Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-14
WOMEN SHARPERS.
Females who Wake Their Living by
Adrott Thtevery.

Adrou ThtcveSy.
sKIiIFuL sHorIIFTERs AND THEM WORK, SIC
cEssFrL DIAMOND kosREsy-rIcKccKErs N
STORES AND PUBLIC coNyEyANcSs-oLD GxST1k
MEN vIcTrNlzED BY CONFIDENCE ofERAroRS
speaking OF crimes and who commit them"
said detective 10 a STAR reporter, ''women are
not given half the credit they deserve for working
sharp games and comr1itting large rooberi. =
The plans which they devise and execute would
surprise even persons who have the CREATES conn.,
| dence IN the ability OF the fair sex. Sometime
ago. continued the detective. "a gentleman took
the afternoon train in New York for this city. He
seated himself In rlor car, and took out his
diary 10 make a record m H. In 50 do
| Ing he dropped a card bearing the name
OF Washington lady. on the back OF this
card the gentleman had written a memorandum
OF business Engagement with New York mer-
When the engagement was made the gentleman
Old not happen 20 have n notebook or blank
piece OF paper In his pocket nd so used the card
which he happened 60 have In his pocket for the
purpose OF making the memSandum. Under ordi.
nary circumstances the card would have remained
where IL fell until swept out with other rubbish
and thrown Into the fire or on some ash Pile: but
an adventures. or a female who makes her living
man, picked up the card shortly after the ARRIVAL
or the train In this city man called az the resi-
card and stated 70 her the acts in relation TO the
card and OF the memorandum OF an engagement
written on the back OF II. The lady, 81
he showed her the card bearing her
name, which she at onoe recognized. The man
back OF the card. The lady or adventuress. who
employed him. he said wanted $1,000 for the sur
render OF the card. The adventures was stopping
at fashionable hotel, ami her address was lett
for future reference. The lady at once communi-
, Gated with the gentleman who had lost the card,
and who had not, up to that time. noticed his loss
second interview was arranged and instead OF
the man the adventures herself appeared and met
manded $1,000 Tor the ns s.,rd' The New Yorker AZ
f1rst put on bold front snd threatened arrest, but
this did not frighten her. lie finally paid over
300 ana her travelling expenses 10 New York Tor
the card.
PROFESSIONAL sHoPIIFTERs.
'Then." said the detective, '.there is class OF
women who are known professional shoplifUers.
They go In pairs, and during a single day VIII
manage to get together several hundred dollars
worth OF nne goods oDe csply will do the steal
ing. She enters store. selects an article which
She examines and folds IL or In some way gets IL
ready for 'noisting. She folis or doubles it In
such way that she easily conceal u. She prob
ably selects a valuable piece OF lace, a number
OF expensive lace handkercaiefs. or some other
valuable article. Then her confederate attracts
the attention OF the clerk and chats with
him until number one has concealed her
shopIifter always goes prepared TO take
and conceal articles OF almost any size. She has
attached 10 her shawl and sometimes arranged In
a cloak or coat She also wears large false
pockets attached to her ur.erskirts or fastened
about her waist or other underwear, In which
articles can be inserted through slit made in her
dress for that purpose. These false pockets are
usually fastened with large safety pin, that In
case the woman is detected In her WORK the pin
can be opened, letting the pocket containing the
valuable plumber fall under her dress so she can
pass on over it, Sometimes these pockets are
fastened with a corset string run through eyelets
with the loop fastened on the outside, so that by
opening the loop the thief can instantly get rid OF
"A ravorire mode followed by shopllrters VINO
work alone Is 10 Use mum as means OF conceal
Ing stolen articles. A large pocket is made inside
the mum, which is placed on the counter. The
Thief places the back or her right hand across the
top OF the mum near one end which partially con-
ceals the article selected. hook arranged inside
the nun is worked with the lett hand, and the
article Is slowly drawn into the nun. Common
shopTters do not work usually with such devices,
ana can seldom carry on but one article.
HOW ONE WOMAN DID IT.
"Molly Holbrook, one OF the smartest shoplifters
in the world" he continued, 'worked very sue
! cesstally In an entirely different manner She
dressed richly. During her first visits 10 large stores
| she would make extensive purchases such visits
/ she would repeat until she became known TO the
proprietor and clerks as good customer. As such
she would he trusted about the store, and never
watched. Her visits To the store became frequent
and sometimes she made small purchases. She
would make Use OF these opportunities 10 look
about the store, and carry on with her goods OF
more than ten times the value OF Ler purchase
Repeated visits of this Kind would Toe made, and
Molly would secure hundreds OF dollars worth OF
goods. During each visit Molly'S confederate
would stand IN front OF the store. 50 that In event
of her being detected the Onlce could be given by
the confederate SO she would have a chance TO
escape.
sThen there are thieves known as early morn
ing workers. The gang Is USUALLY made up OF two
females and two males Alter house is selected
field OF operations, the females enter the store
shortly alter the arrival OF the first clerk. Fine
silks and laces called for and spread the
counter by the clerk. Then one OF the males
enters and calls the clerk aside While the other
watches on the outside. While the clerks atten-
ton engaged Dy the man the females have time
TO load up and before the clerk discovers his loss
the quartette are out OF sight
A CLEVER ROBBERY.
tOne OF the cleverest robberies ever committed
said the detective "was concocted by female who
selected male TO act as her confederate. She en-
tered 1ewelry store early one morning and asked
TO he shown some diamonds, telling the clerk that
she wanted fine one 10 present 10 a gentleman
friend. A tray OF precious soLes was placed upon
the showcase, and one By one were shown her by
the clerk Presently the eoniederate entered the
store and attracted the attention OF the clerk by
Offering for sale par OF earrings. The lady had
between her thumb and forefinger AZ the time
a solitaire worth $1,000. When the clerk turned
back the valuable stone had disappeared
He accused the female OF the theft, but
she protested her Innocence, but he neverthe-
less had her arrested. A woman was brought TO
search her, but the missing diamond not being
found in her possession, She was released. The
store too, was searched. but the missing Jewel
could not be found. Two or three weeks passed,
but nothing was learned concerning the missing
diamond Then man supposed TO be the wo-
mans confederate visited the store early one
morning and admired some vases sitting on the
top shelf. lie told the porter that he would like
sell them. The man said that he did not desire 10
make the purchase, put merely desired 10 make a
selection Tor his wife, who would call during
the day. The porter got a stepladder and
let the man ascend and ex mine the
vases. Later In the morning, when
the clerks arrived. the porter told them OF his |
early visitor. The head clerk at once suspected
something wrong. lie inspected the top shelf
had nlp a..lI hat