Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-10-09
RASCALIY INGENUITY,
Some OF the Deuce. of Thieves.

times rather remarkable exceptiofs
One of these may be iuSlance,i in IN,
female shop-lltter not long since ar
rested for committing robberieS fron
draperg establishments in some
what singular manner. When settina
out for her predatory expeditions sh,
Wore large, fiat shoes, ana had the
toe part OF her stocking cut off IL
form sort of mitten; and belna
very dexterous for prehensory uses,
she was able to pick up articles from
the 4 lor and secrete them in her slim
per la lnnking oyer soma niAn4A ~
lace IN shop, she had, while the As
sistant's attention was directed else.
where, dropped one or two and
adroitly secreted them as described
As bright an example of perverted
ingenuity was developed in Paris
during the time of the Exhibition. -
Three persons,it seems, are necessary
to carry out the trick, the moduS 0pe-
randi of which is as follows: A man.
accompanied apparently by mis- wife
and daughter, enters shop in which
the articles lie about little careless
ly, and the gentleman at once goes
up to the head assistant behind the
counter and makes a confidential
communication 81 must warn You, y
he says, shat my wife is afflicted
with kleptomania BE so good as 10
watch her, but do not say anything
to her which might make her think
you have any suspicious The
elder lady is consequently watched
with great care, all the shop being
on the alert. Some article is piliered
in due course. and the theft noticed,
and the gentleman on going out quiz
city and promptly pays for what has
been taken. While the shopkeeper
is congratulating himself on the hon
esty of the husband, the trio are
making off with valuable booty sc.
cured by the younger lady, whose
movements had not been watched. =.
But the best part of the sfrategem
remains TO be told IN case the dis
appearance of the art cles really
stolen should be perceived little too
soon, and the party be followed by
the indignant shopkeepers, nothing
is easier than to express regret and
surprise that there should have been
other mistakes, and to return the ar
ticles with profase apologies. BY
this ruse considerable degree OF
safety is insured, even if the swim
dlers are baked of their booty; the
scheme provides for escape as well
as for success
A German il Paris lately adopted
a plan which was successful in de.
spelling shopkeeptrs Of their goods,
he carried unconcernedly under one
arm, he would walk up and down in
front of the shop windows, till watch
ing his opportunity, he would sleze
some small article exposed outside,
or otherwise within his reach. and
secrete it in his loaf Suspected, and
at last arrested, he was subjected to
search, and was on the point of be-
ing released, when some one thought
OF the loaf, which the accused had
laid unnoticed on form. On exam
lining it, a watch, some rings, and
other missing articles were displayed
to the astonished spectators, and an
other swindling dodge thus exposed.
Equally successful for time was
another system OF robbery practiced
not long since in the streets Of Lon
don. A man dressed like clergy
man would walk about the crowded
thoroughfares carrying a half opened
umbrella in his hand. Innocent as
that useful article appeared, it wa,
acting all the time as convenient
receptacle for sundry articles of val
ne dexterously slipped within its
folds by two or three female pick
pockets, who were active in theil
depredations among the foot passen-
gers, but were captured, together
with their respectable looking &C.
complete.
Thefts by means of any kinds o
russ are bad enough, but wheE they
are committed under the cloak of re
ligion they are UNNECESSARILY worse
A Sister Of Charity called on fam
lily in Paris to enlist their sympathiei
for the poor she was not pieasan
and attractive in her manner Event
ually she induced those present Il
join with her in an act of devotion
and the party knelt side by side il
the drawing room while the sister of
fered prayer. From the time 0
her entering the house, and during
this act, she had kept her hand
CROSSED upon her bosom. When
| therefore, in the middle of prnye
! lady felt somebody's hand in he
pocket, it required some nerve Il
seize the sister and accuse her Of tn,
theft. This she nevertheless did ant
,he mystery was solved. The crossed
arms were of wax, and being PARTIAL.
hidden under the sleeves, scenes
real, while the actual hands were 4
liberty to enable the lady to puFsu
her fraudulent calling.
The Bill Skies fraternity, in follow
ing out their profession of house
breaking, sometimes gives evidenc
Of an amount Of ingenuity worthy Q
better canse A burglar concealei
under the bed OF married couple b
some incautious movement almos
betrayed his presence the noise l.
made being sufficient to make III
wife call her husbands attention {
the sound. otis only one o. th
dogs" was the sleepy answer, and
swapping bis fingers, he called by ii
name one of his favorites which w
supposed to be present The thief
presence OF mind did not desert hi
though on the brink of discovery
for, divining the situation at once, b
Immediately licked the extende
hand in hope of confirming the gel
tleman's snrmise. This clever rus
was not, however, we believe, sue
cessful, though one might say it d
served TO be for its boldness and il
genuity.
Cure For Diphtherla.
A cnrsesnOnfcnt of a Victoria D,