The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-31
HONEST WOMEN CALLED THIEVES
E mother Phase of the Kleptomania
Questton-Revenge for False Charges.
From the Nelc York Sun

mother Phase Of the Kleptomania
Question-Revenge for False Charges
From the Ne1c York Sun.
A New York retail merchant of promi-
nence is authority for the statement that
when shopping is at its food tide and the
trade in holiday goods is immense, there is
marked difference in the way women buy
now and in former years They are more
Uimid in looking at goods, and if a CO inter
is occupied with customers there is no
desire TO crowd the clerks. This is
because many women have been sub
jecied to the humiliat on of being suspected
of taking articles which were afterward
found benind the counters or mixed in with
other goods. One mistake of this kind
the part Of a clerk costs house patronage.
Women who wish to avoid ANNOYANCE 60
shopping early in the morning, aud finish
their purcha es before the rush begins
Others who cannot do this seek the small
shops, where, if they find less of an assort-
ment, they have ths advantages of atten-
ton from the clerk and respectful behavior
from the floor walkers.
Merchants are aware of the injury the
spy system does them with good Gus omers
but they must resort to it in order to protect
themselves. 1t is said that some years ag >,
when prominent and highly respected
big bazar, charged with stealing by one of
the clerks, and was taken to the station
house before the case was Investigated
properly, the members of that organiZa ton,
and very many women who knew the lady
personally made compact never to enter
t @ store again, and they have generally
kept it. The lady was released speedily
aud apologies were profuse but the
indignlty had been done her, and no amount
of explanation sutficed to soothe tle indig-
nation Of herself and friends. Another
lady of prominence was in a large dry
goods house in the city buying toys and
had with her Mecca young lady in her
teens. The lady was selecting ar icles, and
the miss was amusing herself looking at the
various ornamental things on counters and
tables. Something was missed from the
counter. which was afterward found hang
ing to the fringe of a lady's cloak who
had been at the counter, but who
had & ne to the back of the store.
The young girl was charged y the
clerk with. purloining the article, and she,
alarmed and excited, burst into tears. The
aunt fastened to her. and, on hearing the
clerNs charge, gave her card to the floor
walker, sent for the heads of tho house, and
pruposed to settle the matter in ia less
way. when the article was brought back by
the woman who had unconscously carried
it away, and the floor walker a clerk
tried TO maze amends II was no use, how
ever, for the lady ordered her account sent
TO her husband, aud from that time never
entered the house, though she had beel one
OF ts best customers. In Brooklyn a few
years siace the wife Of a wel-known
citizen, whose mind was unsettled,
was charged with taking an article
of tr fling value from the counter, and was
sent to t, g police station and put into a cell.
Her husband was lelegraphed for, and
FASTENED over from his business house in
this city. He tried To get his wife released
without exposure, and requested that the
matter be kept quiet on account of his chill
dren. The article was not in her possession,
and there was no evidence that she lad ever
seen it. But e. firm gave oIt the fact and
all particulars to the press, aud the reSu
was that the mental condition OF the untor-
tunate woman was greatly aggravated
The entire family connection resented the
treatmen. Of the firm, aud none of them
ever entered the store again. They have
used all their influence against the house in
every direction and at every opportunity.