The Irish standard., 1889-01-19
FEMALE SHOP-LIFTERS.
Ways Of Telling Them from 1nno-
cent Customers.
6.uy Are Very skillful, But Children
Make the Most Cunning Thieves
How the Guilty Ones Act When
Called to Account.

"Do you never make mistakes III accus,
,ng people in your store OF shoph1IngF
asked New York Tribn'se reporter OF the
manager Of big Sixth avenue dry-gooos
house the other day.
"Neyer,n was the reply. "You may th1nH
that sounds rather boastful, but It 10 not aus
10 any superior detective genius; It's only
The result of our determination to let nun
tired thefts from us go unpunlsned r;s0her
Than risk insultinga single innocent Gus.
.omer. Again and again our defective mas 1els
morally certain that women were roonlng
Is, but as neither he nor any OF our CLERKS
had actually seen the theft, he mas lat
them 60 uumolested, well knowing that the
loss to us would, ten chances to one, be
less than would result from an illegal arrest,
public scandal and the consequent fright
sning away Of many customers who would
not feel comfortable 10 store wnere
people are accused OF THEFT on mere susp1-
clon."
"You lose good deal, then, don't you,
BY these light-tin gered yisitors1"
Eyes, a. good deal The great crowds
which throng our counters and the LAWS
way in which we have to display our goods
to attract custom aud to compete with our
an easy hunting ground for professional
shop-itters and puts temptation in the way
Of silly women, who steal, they don't really
know why, aud are the class most generally
caught red-handed."
"Then are women the only shop liftersa"
"Practically, yes. What is taken iron,
Us By men or children in IS year is OF no
consequence. Few children are bold
enough, and men don't think it worth, their
while. There are some precocieus little
girls, however, who are trained and sent
out to steal, and are unnerclfully beaten il
unsuccessful. These generally are not tall
enough to steal easily FROM the counters,
and they work princi paiiy upon Our Gus
F., toners, stealing Srom their retlcules. catch
ing up parasols that are laid down for q
moment, and sometimes picking pockets OF
people who are sitting. They find q poor
field in the large stores, however, for our
detectives keep q sharp eye on children who
come in alone, and generally turn them
right out, and If they come accompanied,
the face of the woman with them is gen
orally krown to the detective, VINO de.
tails q cash girl to follow them. When
they see they are watched our bargain.
counters speedily lose their interest fol-
that pair But we dc not suffer alone
from She outside. Many Of our OWL
clerks roc Us constantly. Not Of much at Z
time, but succession Of trifling pilferings
which in the aggregate is 81 serious consid
Grafton. Our detectives have 10 keep just
as sharp watch on those behind the counter
as those before. During the holiday season
the big stores engage from one hundred to
five hundred extra clerks, ami many Oh
them come to us fully determined to make
all they can out OF US before their engage
ment ends. They can not take much out OF
She store themselves, but there are many
ways, difficult to detect, OF allowing an ac
complce, i'll the gE,ise Of a customer to carry
of laces and other valuable goods in stnal
parcels"
"What do you do with those YOU d>
| catcha"
"That depends upon circumstances;
clerk Or professional snop-lifter is prose
cuted to the utmost, but many women
whose friends ara respectable, are spared
for the sake Of their relatives. This class
generally take little things Of small value
and are overwhelmed with modification
when discovered. Many really agoni2et
appeal for mercy have heard in this back
Office from the wives and daughters OF mer
who would have been thunderstruck at the
revelations threatened with stony cold
ness, but had really no Intention of making
A good scare often knocks tnls silly vlce
cut of their heads altogether, and they al
ways want topay twice ever for what they
have taken. I never allow this, however
but always insist on their going and putting
the goods back just where they got them
How do they act when first accused?"
"In as many ways as there are women,
think Our detective generally says
Madam, will you follow me to the man
ager's Office, he wants TO speak with You?
Now a professional knows What Thai
means. Sometimes sho refuses, knowing
that we would suffer any thing rather that
have row in The store. In such Il case
she is allowed to loam around at her will.
and is not arrested till she steps out on tbe
sidewalk. Often she drops her booty be
fore leaving the store, and then sometimes
we have difficulty in proving the theft. AL
amateur is generally overcome at once by
her guilty conscience, and goes along
trembling and meekjy Sometimes she
! breaks down and confesses at once, more
often she makes poor attempt at feignine