Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-06
KLEPTOMANIA.
THE ASTOUNDING THEFTS PERPE-
TR4TED IN THE GREAT RE-
TAIL STORES.

Sarpri-ing and Interesting Revelations
The Changes Wrought by the Concen-
tratiOn of Trade-Wealthy and FashiOna-
BILE Women Detected in Stealing. How
They are Compelled to Confess and Dis
gOrge-Dynamic Documents Held by the
Merchants-The Methods of PilferinG
EmpIOyes-The SkilIfuli PiekpOckets-
The Experiences of the StOrekeepers in
the Metropolis and Elsewhere
Brooklyn Eogle.
The revolution in the centers of retail
trade, which has quietly progressed in the
great cities during the past few years, IS
attracting the careful attention of those
who delight in studying the social system
ard customs of the country. The changes
from the old to the new are indeed strik-
ing. There has been an almost entire dis
appearance of the ancient houses devoted
to the sale of special lines of goods. As
if by magic there has arisen to replace
them enormous establishments, fitted up
with all that modern ingenuity can devise
and supplied with stocks that embrace al
most everything that the human mind can
conceive possible in a retail store. 1t is
hardly an exaggeration to say that in some
of these monster bazars even
the most capricious of females cap
find al that she desires.
In the face of the varied displays made 1t
is not surprising that the traditional ''old-
est inhabltant' looks on in establishment.
and no one would regard it remarkable if
the ancient Knickerbockers founders
of metropolitan trade-should stalk forth
from their resting places to protest against
the extraordinary innovations of the en-
terprisilg merchants of New York and
Brooklyn. A score of years ago who would
believe it possible that in a single empori
um would be sold shoes as well as silks;
stove polish and Valenciennes laces: satins
and sandwiches; millinery and silverware;
yelvets and hobby horses, mirrors and en-
broidery; bronzes and bedclothlng, and a
thousand articles unknown to the retail
trade of long ago: And yet it
is now common occurrence
to see establishments. former
ly known as Cry goods stores, experiment
ing with almost every class of goods, until
it seems as if they would shortly begin to
speculate in live stock or accept contracts
for the construction of railways. One con-
spicuous New York store has even prog
ressed so far as to establish a restaurant |
within its walls.
MERCANTILE PEGILs.
With the increase of attractions of course |
comes the growth of trade. 1t also, how
ever, gives rise to annoyances of almost |
every description. The greatest of these
mercantile troubles arises from the fire.
quency and boldness of the thefts
perpetrated by thieves, customers and en-
ployes. These dishonest practices prevail
both in this country and Europe. A Par
isian correspondent in a recent communica
ton enumerates among the persons arrest
ed in the nlagGzinS during 1881 the wife of
government official aged twenty eight, who
had stolen two cravats; Russian baroness
over fond of perfumery; countess IN
whose possession were found one mantilla
and two pieces of lace; the proprietor of
a provincial shop, who stole ten pairs of
gloves and six meters of satin. the wife of
British field officer; lady from California
whose husband allows her $4,000 a year;
ten governesses; the directress of French
postoffice, and the natural daughter of
one of the sovereigns of Europe. This
correspondent says that as a rule the shop
keepers hadd over the shoplifters to the
commIssary of police. but not iufrequent
ly they drop the case on the payment of
heavy fine ''for the relief of the poor" In
this country the practice of shoplifting,
called theft when perpetrated by profes-
SIGNALS and ''kleptomania" when committed
by those who are not professional thieves,
is much more extensive than is generally
supposed. Every precaution has been
taken by merchants, and there are numer-
Gus apprehensions for robbery in the great |
store which never find their way into the |
newspapers. One of the most cons picuous |
merchants informed the writer that in
some of the large establishments the ar
rests for theft average more than one a |
day. He went on to give some surprising |
details of the troubles to which the owners |
of the great stores are subjected, the con- I
versation running as follows:
THE sKILLFUL PICKPoCKETs.
do you suffer much from pickpockets?''
''They are among the sources of our
greatest annoyances. The object of en-
plOyluS detectives III THESE large business
houses is not only to protect the establish |
ments from the theft of goods, but also to |
protect the customers from pickpockets. |
Mos of them of course are females. |
Then they once begin they work
with great rapidity. Why, L have had no |
less than seven complaints made at my |
desk in half an hour, OF persons who have
been despoiled of their purses while shop |
ping in the store. They were, in all prob
ability, taken by single thief. In en-
ploying detectives we endeavor to secure |
men who are familiar with the pickpockets
of this and other cities. These pickpock-
cts are by no means common thieves, but
on the contrary are among the mostskill
full in the business. They are nearly al
ways dressed in the height of fashion, and
many are of ladylike appearance. The
protection of an establishment against |
pickpockets is oftentimes very perplexing. |
The greatest care must be taken to secure |
indisputable proof of guilt. 1t is easy to |
see what serious results are likely to
arise from the arrest of an innocent |
person wrongfulIy suspected. Not only |
is there an injustice done to the victim. but |
an almost irreparable injury is inflicted |