Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-01-26
Itching Palms.

A paragraph Is going the rounds to
the effect that "shopkeepers complain of
; 'well-drcssed people who purloin articles
from the counters, and whom they dare
not arrest A salesman in big up.
town dry-goods store, to whom tho state
ment was shown, shook his head very
decidedly. "I don't think" said he
'there would be any squeamishness in
this establishment about arresting q
thief, no matter how well he might be
dressed. And | tell you it takes q sharp
lookout to catch them. OF course, we
have detectives, both male and female,
and floor walkers who are supposed to
have eyes In the backs of their heads,
and the clerks keep the best lookout they
can, but for all that the thieves get
away with a good many things, especi-
ally in the holiday season, when we are
all so busy and the throng of shoppers
so great. You would be astonished to
see how easily woman can find her
pocket when she wants to slip into it
some little thing that she happens TO
fancy. When woman nips pair of
gloves or n pisce of lace or some little
thing like that, her hand will dart into
that mysteriously elusive pocket and out
out again like flash. Then their large
circulars and scarfs afford them chances
TO get away with things, and the oppor-
tunities are improved to such an extent
that the storekeepers get fairly wild
sometimes. 1t is true that in some cases
they do not bother to have shoplifters
arrested, simply because Of the excite
ment that might be caused and the in
evitable loss of time and annoyance of
prosecution. But you will find that the
majority of shopkeepers are opposed to
such lenity as matter of principle. I'm
sure, however, that l can not imagine
why anybody should be afraid to catch a
thief and at least get his goods back.
have heard it said that one sharp chap
on Sixth Avenue makes quite good
thing out of well-dressed thieves, by
catching and then compromising with
them. A woman who is fairly and
squarely caught and sees the dock of n
police court aid newspaper paragraphs
and prison all before her, will pay well
to be let go.'
"Dare not arrest! Well, don't know
about that" said storekeeper in one
of the avenue stores. 'tBut it certainly
is the fact that sometimes women are
allowed to carry off without interference
small articles that they have nipped from
our counters. If you will examine,
however, you will find that in such
cases the people so favored are persons
who have running accounts with the
stores where they perpetrate these little
robberies, and that the storekeeper
calmly puts the purloined article into
the bill which is all the more sure to be
paid promptly for having them there.
A few years ago there was quite an ex-
citement about kleptomania, which was
an Inspiration of doctors to account for
stealing on the part of well-to-do people.
l had case several years ago in which
rich woman used to steal at certain
times, and could not help doing so. Her
husband knew it, and by arrangement
with me privately paid for all she took.
She was clumsy in her thefts, was al.
ways seen at them, and / don't think 1
lost dollar by them, thanks to the
husband, so l never told her that
knew anything about them, nor did my
clerks. should say, from my expert
ence, that the number of thefts known
to storekeepers in which the stolen ar
ticles are not returned or paid for is ex
ceedingly small."-M 7. San.