The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-04-18
NEW YORK SHOPLIFTERS.
MALE AND FEMALE THIEVES WHO
STEAL IN THE STORES.

Liz SnOplllJeTS Oh New 1 OfK ar
declared by the storekeepers to he like
air; their presence and their work is
palpable, but, except in occasional in
stances, they are invisible to sight
These thieves, says the Times, do not
appear to be banded together in an
extensive organization, but in their in
dividual operations they all pursue the
same general methods and work in
about the same channels. A "profes-
sional" will not make more than one
or two visits to the same counter with
out allowing considerable time to in
tervene, and is very careful not to let
her face become familiar TO anybody
connected with the stores visited. The
respective pToprietors of nearly a dozen
of the largest retail stores in the city
estimate their annual losses by shop
lifting at from $4,000 to $4,000.
Professional shoplifters were form
erly in the habit of affecting the "klep-
tomania dodge" when detected, but
since the storekeepers have become so
exactihg in their demands for proofs
of good character in such cases, the
thieves have abandoned that subtar-
fuge, and now depend upon their skill
and luck to escape detection. The in
creasing experiences of the storekeep-
ers and the improved facilities for
thief-catching have driven the bunglers
out of this branch Of the rogues' pro-
fessiOn, and it is now an even match
between sharp and experienced detect
ives and smart and ingenious thieves.
There are plenty of evidences that
"the smart and ingenious thieves"
are numerous, and they operate in all
of the large retail stores with fair
average of success. Occasional ar
rests are made, but it is seldom that
charge stronger than that of petty lar
ceny can be proved against the Offend
er, and the punishment is accordingly
light.
The most skillful shoplifters invarl-
ably travel in pairs. In detective
parlance one "stalls" for the other.
That is, one Of the thieves will under
take to engage the attention of the
clerk while the other deftly abstracts
piece of silk, package Of gloves or
~ NtAAu VI lttSO l1Olll lllC NONlllJCl. ~ 10
frequently the case that the confeder-
ates will not enter store together or
exchange any perceptible signs of
recognition while plying their voca-
tion. A well-dressed, pectable-ap-
pearing woman will step up to the lace
counter, for instance, and ask to be
shown some fine lace embrOideries.
The clerk, mentally noting her we'll
to-do appearance, thinks he sees a
chance of making a good sale, and is
consequently obliging. He finds his
customer hard to suit and places box
upon box of choice goods before her.
Soon second woman comes up and,
calmly ignoring the first customer
as lady shoppers sometimes dO-she de-
mands to see peculiar kind of goods
which belongs in that particular de-
partment. The clerk pulls down some
thing for her. 1t turns out to be the
wrong article and. leaving the first
customer to contemplate the extern
sive assortment of embroideries before
her, he endeavors to please the second
customer. Immediately he finds him
self the victim of two eXacting and un-
reasonable females, and, after show
ing them large share of the goods in
his department, he is mortified to see
them walk away, each one in differ
ent direction, without having bought a
dimes worth, and he is subsequently
mortified to find that two or three
cards of the most costly lace have been
stolen. The "mOther and daughter
game" is worked very effectively in
many Of the large retail stores where
the clerks are men. The "mOther E"
is, of course, always portly and dig
nified, and the "daughter pretty and
coquettish. While the Ia ter ensnares
the susceptible clerks with her laugh
ing eyes and saucy manner the adroit
mother tucks few things into the in
side pockets of her ample cloak. Occa-
sionally the pretty daughter" if she
happens to be a practiced thief, will,
under the cover of a small purchase,
carry off valuable property from under
the very nose of the smitten clerk.
Detectives who are employed in stores
are quite familiar with the ways of pro-
fessional shoplifters, but even with
them a fresh, pretty face plays mischief.
1t is well known that a regular system
of education is in vogue among shop
lifters There have been numerous in,
stances where young girls and boys
have been caught in company with
well-known professional shoplifters,
and some of these juveniles have con-
fessed that they were being taught
how to steal. TO become successful
in the shoplifting business it is neces-
sary not only. to acquire deXterity in
taking articles out of boxes or off from
counters, but to learn to pass the
stolen goods quickly and secretly to q
confederate. The first lesson taught
to beginners is how to receive stolen
goods from the hands of the more ex
perienced thieves. Then, step by step
tha VOunO ghOpliftarg are advanced in