The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-26

fell straight to her knees. There were
a lot of little trinkets in it. and when
1 discovered them she threw herself
around so that had to call the detec-
tive. He couldn't do anything with
her, and before she left the store three
men almost literally sat upon her
while we tried to bring her to reason.
THE cutest pocket is a long piece of
cloth fastened with pins at each side.
At the lower edge is a drawstring
which may be wound about the pins
when in use. But the instant | dis
cover that pocket, the wearer pulls the
string and the goods tumble to the
floor under her skirts, and l have alb
solutely no evidence against her, since
neither pocket nor goods are found on
her person. a common trick is to
sweep small articles into an umbrella;
another is to lay jacket or any other
wrap upon the counter and pick up
with it cloth, ribbon, lace, or almost
anything. Then, if worst comes to
worst, the litter can throw the whole
apparatus away. Yes, it is hard to
know whether woman is a kleptO-
maniac or not, but there are few pretty
good proofs. The professional comes
in here, cool and collected, very much
annoyed at the indignity, and perfectly
overcome with surprise when discov-
cred. She sobs and shrieks and hurls
herself against the wall, offers i'm
mense brides and wants to draw checks
in her husbands name. If we agreed
to that settlement she would bring a
blackmail case against the house next
week, You know. Yet, it's good policy
to let the toughest cases go on the plea
of kleptomania, because we know
their faces so we'll that they never
venture to return.
But the poor women who come to
me by the dozen half-craZed with
fright. All! it is enough to make one
wonder if the next generation won't
be safest behind asylum doorsr' ex-
claimed the competent young cynic,
who is herself type of the times.
At police headquarters Supt. Byrnes
smiled knowingly when asked for
opinions. ''Kleptomaniacs, if there
are any such things, don't get down
here" he said. I'VE have the old
stagers and their pictures, and the
poor women who look at something
which would please the youngsters at
home until they just have to take it.
That's what this swell kleptomania
amounts to-a poor woman who wants
thing and thinks no one will miss it,
Do you want to see the photographs of
the shoplifters who are famous all over
the world? We've run 'em in now, but
we had to have detectives in the shops
before we could spot them.
Here's somebody TO look out for, be-
canse she has been pardoned out She's
Mollie Holbrook, and she has been ar
rested in Chicago, Boston and New
York. She works with Jimmy Hoey,
who disposes of her goods. MolIie can
make 500 day.
This is Sophie Levi. who is the wife
of Ned Lyons. She served in Sing
Sing, the penitentiary, and in Michi-
gan state prison. She has been shop
lifting in Europe with jim Brady.
rested in Paris for picking pockets, and
posed as Nine. De Varney. She played
the lady so well that the officers dis
charged her apologizing humbly for
the mistake. She's, wen. say forty
years old, light weight, brown hair,
gray eyes, pretty yet.
''She has just been arrested with Billy
Burke. robbing a bank in Sterling.
Ky. Billy had forty-six thousand dol
lars in greenbacks in his hands when
arrested.
There are Maria Burke and Annie
Herman who work together in shop |
lifting. They are the cleverest shop
lifters and penny weights jewelry
in this country; well known
everywhere. They have a dozen aliases,
and have been sentenced to prison in
New York. Brooklyn and Cincinnati
'CoUch looking customers"