St. Paul daily globe., 1884-09-02

De rlcn, or Win nlgn-daudy connexions.
Then she merely buys off from the hooks
that yank in the poorer devil on detection.
That's all there is to it. Shopifting amt
what it used to was. In the old times
smart litter would get away with hull bolts
of cloth, big cards of lace, and hull boxes OF
gloves. But we'uns tumbled to that so COM
pletely that they went out of the wholesale,
leavin' the heavy hauls to regular burglars
and cracksmen, an nowadays they're strictly
retail in their scoops. Winters better show
for lifters than warm weather, cloaks, dol
mans, circulars an heavy shawls affordin'
handler cnncealment than summery togs.
pupils-young gals new to the racket-aint
no trouble wuth mentionin'. II clumsiness
don't show 'em up, greediness does. so
does failure discriminate. A novice is
that enthusiastic that she'll light on to the
fust thing she sees-on to a tin bangle or
twenty-five cent neck ribbon jist as rampant
as on to real lace collar or pair of ten dol
lar silk stockings.
It's the old 'uns, the mother birds, that
we're after, and who give US the most
trouble. Mind you, though, when the novice
has become an expert, then the younger the
safer for her and the wuss for Us. She kin
turn on the salt water like fire-plug, an
her big-eyed innercence is hard to beat. Best
ways to never let 'em get to be experts,
but to nip 'em when yet buddin' and awk-
ward. Shoplifters is to be distinguished
from pickpockets. Both browse in the same
pasture, but while one works the customers
tother works the counters. Howsomever, a
litter won't scorn to get away with small
purchases laid down by ladies while examin-
in goods. In this way she may be said to
trench on the picks speciality occasionally.
But the two departmingts of crime is distinct.
NaobiG' picks, though, is palmer sailin' than
nabbin' lifters. As a general thing, can
spot pick stores length away. Here FIR
instance, is shopper what suddenly misses
her watch, her pocketbook, or an expensive
bundle. At once there's row. AS soon as
I'm dead sure that the missin' thing is not
mislaid, but really stolen, sidle in among
the ladies and study faces. 1t amt the pale
the scared, or the startled ones that T. N after.
No, stree. They're the old-fashioned, taken
for-granted indications of guilt that don't go
down with me. Pm lookin' for particular
face-a dumbfounded, horror-struck face,
combined with indignant fashin' eyes. At
last l find it. handsome, queenly-lookin'
woman, like enough, but with the overdo-
ing, the exaggeration all complete, even to
the appalled, pallor in the cheeks, an the
horty daggers dartin' from the eyes-and ten
its different. UnlessI know my woman by
reputation, there's no tellin' what new card
she may play that haven't yet tumbled to.
But l fancy I've already primed you fuller
than that padded cash-girl bully of floor
skinner, if my style is summat less ta-ta-
ish than hs'nl''
The reporter while candidly recognizing
the difference OF styles, assured the dry
goods Vidocq that he was interesting, and
begged him to proceed. GAN right, sir,
said Dan, and he resumed the thread of his
jerlly, parrot-like talk, as though he had
never dropped it to abuse the floor-walker:
''Lifters is tantalizin' and peculiar. Them
that's after mere chicken feed-ribbons, lace
scraps, gloves, perfumery, and sich like
utilizes their dress sleeves, their ordinary
pocket their handkerchief, their bosoms, an
even, if mighty fly their hats, bonnets, an
chignongs. Them that's doin' the heavy
silks, satins, velvets, brocades, an gloves or
stockings by the box-mostwise have hooks
or big pockets hangin' down from their
wristbands under their overskirts in sum-
| mer, or rsummat similar arrangements under
their cloaks and circulars in winter. You
! don't see how they kin secrete sich bulky
things under their shirts successfully! Wen,
| neither could till l watched 'em over an
| ONCI uSdlu. DuI IL WAS Wulu lllc Sluu1. Liz
best of the big lifters will display an amount
of expertuess and address that would shame
iuggler. It's jst a siding up against the
coveted article, right hip first, in the midst
of crowd of other shoppers, while the sidler
is closely holding up some other goods to her
! eyes with her left hand, More'n, half the
liftcrs pretend to be near sighted, by the
way. Then there's q tlash-a movement of
the right hand and arm so swift you
kin hardly foller it with your eyes;
Whisk! the overskirt is up an down again,
an that particular piece of goods-silk, vel
vet, or what not-has disappeared as quickly
and smoothly as if it had been swallered up
or turned into air. There was one lifter-a
stranger Of course, and a mighty handsome
woman at that-who puzzled me q long time.
Goods disappeared regularly after her visits
TO the silk counter. But the Lord and Moth
er Mandelbaum alone knew whether she was
responsible for the presto changes, and much
as l suspcioned her / couldn't for long
time catch her in the act. The ordinary
skirt act wasn't the racket II racket it was.
OF that l was positive, though she had the
regular haunch-siddie TO the counter COM
mon to the gang; and / watched her like a
cat rs she sauntered out of the store without
detectn' the slightest change in her walk.
BtlJ dL ldSJ dcClutuL neT WIlle IL De-
f.iended me- and tumbled to her trick II
was hot weather, and she wore a nobby
check silk summer suit. There was a big
draught through the store one day as she was
going out, and as her overskirt futtered,
caught an unnatural sort of glimpse of hel
white underskirt, just white twinkle of it.
but all the way up from hem to waist, and
then it was gone again. But that was enough
had her dead, and the next minute the fore
woman was relievin' her in the back room
Of the piece of silk she had just lifted from
US. together with q lot OF plumber from one
Of our neighbors. She had 'em in a big un.
der pocket, and had effected the stowage
not by whiskin' up her skirt, but through q
long, cunningly concealed slit In the side
whose fastenin's she had neglected so thai
the liberties the draught took with the furbe-
lows gave the secret away. She proved
thoroughbred from Canada. but was railroad
ed for iver.
Another litter little bit Of demure thing
with brick-red hair, was also a cute 'un an
only found out at last by pile Of ginghami
accidentally topping over on her mead, when
her gipsy hat was found fairly stuffed with
fine laces ribbons, and embroidery, though
how she had managed 70 hocus- -pocus ZEN
there without detection the devil and her
self could only say. Well, young feller,
might multiply cases till doomsday, but
reckon it would grow monotonOus, and, be-
sides the firm don't pay me for simply chin
min here with you.''
''What about mother Mandlebauml''
think she's just that keen the hull Pink
erton weasel tribe will never convict her,
but III bet you that the lanky dude of a foo
walker'll have different theory. So long!''
The reporter had an opportunity to take
farewell shot at the loor-waIker before taking
his departure. ''What is your opinion o.
Mother Mandlebaum's casel'' he askedl
The floor walker studied his questioner's fact
| hnfr,rn nrnrrr-1rfrnr a. Int III. dnnr IL