Bismarck tribune., 1880-06-25
q = M =
-Shnplifters.

eve estimate our losses from shop
lifting at $fO, 900 . year, Z said one Of the \
proprietors Of 9 large East Side dry
goods and fancy goods store yesterday
: In the busy hours you cannot estimate
the number Of people that come to this
store. II you watch them from the gal
leries they swarm like ants. TO serve
them we employ between 800 and ] 600
persons. We have to watch them 81,
customers and clerks alike. On the
other hand, it is prime necessity to
display our goods, and to display them
in such way as to tempt the dishonest.
ssShop girls are burdened with 9 rep
utation they don't deserve, and I hate to
say anything against theln,'' continued
the shopkeeper, for there are girls
working for us who bend their necks to
the yoke and labor only from necessity,
and whose every instinct and action is
that of q lady. But some of the girls
formed ring with outsiders, and we
discovered them selling the best goods
and sending up checks for nominal
figure, 25 or so cents, when the real price
might have been as many dollars. We
get information against the girls some
times from customers. For instance,
the last case was that of person who
wrote that such-and-such looking girl,
at such -and-such counter, was seen to
drop q bill on the floor and send up
check for just so much less than the real
price. Whenever our attention is di-
rected against employees we generally
catch them"
ssDo the cash boys steal?" he was
asked.
"We lose great deal by boys, both
in our employ and from outside. You'd
be astonished if you knew the number
Of the sons of respectable people often
little boys-that we catch stealing.
Among our cash boys there have been
some very ingenious thieves. One lit
tie fellow tore leaves out of his cash
book so nicely that it was not discovered
by the cashier, although it might have
been that night. We suspected him,
and took him into private Office, where
we talked to him earnestly. He admit
ted his guilt, and said that he had put
the money in his shoe. There we found
over $14, the stealings Of only q few
hours. But there was a smarter boy,
although I suspect he had adult accom-
plices outside. He carried on his per-
son little pad soaked with printers
ink. and an exact fac-simile of the CASH
ier's stamp cut on the end of cork.
Whenever he got the exact price Of an
article sold from the saleswoman he
went away and stamped his cash book,
and brought it back as if from the
cashiers desk"
edo you cause the arrest of many
shopGfters ?" the tradesman was asked.
eyes, a good many, but not all, by
any means. We don't disturb persons
unless we have the most positive proof
of their guilt. When the article stolen
is trife we watch the woman so as to
remember her face, but usually do moth
ing more. Not infrequently we see
thefts committed by women that we be-
ieve are not habitual trespassers, but
were urged on by too strong temptation
and poverty. Such women we take to
private room. We tell them our sus-
picion. IF they confess and give us
what proves to be their right names and
addresses we let them go. But all this
is very delicate matter, and to make a
mistake is very dangerous. You must
know that shop-lifters are generally
among the best dressed and most re-
spectacle looking women that come in
our store. I stood at the second-story
skylight one day looking aimlessly down
on the first floor. I saw two elegantly
dressed women putting away rolls Of
silk ribbon. I watched them, and there
wasn't any doubt about it. I FASTENED
down and told the foor-walker. He
was astonished. I persisted, and he
spoke to the women. They were vio-
lently indignant. AS they walked toward
the door we saw them throw the rolls OF
ribbon among some boxes between two
counters. We had them followed. They
lived in an elegant brown-stone house on
Forty eight street. "-New York Sstn.