The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-01-12
A BORN DETECTIVE.
A Young Woman in a Big Store
Who Makes No Mistakes.
Her Chief Occupation is to Look
Out for Shoplifters.

Out for Shoplifters.
The New York Sun has an interesting
account of young lady employed in
one of the largest retail stores in the
city. This young woman is born dc
tective. There has not been a case of
shoplifting in the store in question for
ten months in which she has not been
either complainant or witness upon
trial. OF the very many thclts discov-
cred but not prosecuted, few have cs-
capped her. She is not employed as a
detective; but her bright eyes have
been used so often in the interests of
her employers in this line, simply be-
cause she saw the opportunity, that she
has drifted naturally from the work of
a saleswoman to work Of this peculiar
nature. She still retains her place be-
hind certain counter, but at her own
discretion leaves her work to follow a
suspected thief or to patrol the store in
crowded hours. She is likely to be
called at times to any part of the store
to catch up thread of suspicion. On
these occasions she drops the handling
Of her goods, turns over her customer
to another, and promptly dons
her hat aad cloak to hover
about the doubted person, make pur-
chases at her side, and follow her from
counter to counter
A neatly dressed, attractive girl, with
knowing bonnet and an innocent
smile, examining the quality of cambria
or buying spool of cotton, is not an
object of suspicion on the part of the
shoplifter. This is the secret of the girl
detectives success. The name Of this
young woman is Barbara Fleischhauer.
She has been eight years in her present
employment She is Jewess, of mcdi-
um height and good figure. She ap-
parently weighs 1875 pounds, but in
reality has "a pounds more slowed away
which is pure muscle. She is pleas
ant-faccd brunette with very black hair,
strong, regular features, and large
black eyes. To see her fitting from
counter to counter nc orc
! Tould for a moment suspect that her
whole heart was not engrossed in the
selection of new gown.
When she has satisfied herself about a
shoplifter and has managed to get a
saleswoman or floorwalkcr as wit
ness, Miss Fleischhauer goes straight to
the goal At the first movement. on the
part of the offender the young detective
is at her SIDE There is no scene. The
challenge is given in low collected
tone, The straightforward determined
glance of the black eyes does the rest.
The offender, of course, declares her
innocence but marches quietly up stairs
nevertheless. Mr.. Morrison is always
at hand in case of trouble, but black
eyes rarely need assistance.
This girl detective is known to all the
east side police and they havca mighty
respect for her too. One of them in the
Eldridge street police station said:
"Whenevcr see that girl come in
here, know we've got clear case.
She's cool one. I've never seen hcl
confused, and some pretty good lawyers
have had their turn at her too"
The amount of shopliftiag done in q
large retail establishment is enormous.
Probably not more than one case in Q
hundred gets into the courts. Only old
offenders or people who are evidently
thieves by profession are dragged to the
police station. Miss Fleisch
hauer is an adept in all the
tricks of the trade. The woman
who flourishcs muff unduly is very ap
to have something in it that has moi
been paid for. The handkerchief
counter is a great place for thievcry.
One large handkerchief spread out and
thrown carelessly over a folded lot OF
others forms cover from beneath which
the others can be pulled. The shop-lift
er's own handkerchief, dropped careless
" on bric-a- brac counter is not always
picked up alone. Wide sleeves are fa
vorite devices of the shoplifter. Ar
enormous pocket or bag under the dress
and reached through fold in front, il
a convenient receptacle for stolen goods.
An umbrella loosely closed is an ex
cellent device. -Four or five bits OF jew
elry may drop off a counter. If ;
couple fall by mistake into tn,
folds of the umbrella no ont
knows the difference. All these sort'
of schemes are absolutely unnotlced b,
the ordinary observer, even if he is OF
the lookout for them. The detective
like the poet, is born; and Miss Flei
schhauer's case goes to show that, likt
the poet, he cannot escape his natura
profession.