle ce-operation is received by the police in their hazard dous task of combating what is now he is able give to the police, it is obvious that the robber who pledged the article still remains at large and is, unknowingly perhaps, encouraged to perpetrate further crimes. It has often happened that a criminal arrested in respect of other acts has confessed participation in other crimes and has led the police to pawnbrokers with whom he has pledged stolen pro-the pawnbroker hai ized and failed to inform the police.
What is to be done with such brokers? They are little better than the robber himself. Indeed, their acts encourage the criminal to further crimes. Here seems to li the solution, to a very great extent, the armed robber menace, If there are no receivers, there can be little robbery. It is obviously impossible for robbers indefinitely to hoard their loot. It must be disment, or indeed, hold up a civilian on the highway, the first consideration is money, "Then jewellery and Jastly clothing. It ig the last two Money negotiable anywhere, to which we more particularly refer.
Jewellery and clothing are not, These must be disposed of where a receiver can be found who is willing to take the risk, That situation does not obtain' in the cave of money, Where are stolen jewellery and clothing disposed of? When we speak of clothing, we refer to expensive Chinese gowns lined with valuable furs. Statistics show that 90 per cent. of the latter are pledge ed in pawnshops and to secondhand dealers. Yet all these are licensed by the authorities under heavy. penalty contravention of the regulations which the holder has undertaken to obey.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.