Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-11-01

! spectacle, n member OF an influential
family and had never boon guilty of
stealing before, and begged the firm to
withdraw tho charges. Their plead
ings were in vain and an hour later the
woman sat among common lot OF Of
tenders at the armory
| This scene, with slight variations, is
enacted almost every day in some Of
the largo dry-goods stores in the cities.
Shoplifters seldom invade exclusive
jewolry stores, although tho big whole
sale dry-goods establishments that sell
jewelry are compelled to exercise moro
than usual vigilance in that depart
ment. 'Their ways OF working are
pretty much alike" said a superintend.
ent of floor-walkors in one of tho large
Chicago stores. "Tho professional
shoplifter seldom makes purchase.
She goes from ono counter to another,
generally choosing busy day for her
operations so that she can glido out
into tho crowd after getting what she
wants. Some OF thom are handsome,
distinguished-lookin women, who
would not be taken for thieves II seen
on the street Generally they are we'll
dressed and have number Of capacious
pockets in their skirts, into which VAL
uablo silks can bo easily dropped. Soma
Of these pockets are large enough to
conceal an entire roll of silk without
giving any external indication of tho
roll"
do you employ private detectives to
watch such persons?" asked reporter
of the Chicago Herald.
mo; our own employees look after
them. We have three young men here
who know every professional shoplifter
in the city, and when one comes in she
is Immediately put under close surveil-
lance. They seldom escape with stolen
goods. Some of our salesladies are
quite as expert in detecting these
women as tho young men, and we have
frequently caused the arrest of per-
sons on word from thom. In fact, l
may say that several of our lady en-
ployes are very successful detectives in
this line, and it must be an accom-
plished thief who eludes their vigil
lance. While the operations OF shop
lifters are very similar, their conduct
when caught differs in almost every
case. Some of them indulge in mock
Mysteries and create sccne that gives
their arrest great deal of publicity.
These are generally professionals.
Others fall in a faint and arc carried to
the searching-room. Quite q number
pretend that they are under the influ-
enco of morphine or some other opiate,
and say that they did not know what
they were doing. Occasionally we get
one who assumes an air of dignity that
would do credit to queen, and who
fairly boils with Indignation when told
of tho charges against her. But
we seldom make mistake, and gen.
orally recover the stolen goods. One
week we caused the arrest of three wom-
en-. One of them was evidently an
old worker at tho business, for on the
way to my Office she slipped the stolen
goods from her dress ana threw them in
a waste paper basket OF course, in
that case, VIC could do nothing, for the
articles were not found on her person.
Such cases are very rare, as our en-
ployes generally watch the fair thieves
so closely that they can not dispose of
the plumber"
What do they do with the stolen
goodS?"
THAT depends upon the character of
the thief. Professionals have regular
places to sell what they steal. Pawn
brokers get most of the stuff ia ken by
that class. Non-professionals steal
only what they want to wear, and many
women get enough in that way to dress
handsomely. They will tallo
any thing from pair of shoes to trim
mings for q hat or dress. We make iS
a rulo to prosecute every person de-
tected in stealing, no matter who it is.
Neither tears nor money will shield |
anybody caught shoplifting in this
house. We are first careful to make no |
arrests without conclusive evidence of |
guilt, and with that at hand prosecu-
ton invariably follows. 1t is the only |
way we can protect ourselves against |
this class of criminals"