steal

To steal means to take away from one in lawful possession without right with the intention to keep wrongfully.

Defined by the Supreme Court in - Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246 (1952).

This term ls commonly used In indictments for larceny, ("lake, steal, and carry away,") and denotes the commission of theft. But, in popular usage, "stealing" seems to be a wider term than "larceny," inasmuch as it may include the unlawful appropriation of things which are not technically the subject of larceny, e. g., immovables. See Randall v. Evening News Ass'n, 101 Mich. 561, 60 N. W. 301; People v. Du-mar, 42 Hun (N. Y.) 85; Co.m. v. Kelley, 184 Mass. 320, 68 N. B. 346; Holmes v. Gilman, 64 Hun, 227, 19 N. Y. Supp. 151; Dun-nell v. Fiske, 11 Mete. (Mass.) 554; Barnhart v Slate, 154 Ind. 177, 56 N. E. 212.

— Stealing children. See Kidnapping.

To commit larceny, q. v. But the words '' he stole my patterns " are not actionable as imputing the felonious taking of property if the defendant meant that the plaintifiE fraudulently used knowledge which he had acquired.^ Receiving stolen goods, knowing them to be stolen, is a misdemeanor.^ The possession of goods recently stolen creates a presumption that the person in whose possession they are found is the thief, but not that he got them by burglary or house-breaking,* The temporary retention of chattels alleged to have been stolen, pending the prosecution of the supposed thief, is within the police power.* Stealing public property is a felony. Concealers and receivers are punishable alike.* By 25 Geo. 11 (IToS), c. 36, to advertise a reward for the return of things stolen, with " no questions asked," or other words to that effect, subjects both the advertiser and the printer to a forfeiture of fifty pounds each.^ See Compound, 1 (4). As to stolen bills of lading, notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness, see Bearer; Lost, 2; Negotiable. Compare Hook; Plunder. See Restitution; Search-warrant.

To steal is the verb employed as meaning to commit larceny; and stealing, when used as a noun, is equivalent to and interchangeable with larceny, though less technical, and hence liable to be found in connections where the context shows an intended deviation from the strict sense. For the full meaning of these words see, therefore, Larceny. Stealing children and stealing heiresses are expressions found in the books for what ought to be called, if accuracy in use of words is at all to be maintained, kidnapping or abduction. Stealing, as a term of the law, does not apply to persons as subjects of theft, except when used in some figurative sense, or with reference to some local law of slavery, recognizing a slave as a species of mere property. Steal, in a statute, implies simple larceny. Alexander v. State, 12 Tex. 540. The natural and most obvious import of the word steal is that of felonious taking of property, or larceny. But it may be qualified by the context. The words "he stole my patterns" are actionable, as imputing larceny, if defendant used patterns in the sense of chattels constructed for moulding castings; but are not so, if he meant that the plaintiff fraudulently used his knowledge of the parts and proportions of a machine or invention belonging to defendant, — such knowledge as a man may carry away in memory, — to prepare imitations of them. Bunnell v. Fiske, 11 Met. (Mass.) 551.