The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-04
SECRET SHOPPERS.
Society Women Who Have q
Mania for Stealing.
a Detectives Account of the Strange Do.
inGs OF High-Toned People of Means
The Real kleptomaniac Is
Rare Article.

Society women steal as many dol
lars worth of goods in year as do the
professional shoplifters."
This startling and almost incredible
| statement was made to a New York
Journal reporter recently by the head
detective of one of the big uptown dry
| goods emporiums.
Its true, however, the detective
went on, but the public seldom hears
| of these cases, because they are usually
hushed up by the women's rich rela-
| tives''
| Even when suspected of an intention
to steal, it was exceedingly difficult TO
keep them under surveillance, the de-
tectiye said, for the reason that they
are liable to complain to the firm that
they are being watched, and founce out
of the store with a great show of vir-
tuous indignation.
Just the same" he said. "the mer-
chant don't care to lose good customer
because she happens to pick up an odd
handkerchief or some other trifle now
and then"
Then you do not always arrest wCm-
en- who steal the firms goods?"
by no means. If we did we would
have to hire a lawyer by the year to
prosecute cases of petty larceny alone"
the de tective answered.
How do the merchants reimburse
themselves, then?" was asked.
THAT is little secret of the trade
but I'll explain. We win say, for in
stance, that certain woman whom
have in mind-she is the wife of one of
the most prominent railroad men in the
east-comes in here, as she does, about
once week and lays out fifty or one
hundred dollars in goods of one kind
and another.
while she is moving about the store
some little trifie will catch her eye-a
Japanese pin tray or cheap imitation
pin in some new design, worth, we will
say, fifty cents at the utmost. This she
will slap into her muff or conceal in
some other way, confident that her pill
fering has not been seen.
I'm the course of mornings shop
ping the amateur shoplifter may pick
up two or three such inexpensive
articles, and our custom IS merely to
charge them in the bill. The clerks
all know these people, the regular ones,
that is to say, and, while seemingly OBJ
liviOus of their little tricks, they make
a memorandum of each item and it is
added to the customers regular month
~ account Nine times in ten we never
hear anything further about it, and the
bill is paid without question.
Once in awhile, however, one of
these high-toned shoplifters viii try
bluff game and report to the cashier
that they have been charged for goods
they never bought, but few words
from me of reminder as to when and
where and how the articles were OBJ
tanned always brings forth a profuse
apology and prompt check.
I'm twelve years experience in the
business of watching crooks, | have
never run across but one bona fde KEEP
said the detective. ''Her
husband was man of means, and his
business reputation of the best, and his
wifes unfortunate malady was the one
sorrow of his life.
Il caught her dead to rights one day
some two years ago." the detective
went on, land as she had gathered in
quite a number of small valuables, l
asked her into the ladies' dressing-room
upstairs and had her searched by one
of my female assistants.
THE poor woman seemed utterly
overcome at the thought of the pub
Lefty that might be given the matter"
he said, but, strange to say, she APP
peared entirely unconscious of having
done anything really wrong in taking !
things that did not belong to her.
well, we always make these people |
pay spot cash for all the goods they |
steal, and when she had handed over /
the money asked me if she could go.
81 told her that if she would give me /
her name and address / would allow |
ner to depart. She begged pretty hard
ut first, but at last she handed me her /
lard
1.-THE next morning I called on her
husband and told him all about the
.ase. He was indignant for awhile,
put I at last convinced him that his
wife really was the victim of an uncon-
reliable desire to steal.
''Theu unfolded my scheme. told
Jim to quietly inform his wife that he
desired her TO confne her Purchases to
certain stores in the future, list of
which he should give her, with the
warming that he would only pay bills
.oming from those firms. Then he was
o 60 to the head detective in each OF
hese stores and tell him the situation
md ask him TO charge up all articles
ia wife might steal in the future"
How did your scheme turn out?" the
detective was asked.
"All' right, | suppose" he said; II
watch the newspapers pretty closely,
nd have not seen our friends name
n print since, except among the list Of
-uests at SOME OF the swell receptions"
Picturesque Town.
Few towns IN this country are more