Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1893-04-16
SECRET SHOPPERS.
Society Women Who Have .
Mania for Stealing.
A Detectives Account OF tho Strange Doe
i,Es or HiEh-Toaod People OF MoAaGa -
Tho Real .Iiieptomaniac IL -
naro Article.

n DotoetlVoB account OF tho oGr1ABo Dosl
iaEs or HiEh-roaod People OF Means
Tho Real .Kieptomaniac L. - ~
naro Article. ~.
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Society women steal as many dol
lars worth Of goods ina year rs do the
professional shopliftcrs." IL niH
This startling and almost Incredible
statement was made TO u New York
Journal reporter recently by the head,
detective of one Of the big uptown dry
goods cmporiums.
"It's true, however, the detective
wen on, but the public seldom hears
of these cases. because they are usually
hushed up by the women's rich rcln-
tivcs."
Even when suspected of IN intention
to steal, it was exceedingly difficult to
keep them under surveillance, the de-
tcctivc said, for the reason that they
are liable to complain to the firm hat.
they arc being watched, and founce gu.
OF the store with II great show of viz
tuou5 indignation.
"Ju5t the same" he said, "thc mcr-
chant don't care to lose u good customer
because she happens to pick mp IN odd
handkerchief or some other trinc now
and then"
Then You do not always arrest wom-
en- who steal the firms goods?"
"By no means. Ii we did we would
have to hire 4 lawyer by the year TO-
prosecute cases of petty larceny alone"
i dc tcctivc answered.
GLOW do the merchants reimburse
themselves, thcn?" was asked.
.t"That is a little secret If the trade.
but I'll explain. We will say, for in
stance, that Il certain woman whom'I
have in nind-shc is the wife of ono of
the most prominent railroad men in the
c.5.-comes in here. as She docs, about
once n week and lays out fifty or one
hundred dollars in goods of one kind
and another.
"Whilc she is moving nbout the store
some little trile will catch her cyc-a
Japanese pin tray or i cheap imitation
pin in some new design, worth, we will
say, fifty cents Mt the utmost. This sho
will slap into her muf7 or conceal in
aome other way, confident that her pill:
fering has not been seen. 80;
, "In the curse of II mornings shop
ping the amateur shopliftcr may pick
up two or three such Inexpensive
articles, and our custom Is merely K
charge them in the bill. The clcriss'
al these people, the regular ones,
that Is to say, and, while seemingly OBJ
livious OF their little tricks, they mako
4 memorandum of each item and II is
added to the cu3tomcr's regular month";.
ly account. Nine times in ten we never
hear anything further about 1t, and the
bill Is paid without question.
"Oucc in awhile, however, ono of
these heightened shopliftcrs will try Il
bluff game and report 10 the cashier
that they have been charged for goods
they never bought, but u few words
from nc of reminder rs to when und
where and how the articles were OBJ
tanned always brings forth n profuse
apology and q prompt check.
Gin twelve years experience in tho
business Of watching crooks, l have
never run across but one bona fde lclcp-
tomarinc," said the detective. "IIcr
husband was n mar of means, and his
business reputation of the best, and his
vifc's unfortunate malady was the ono
sorrow of his life.
II caught her dead TO rights one day
some two years ago." the detective
went on, land rs she had gathered IN
quito n number of small valuablcs, l
asked her into the lndie3' d~ressing-room
upstairs and had her searched by ono
of my female assistants.
The poor woman seemed utterly
overcome ut the thought of the pub
licity that might be given the mattcr,',
he said, but, strange to say, she ap.
pcarcd entirely unconscious of having
done anything really wrong in taking
things that did not belong to her. a:
"Nycll, we always make these people
pay spot cash for nll the goods they
steal, and when she had handed over
the money asked me IL she could CO..
II told her that IL shc would give mo
her unmo and address I&would allow
her 10 depart She begged pretty hard
ut first, but at last she handed inc her
,card. ~
. "Thc next inorning l called on.hrr
,fhuobend aud tcld him oil about tho
case. lie was indignant, for awhile,
but / ut last convinced him that his
wife really was the victim of an uncon.
trollablc desire TO steal. q
"Thcn unfolded my scheme. toll
lin TO quietly inform his wife that he
desired her TO con1nc her Purchases TO
certain stores in the future, n list of
which lie should give her. with tho
warming that lie would only pay bills
coming from those firms. Then lac was
TO 20 10 the head detective In Gael, Of
thcSe storcs and toll him the situation
and nslt him u charge up NIL articles
his wife might steal In the FUTURE
GLOW did your scheme turn out2' tho
detective wa asked.
"All right, I suppose" no said; ~
watch the newspapers pretty closely.
nal | have not seen IL friends nntnc
In print since, except among tho list Of
RueGt1 at some of the swell receptions"
No Induccincnt.