Mohave County miner., 1889-12-21
THEFTS BY WOMEN.
a Detective Gives the History Of Some Of
His Experiences.
How Country Merchant Found that His
Wife Was the Persistent Robbsr Of His Till
.-.Ths Case Of an 0his Church Trsasurssa

II
.--Ths Case Of an 0his Church Treasures
There Is no question but that the
average detective had rather deal with
five male than one female lawbreakcr
says q writer In the New York Sun.
Catch woman breaking the law and
she will resort to score OF tricks and
subterfuges unknown to men; and II she
Is not hardened she will most ALWAYS
manage to invent an excuse calling for
mercy and opening way Of escape.
And 1t Is very seldom that an officer
gets any credit in a woman case. She
Is the weaker party, even II wicked,
and she will have more or less public
sympathy, no matter how clear the
case.
One Of my first experiences was in
Galena ILL.,, a.good many years ago.
A merchant found that he was being
robbed Ia a mysterious manner, and l
was sent down from Chicago to in
vestigate. He had three boy clerks In
his store, and it was in the old days
when every clerk had access to the
money-drawera
In the preliminary skirmish found
that the merchant had been married
only year and that he lived In rooms
over his store. A stairway ran up
from the interior, and on the first day
Of my arrival l noticed that his wife
came down three or four times. help
ing herself TO thread. ribbon. or what
ever she fancied or needed. She was
woman not over ~ years old. hand
some and intelligent and knew ell
about what was going on below. In
deed. the husband had cautioned her
to keep her eyes open for clew. 1
was introduced TO the store and the
wife as a cousin Of Mr.. Thompson's.
AT 4 o'clock In the afternoon OF the
fifth day one OF the clerks took in a
$2o goldpieee. I was at hand. and
saw 1t 60 into the money drawer on the
left-hand side OF the store. I took a
seat whore could watch the spot. and
at o'clock the gold had not been paid
out / ascertained this TO a certainty
by sending the merchant TO the draw
er. At this hour was called out for q
few minutes, and upon my return the
gold was gone. The merchant had not
watched the drawer very closely, but
he knew that only young Saxby had
been on that side since my departure.
l took the young man Into the store
room and told him who I was and what
l was there for. While he was sur
prised he was not alarmed. He offered
to submit TO search. aud made 1t
without finding anything. Then
asked him who he had seen near the
drawer, and he could remember no.
body but the merchants wife. He
readily agreed to keep quiet ana assist
me-. and two days later the climax
came.
At about 1890. when ca me down
with the merchant I fixed it with
Saxby. to keep as clear of the money
drawer last robbed a he could. Isent
the merchant out on the street and +.
then took up my position to watch. /
had been there but fifteen minu tes
when the wife came downstairs, trip
ping along and humming tune, and
she went TO box and got a paper OF
pins. On her way back she stopped at
the money-drawer, took out two bills,
and then hurried up stairs. / at once
asked the clerks what bills we're in the
drawer. and they agreed IN two fves
and one. When they looked the
lives were gone. / went out and told
the merchant what ! had seen. He
could not believe, OF course, and sug-
gested that he send the wife out and
give US a chance to search. In the
course OF an hour he got her away and
together We began TO search. In an
Did album In trunk we found $720,
including the $50 gold piece. and there
was no longer room for him no doubt
My work was finished and / went
away. How they settled it do not
snow. There was separation for a
week, but they got together again and
are still man and wife for all l know
% the contrary.
Again l had q case In town In
Ohio The treasurer OF church
,ociety, who was q woman. had $725
placed in her hands for certain pur-
'oso. She was told TO put it in the
'ank. but she did not, and that night
orae one entered the house and took
he cash. When / came TO investigate
smelled rat at once. 1t was claim
ID that the burglar had entered by |
'oring panel out OF back door. I |
law at once that the holes had been
'ored from the inside. A block away
vas . carpenter shop, with a brace
md bit so hanging that one could |
each them through q broken pane
nd secure them. The bit exactly
ltted the holss- The treasurer was q
vidow and lived alone, with the ex.
option Of having a deaf and dumb girl
o do her work. I was satisfied that
he widow had robbed herself, bat TO
rove it was another thing. She stood
yell in the community, was a good
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