Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-04-22
TERMS: Two Dollars Per Annum, in Advance.
FASHIONABLE THIEVES.

FASHIONABLE THIETES.
How They Carry on Their Trade and Call
1t KleptomAnia-A "Floor Walkers "
From the Providence star.l
A richly dressed young woman was
examining laces in one of the largest dry
goods stores on Westminster Street the
other afternoon. She seemed to be
very hard to suit, but the clerk was
very patient and was trying hard to
make sale. Finally he reached up to
an upper shelf to procure a rare pat
tern, and as he turned his back toward
her the young woman suddenly drew
her hands under her silk cloak, as il
to throw it away from her arms, but
she Immediately drew the folds togeth-
er again, and when the clerk turned
around with more goods to show her,
she was intently inspecting the fabrics
before her on the counter. The store
was filled with customers, and from a
little group just behind her a man
stepped forth and touched her on the
shoulder. 1t was the floor superin.
tendent, and without a word the
young woman followed him to the
private Office. A Star reporter, who
was in the store, buying one cheap
collar at the ''mark-down" price, was
little mystifed by this proceeding,
and so he fingered in the store for a
few minutes to see what else would
turn up. Soon the young woman
came down the long s'aisle" and left
the store. Then the superintendent
came along with his hands full of fancy
articles, including a roll OF tumbled
lace. These articles were returned to
the different departments where they
belonged. The clerk at the lace coun-
ter looked puzzled, but said nothing.
That was one OF our regular custo-
mers, who is a confirmed 'klepto-
maniac" said the floor superintend-
ent to the reporter, in reply to ques-
ton by the latter; she is one OF the
most expert shoplifters that come in
here, and she knows l am aware Of it.
She has plenty of money, and any
bills she incurs here are always prompt
ly paid by her parents or her husband,
but she will steal every time she gets a
chance, and she usually comes in when
the crowd is the largest"
"Does she always take small arti-
cles?" the reporter asked.
"No. Sometimes she makes a pref
ty good haul, but she is pretty well
known, and so she seldom gets away
with anything, l think. She usually
selects a new clerk to practice upon
But she is not the only one of that
class that comes in here and bothers
us.
II won't give any names, nor don't
want you to use any," continued the
superintendent, "but there are several
wealthy people-nearly every one a
woman-who frequent the store and
lift whatever they can from the coun'
ters. Sometimes undoubtedly they
succeed in eluding us, but we keep a
close watch over them. They don't
need to steal, for they are abundantly
able to pay for everything they get
and, almost invariably, they yearly
purchase large bills of goods. They
are a queer set, these kleptomaniacs. ,
"Do you ever try to keep a record O.
what is stolen, and let the kleptos
carry off the goods, and then senG
a bill for the same?"
mo. That is not square way O.
doing business. 1t would work we'll
and dishonest firm could make g
huge profit by guessing at the value O.
the articles taken, and what might
have been taken without their knowl
edge. But we don't do that here. W.
take away the goods
"Will that young woman whom
saw come in again soon, do you
think ?" persisted the reporter.
"she will probably comein again to-
morrow and buy a stack of goods, and
pay for them. But that clerk at the
lace counter will know, every time
hereafter, that she will bear watching
| don need to tell him."
"What articles are these people
most partial to?'
"Well, they find bottles of perfum
cry, nice pocket books, and many 9th
er little things OF value, the easiest to
steal. It's about the same in all large
stores of this kind. The most favor
able opportunity for such work is dur
ing special sale, when the store is
crowded, but our force of watchmen is
increased at such times, though