Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-08-07
SHOPLIFTERS.
Some of Their Clever Tricks and
Ingenious Devices.

Every vestige of the fashionable
kick has disappeared" said detec-
tive to me the other day, when re-
quested his views regarding a certain
phase of metropolitan life.
The shoplifter's "kick" is the technic-
al name for the capacious bag or
pocket she who prefers to buy" when
the clerk has his back turned has con-
cealed under her cloak, or, rather,
sewed to the same on the left side, or
which men have under the left coat
tail.
1t is not by reason of an edict by
Beau McAllister that the old "kiclk" is
going out of use, but because section
COS of the penal code makes it crimi-
nal offense for anyone to have 1t in his
or her possession. 1t is both in sorrow
and in anger that shoplifters are parting
with 1t; but the ''cops" having ''got on"
to 1t 1t had to 60 for it stood as conclu-
sive proof against its owner.
From several stores detectives learned
that the methods used in working
the old 'kick" had become SO well
known to them and to salesgirls that
shoplifters saw the necessity of keep
ing pace with progressive age. So q
more convenient contrivance was got
ten up. 1t is called "hoisting kick"
This consists of regular dress skirt,
so far as appearance goes, covered by
an apron overskirt, which is short, and
can be raised easily.
In the front of the underslkirt Is n
wide vertical slit which is but the OPEN
ing to the immense bag which the
underskirt consists of, 1t going around
the entire body and down to the heels
This was found more convenient than
the side ''kick," from the fact that it
necessjtated less movement and a mo-
tiop that aroused little suspicion.
The thief would stand close to a
counter where small articles are ex-
posed, generally lace or silk handker-
chiefs or stockings. She would take
one in her hands, examine it. hold it on
the edge In front of her, call for some
thing else, and while the salesgirl had
her back turned would slip it into the
slit.
AS the "kick" is made Of paper mus
lin the stolen articles would slip down
easily Should the thief miss the
aperture-a rare occurrence, for they
are persons Of nerve-the article would
fall on the floor and tho thief would
pick 1t up, replace it on the counter
and claim that it was an accident,
which it really was.
This worked well, until several shop
hfters using this "lsick" were arrested
and searched, which exposed the whole
thing, and now there are few of them
in existence. So the evil-doer's genius
had again to be called into requisition,
and n woman who was arrested in a
Sixth avenue store showed how she had
improved on that style.
She wore beautiful fiounced dress.
covered with short apron ovcrsxirt
draped and caught up here and there in
such way as to form natural looking
puffs. This went around the entire
body, and little to the right was q
pocket, rendered absolutely invisible
by the drapery When searched an in
credible amount OF articles of all sorts,
stolen from different stores, were found
In the underskirt.
A detective told me that a notorious
shoplifter was once caught who had in
her "kicl" two pieces of lace of TWEEN.
ty-five yards each, worth twenty-nine
dollars yard; two pairs of silk stock.
ings, one silk and one lace handlxer-
chief, piece of scented soap and a
Brummagem scarfpin worth forty-eight
cents, all of which she had stolen in
various stores in Sixth avenue. And,
strange to say, it was the cheapest of
the articles that betrayed her-the cake
of soap, valued at eighteen cents An.
other was caught with sixteen yards OF
silk, valued at one hundred and twenty
dollars, in her "kick."
Another clever device which was
gotten up almost contemporaneously
with the "kick" was the elastic band.
box. II was made like q gentleman.
hatbox, of cardboard, the cover being
held close to the box by two elasti,
bands in the interior of the box. The
purloiner would place the bandbox or
a counter containing articles that haC
captured her fancy, especially wher'
there were few salesgirls
She would call for certain cheap ar
ticles which would cause the salesgir
to turn her back to the purchaser
The shoplifter would then lift the cove
of the box with one hand, throw in a
many articles as she could take hold of
and by means of the elastic bands th'
cover would be instantly and automati
cally closed, leaving no trace of tn,
robbery.
The contrivance was SO deceptive, b.
rc0SoR Of its innocent appearance ap'