Patterns of Theft in 1920
In the 1920s, things were a bit different in terms of what’s being stolen. Instead of livestock, there seemed to be a pattern of stolen rings, chain watches, and jewelry, all of which were stolen without violence and without notice either. An example of these phantom thefts is from an article Two Robberies Reported where “A box containing several articles of jewelry was stolen from the home” to which no suspect was identified and thus no charges were being prosecuted (Two Robberies Reported, 1920). Another example would be the article Whisky, Gasoline, Watches, and a Bicycle Figure in Other Thefts Reported where the article covers multiple reports of one being a theft of a chained watch taken from their home, and the other theft of a diamond ring valued at $5,000 ($188,000 in todays’ currency) also stolen from their home. Both of which were reported without who the suspect might be, hence no charges were prosecuted.