Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-10-08
some Recent and Ingenious
Dodges Employed by Women
Who Rob Stores.
The Baby Scheme is Popular. and
the Handbag is Still Art
fully Used.
The Garter With Hooks is the
Latest Device and Comes
From Paris.


pu.Hm of "a shoplifter who was sue
ces~aAly working the baby trick" has
gaia called Tie attention of the police
authorities To this most common and
persistent class OF criminals.
The detectives employed by all the
leading dIy-gOOds stores say that "A
large portion of the women who steal
from the counters take only articles
which thoy need for their personal use
These are generally ribbons gloves,
jcWelry ana the like, which are easily
concealed i'm one or another of the neat
little conuiyauces which are constantly
being added to the list of 'h'isting
kicks, as the detectives call the false
pockets which shDplifters effect.
The oldfashioucd pocket, which was
made of muslin. was so biz that whom
fastened under the dress it reached the
knees. There is a long opening through
the dress just below the waistband,
sometimes big enough to thrust q baby
i'm. This opening is covered from view
by a flap OF the waist, which can be
lifted up. Sometimes these pockets ar
found to contain almost enough meI-
chandise, the detective says, to start o
small shop
Large pockets are seldom used nova
days because most stores are SO earthly
watched that professional shopHters
are periorce Contentcd with smaller
daily hauls than formerly. Besides,
modern fashions do not permit of the
safe gathering of much bulk abou.
the person OF the shopGfters.
Among the tricks that lave been
adopted since The big pockets became
obsolete are palming and sleeve work
SKI. is easily acquired ID these, and,
besides, the trick is hard to discover
Palmine consists in taking several
small articles Gp together in the hand
ana then replacing all but one on the
couner The article retained is held
in the palm of the hand which is part
~ closed 10 grasp it.
Great proficiency is soon acquired by
woman with flexible hands he declar-
ed, and some Cf them can hold gold
pin, ring, or other small article safely
in this way, yet civ, the back of their
hand and their fingers the appearance
Of being unbeut. Palming is much
practced at the big jewelry stores as
a means OF hiding stolen articles until
a favorable moment is found for dis
posing of them in convenient places
on the person.
The innocentlooking black silk bag
or reticule which is nowadays in such
common use is extensively called into
play by amateurs, the detective said.
1t requires no skill whatever to mani
pulate them for shoplifting purposes
he says The shoplifterS sits down a-
the jewelry or handkerchief or ribbon
counter and examines the articles dis
played there
When the salesgirls are busy 1t is
easy to lind an opportunity to push
something over the edge of the counter
in the open mouth Of the bag, which is
held in the lap. When satisfied that no
more can be taken without arousing
suspicion the shoplifter arises, takes
hold of the gather-strings of the bag
which is drawn together by its own
weight, and carelessy strolls Off.
On wet days the umbrella trick" is
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They do this on the prctnyt Of arrung-
ing the garment and often do ii success
fully Inder the eyes of some sharp
eyed rirl detective who III urprpr41iu,- ID,