The record-union., 1891-07-17
SHOP-LIF'TERS.
Their Ways of Working Are Full
of Cunning Schemes.
Bold and Successful Thefts Committed
by Women-How They ssI1ift'' Goods
and Conceal Them In Their Clothes
AEeminfne Vanity the Motive.

Tho detectives employed by all 'the
great retail stores say that of all the
women who steal from the counters--and
shop-lifting is peculiar among crimes also
because it is followed almost exclusively
by women-a large portion yield rarely
to the temptation to steal, and when they
do they take only articles which they
want for their personal use. FEMININE
vanity appears to be the motive to blame
in most instances, as is evidenced by the
nature of the articles stolen. They are
generally ribbons, gloves, cheap jewelry
and the like, articles of no considerable
money value, which a poor woman
might have to forego unless she pilfered.
Most women appear to take the first step
downward at the cologne counter.
Girls of Is or 16 begin by stealing bot
ties of extract. They are often caught at
It. If not caught, it is easier for them to
bring themselves to steal ribbon or a
bit of lace. Then they are shop-lifters.
The passion grows rapidly. and there
after they do not hesitate to steal every
small thing they fancy. Detectives call
these women amateurs, in distinction
from the professionals whose thefts are a
source of livelihood. The amateurs in
clude women of every age and class.
Perhaps the boldest and most persist
ent shop-lifters in the city are Italian
women. They steal bits of cheap jewelry
and bright ribbons with an unconcerned
disregard of discovery that makes the
detectives stare at them in astonishment,
and sometimes even doubt the evidence
of their senses. The Italian women
operate chiefly in Grand street. Detect
ives are full of interesting stories of the
clever methods of shop-litters, both anna
teur and professional.
A detective must be exceedingly care
full when he arrests. No matter how
suspiciously a woman acts, he must be
very sure of his ground. When he makes
a mistake the firm which employs him
may be mulcted for heavy damages.
Thus it happens that when a store de-
tectiVe sights woman who arOuSes his
suspicion he must carefully follow her
from counter to counter and door to door,
but, even when sure of his prey, he must
not arrest her on the spot. If he does the
woman invariably says:
tWhy, of course L have not paid for
those things. Pm not through yet, can't
you see? You're very impertinent, sir.
You may take back your old things, and
you may be sure, sir, will never patron
ize this place again"
So the experienced detective allows his
suspect to leave the store. He follows
close behind, and often allows her to go
block or more before he touches her on
the arm, lifts his hat politely, and says
with a smile:
Madam, don't you think it would be
better to go back and pay for those articles
you took from the store? If you take my
advice you viii go quietly, for l am a
police officer and will arrest you right
here if necessary. But there is no need
of having a public scene unless you
choose. Go back with me quietly, and
people will think / am an Acquaintance of
yours"
The woman generally accepts the situa-
tion with woman'S quickness of COM
prehension, and returns with bow and
smile. But there is generally a great
scene oflamentation in the quiet upstairs
room, to which the detective takes her for
an interview with the superintendent of
the store.
The most common trick practiced by
shop-lifters is to drop handkerchief
over small article on the counter, and
then pick up both together. But this is
such an old and well known device that
adopts in the art have practically aban-
doned it.
All clerks keep a sharp eye on the
woman who drops handkerchief on the
counter. This is known by old shop
litterS, who avoid it. 1t is now generally
practiced by beginners. Itmay be called
the A Il OF the art. Palming and
sleeve work are also practiced largely by
beginners. 1t is easy, while examining
any small article, to thrust one up the
sleeve of dress or cloak. Skill is easily
acquired in this, and the trick is hard to
discover. Palming consists merely in
taking several small articles up together
in the hand and then replacing all but
one on the counter. The article retained
is held in the palm of the hand, which is
partly closed to grasp it. In time great
things can be accomplished by the mere
muscles of the inside of the palm without
the use of the fingers. Some women can
hold a gold pin or other small article
safely IN this way, yet give the back OF
their hand and their fingers the appear
ance of being unbent. Palming is much
practiced at the jewelry counters as a
means of hiding filched articles until a
favorable moment of disposing of them
in convenient places on the person.
The amateur shop-lifters are also very
skillful in secreting articles under their
bonnets and in their bosoms. They do
this on the pretense of arranging bonnet
or dress, and they will often do it success
fully under the very eyes of some sharp
eyed girl detective, who is examining
goods beside them, but who cannot see
the stolen articles, though she may be
very sure that something has been con-
cealed. 1t is easy to take handkerchiefs.
The shop-litter hovers over the counter,
which is usually covered with handker-
chiefs filed carelessly for inspection, and
sorts them over. She examines one after
another, and throws it aside with an im-
patient curl of the lip. When no one is
looking directly at her she wipes her
mouth or nose with a handkerchief,
crumples it carelessly in her hand and
walks off holding it in plain sight
1t would be bold detective who would
dare tell her that the handkerchief was
not her own. At Sixth avenue store
once a salesgirl hunted up the detective
and said: There's a woman up there
who's got an awful suspicious cold. She's
blowed her nose twenty times in half an
hour" The detective watched, and dis
covered that every time the woman blew
her nose it was with a new handkerchief
from the counter. About a dozen Were
found in her capacious pocket. That
woman was a professional. Another de-
vice sometimes used by professionals is
worked at the counter where pocketboOkS
and reticules are piled up for inspection
Most women carry pocketbooks ia the
hand. 1t IS easy TO examine one of these
on the counter and walk off with ii held
In plain view. Sometimes a shoplifteI
will pass the pocketbook counter q hall
dozen times, and each time carry off q
pocketbook. Also reticules and hand.
bags.
''We don't prosecute nearly all of the
shop-lifters we catch,' said the superin-
tendent of large store the other day
MANY of the cases are really touching.
For instance, as Christmas comes along
we often catch poorly dressed, pale
faced woman with a pair of woolen baby
socks, little worsted shirt or a rattle in
her pocket. Who would have heart
90 I'd - 20 z