The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-06
ADETECTIVE'S NOTEBOOK
saowING HOW LITTLE THIEVES
ARE OAUG6T IN BIG STORES.

6OLQ0 Ok Ills vi 66b D5E ana W nv,
and What is the Value OF the Goods
Stolen.
From the Mem YORK Sun.
Perhaps you are not familiar with the
baby trick. So simple thing as the UNI
brella dodge may beunknown to you: Even
the gauntlet trick, ancient and shop worn,
may be mystery to you. If you are not
acquainted with these, Of course you know
nothing about the garter game, the shawl
trick, OF, the shoplifter's bag. But unless
you know all these things, and many more,
YOU will never do for a detective or chief
floor walker OF one of the big New York
bazars.
The floor walker, OF course, walks the
floor but the detective does not always
detect. In many of the large retail esJab-
Iishments in this city the offices of floor
walker and detective ARE combined in one
person, and that person is one OF the most
important men in the house. He must have
she politeness of Beau Brummell, the judg-
ment OF Solomon, the gentieness of lamb,
the courage OF a lion, the swiftness of a
stag and the acuteness of Vidocq. He
must be equally ready TO smile upon a seal
skinned lady or ~ grapple with muscular
thief. With a white tie constantly at his
EDrOhb uo Husb nave pair OF nlpperS con-
stantly In his pocket. He Is a tremendously
important man is the floor walker; and it
lie no wonder il IN his kingly strides about
che floors he carries the air of owning half
the city and OF being strongly inclined to
sell it.
While in one pocket he carries pair of
nippers. always ready to be put upon the
wrists OF an obstreperuus thief, In another
he has his note book, his register of crime,
ssNNr ha kaa Of n
These entries are very important TO him.
and he makes them with great care, for any
day he may have to testify in three or four
cases in the police court, and without his
note book his memory would soon be worn
OUT He enters the name. address and age
OF the thief, description of the goods
stolen, and a statement OF their value, and
sometimes adds few remarks that are
always interesting and often instructive.
Ii Is the temporary possession by SUI,
reporter OF note book belonging to one of
these foor-Walking detectives that leads to
the writing of this article The book be-
longs there is no necessity for hiding either
names or facts to Detective Charles f.
Cuts of Ridley's; and here is something
from the gallant sidel of this detectives
nature, the side that bows fair ladies from
one apartment to another, as distinguished
from the less pleasant side that marches
thieves off to the police station: sit proba-
bly, will not" said he, "be necessary for you
TO mention my name. But IL you should
do it, please do not fail to mention also nv
two assistants. Miss Peyssr and Miss Vorzi-
merm -..--.~
Before looking at the book. perhaps 1t
will be well TO let Detective Cults explain
some Of the mysterious terms mentioned a
moment ago; the explanations will make
the entries sometimes more Ineligible
The baby triok," he seys, 'is as old as
civilization, but Ii is still in use. II you
were 60 come in here intending to rob the
store, or any male person dressed in ordi-
RarY mans costume, you would have a
poor chance, because you have nothing
about you to conceal goods in Your
clothes are too snug. You might drop a
kuife into your POCKET, or a ring, or some
other small article; but what could you
do with a piece of silkl The first
requisite Is flowing drapery. aud in the
baby trick the baby carries the drapery
Small babies usually wear long clothes.
and in their skirts stolen articles are con-
cealed. Here Is a curious thing thet
often think of: There are probably thou
sand grown-up people walking the streets
OF the city who when they were infants
were carried into she. big storel TO be re-
ceptecles for stolen goods. By their
mothersl Not necessarily. Babies are
often borrowed or rented for this purpose
The baby trick is nothing more than carry
ing an infant into q store for the express
purpose OF concealing stolen goods in its long
skirts.
"The umbrella trick is much more COM
mon. Its name almost explains it. In
stead of baby the woman carries an UNI
breila, and the stolen articles are dropped
into it. Much larger things may be carried
off IN this way than you would imagine.
The gauntlet trick is device for the worri-
Of
this case carries q long glove and some
small but valuable articles drops Into it &C
cidentally, of course 1t is in the she de-
partment particularly that we have to be
on the lookout for the garter game. The
thief who is about TO play the garter game
always a woman, of course)
dresses herself as fashionable as she
can and sets out TO buy a pair OF shoes.
There is nothing peculiar in her makeup
except two or three small brass hooks
fastened to one Of her garters. The two
shoes of pair, you know, are usually tied
together, aud while the saleman's back is
turned 1t is an easy matter for the woman TO
hang pair upon one of the hooks-some-
times not only one, but two or three pairs.
This is one of the most difficult and delicate
tricks for us to guard against. n thing
but personal search will bring the shoes to
light, and q search involves an arrest. IL
we put the indignity of arrest aud search
upon a woman aud find no evidence to con-
vict-that il TO say, no shoes hanging from
her garter-then we are IN trouble.
The shawl trick requires so much nerve
and skill that ii is seldom used except by
experts A camels hair shawl IS the favor
lte for there 10 an air OF respectabiity
about camel'S hair. While the clerks bach
is turned a valuable piece Of silk disappears
within the folds of the shawl The shop
hfsers bag was once great favorte among
women thieves. lie was simply a large bag
suspended from the waist, but with q
spring attachment by which IL could be
opened or closed by a, hand carried in the
pocket. Many q valuable article has dis
appeared in the shoplifter's bag; but the
carrying of such a bag has been made &
criminal offense in this state, and now two
smaller bags, one on each side, are substi'
tuted for il. You can see now why tbs
store detective must have eyes not only al
around his head, but in his knees, elbows,
heels and tho tail OF his coat.
There are some professional points thai
perhaps you will wish to mention in YOU
article. For instance, thief is never ar
rested In the store II it can possibly b.
avoided. An arrest in the store makes {
scene, and we do not want any scenes. The
plan 10 to follow the person tor block Of
TWO and make the arrest in the street. But
no person Is ever arrested unless the theft
Is seen by at least two OF our employees
When we go to court we must have wit
a IA 4 e