The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-04
SEASON OF SHOPLIFTERS.
THEY MAKE MOST OF THE holiday
SHOPPING PERIOD.

Slowly the woman went through the store
for an hour or more. She priced this and
that; she sat down and chatted with friends
she bought trthing articles. There was a
great holiday throng in the big place; there
was noise and confusion; the sharp, metallic
cries Of the cash girls resounded above th 9
din.
By and by the woman asked the price Of
feathers.
The busy and obliRing clerk told all about
the styles that obtained in feathers for
women's hats. The woman who had inquired
sat there listening intently. She was
stylishly clad. Now and again people pass
ing in the store looked at her with admira-
tion.
Finally the woman sitting there so quietly
towing with the splendid diamonds on her
jeweed hands. concluded she would buy.
iShe took out her pocket book and placed it
on the counter.
''Show me thatn
AS she said this she pointed to some beauti-
full tips in a case behind the shop girl.
That worthy turned to comply.
Look at thatl
Quick as flash the grand lady nipped up
number Of feathers out Of the heap in front
of her, and with a trained, deft motion,
the direction Of the floor.
IL was all done so suddenly that the eye
could not follow the flight of her fingers.
The shop girl turned around again and
continued to talk of feathers
With show of displeasure the woman
She moved quickly toward the door.
She passed to the street.
At the corner she was confronted by man.
Madam. come with mem
AS the man said this, in a low tone, he
beckoned toward the store.
The woman turned with an air of njured
innocence, pouted, stamped her pretty foot
and made feint to move of.
A crowd collected.
She was led away.
Well, what of its o, nothing. She was
merely taken TO the examination rooms
where $500 worth Of silks, laces and feathers
were taken from her by the store detective
and his woman aids.
That man who had followed and had ac-
oosted her was a famous store detective of
Gotham.
He is one of large and influential class.
His duties are peculiarly delicate.
Think of man who is paid to see that
the darling ladies do not steall
Yes, paid; and paid well.
he must have an eye that never sleeps
for women are the shrewdest of the shrewd
and at this season there are thousands of
dollars worth of property lying within
reach of their slender fingers.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE.
There are some mighty queer looking fell
lows following the ladies about in these days
in the dry goods houses. There is no nesd
OF begging the question or of getting behind
the door in speaking Of this matter, for it's a
solemn truth about the woman shoplifter-
ard the sensible girl will be ready to &C.
knowledge, no doubt, before this seasons
shopping is over that even she, upright and
honest 70 the last degree, noticed a horrid
looking man gIsring at her the day her fin
gers dallied too long over those tidbits of
Jewelry in the splendid bazaar.
1t was the store detective, and you should
look out for him.
The genuine shoplfter is a woman who
brings art in aid OF her trade. She has the
inside of her skirt armed with a huge
pocket.
She does her work by slight of hand
She will sit down like the lady who was
stuff after feathers and, when she has a lot
of5spresd out in front of her, she will
deliberately brush some Of it into the big
pocket of her skirt.
Sitting very close to the counter, there is
but little fear of detection, especially since
she usually manages to distract the atten-
tion Of the salesman.
Then she goes to another part of the store
and plies her trade over again.
The store detective divides his time equally
between watching the lady's hands and her
walk She Wobbles when she walks, This
is the way the shoplifter is usually detected.
After she has loaded down Ter bag with
silks and small articles the stuff is likely nine
times out Of ten to cant" over to one side,
causing her dress TO hang lopsided and react
ing upon her walk in such a fashion as to
make her gait unsteady and wobbly.
She steers left footed or right footed.
That is the signal for the detective, and
he loses no time in followingthe woman and
In demanding when he stops her that she
submit to examination.
Of course she always protests that this Ia
an outrage.
1t is serious matter, too, to halt woman
these days and tell her that she must submit
to being searched. Mistakes do happen, no
doubt; but then the store detective is man
who understands his business. After all,
he takes very few chances. He usually
sees the woman in the act of stealing, or
maybe the clerk will miss something and
tell him just in time--if he is lucky enough
TO be passing.
Another way of catching the shoplifter is
pY che telltale silk or cloth wrapper left
the empty on the counter where theft hash
take place.
Ali ladies who patronize the dry goods
stores know that cloth and silk are usually
put up with an outer covering for protection.
4nls paper wrapper Is unIolded as the clerk
show the goods. When piece of silk orcloth
issold the wrapper is retained by the C Jerk =,
as there are certain private marks on 10.
These are used in checking up the sales
Now, then, when shoplifter nips piece of
silk or cloth she invariably leaves the wrap
per on the counter. She cannot make away
with it, as it would expose her. IL would
take too long 10 publicly wrap it about the
silk. Lying half in the silk and half out of
1t, the easiest way for the shoplifter to do is
tug away at the cloth, and, securing the
prize, leave the paper shell behind on the
counter
AS soon as the clerk sees the empty paper
before him, perhaps partly concealed in a
mass of odds and ends, he says:
'Helloo, what's this! Is it a sale or a
theftp
1t does not take him long to discover the
true state of affairs. The alarm is given :;
the woman is Swallowed, perhaps spotted,
detained and searched
The goods are recovered and the woman
Is arrested
THE POCKETBOOB TRICK.
There 10 q little game that the store detect