The evening world., 1891-07-15
ROOMS FULL OF PLUMBER
Two Clever Woman Shoplifters
in the Laws Clutches.

The police have in custody to-day two
women whom they claim to be the cleverest
shoplifters ever apprehended in the metro
polls. Their names are Mrs. Elka Rosenberg
and Mary Pittman, and they occupy small
but elegantly furnished apartments on the
first floor OF the new tenement at 900 Broome
street.
Both women, neither OF whom is yet thirty
years old, were arrested in Ridley's dry-goods
store, on Grand street, yesterday afternoon
by Detective Charles w. cults just as they
were about leaving.
All Grand street stores are Overrun with
| pretty shoplifters, and Ridley's in particular,
so that Detective Cults is constantly on the
alert. For some time, he says, he had noticed
that Mrs. Rosenberg and Miss Pittman were
frequent callers at the store, but no extensive
purchases were ever known TO have been
made by them.
Yesterday they called again, and their ac-
tions were so suspicious that he asked them
to step into Supt. Mcores ONCE They did
so under protest, and an examination by q
female employee disclosed two pairs OF boys
| trousers that had been taken from a counter.
The trousers fell to the fioor as soon as the
| young women commenced TO search them
| and both women vigorously protested In Ger
| man lnlt tnpy were innocent.
| No regulation shoplifters bags were found
| on them, but a still Cleverer scheme was dis
closed. Each woman wore an extra under
skirt, which was caught up by cords, and so
| formed temporary bag that would hold a
bushel OF knicknacks.
| single pull OF the string allowed the skirt
| to fall back In place, while the goods dropped
TO the tloor ana the shoplifter walked away
! innOcently leaving the plunder behind with
nothing concealed on her person.
Neither woman pulled the string In time
yesterday, however, and when she realized
that she was caught, Mrs. Rosenberg grabbed
up paper-knife from supt. Moore's desk and
| tried to Jab II into her throat.
| 1t was snatched away from her and then
she grabbed a heavy paper-weight and beat
herself on the head with 1t several times be-
| fore IL could be taken away from her.
The women were taken 10 the Eldrdge
street police station and locked up, and Detec-
where they said they lived. Nothing was
| known OF them there, but at 900 Broomt
street, where he had often seen them enter
the Detective found Samuel Rosenberg, Elka's
| husband, awaiting her return, while the
three little rooms were literally crowded with
| dry goods and fancy goods OF all descriptions
The ofiicer arrested Rosenberg for receiving
! stolen goods and took him to the police sta.
tion, where he secured help and removed the
the newly discovered plunder TO the station
! house.
There was fully $500 worth OF new unused
goods, ranging from plain towel TO an elab
crate mantel clock. Whole boxes OF ribbons
unmade table linen and fine dresses were in.
cluded in the lot, and most OF the goods were
to-day identified as coming from Ridley's
| store.
AT the sight OF the goods from her house
Mrs. Rosenberg broke down completely and
said that Samuel Sepperstein, OF l03 GoeTck
street, had at least $4OO worth more that sht
had sold TO him.
Sepperstein was called on and nearly fell
into nt lie pulled out u roll OF bills and
said 70 Detective Mooney:
How much will you take TO walk out and
say nOthingT"
Mooney took the entire ROLAND Sepper.
stein and the goods with ito the police
station. Nearly all the goods IN his posses
sion also belonged TO Ridleys.
In Essex Market Court this morning thC
quartet were remanded until tomorrow anC
sent up TO Headquarters, where the Rogues
Gallery will he scrutiniZed for their pictures
II Is believed tn they are old timers"
Little IL known OF them. The Rosenberg
and Miss Pittman 1--we only little over
block from Ridley's store and just around the
corner from the Eldridge street police station
The Pittman woman Ii considered green
horn" She has only been In the country {
few weeks
sepperstein says he is peddler and Rosen
berg says he works In factory uptown. HI
wife and the Pittman woman claim 10 b
| tallOTS-