Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-01-03
NOTED SHOP LIFTERS.
Should Preachers, Doctors or Lawyers Treat
the MaIady of the Fair Thieves A.?

miniature perfection. Each big house
has its executions, its police, its laws
and its people. There are penalties
and nishments, rewards and promo
tons, while every penny is accounted
for to the powers which mete out
recompenses to the just and the unjust.
By appeals to personal interest, it be-
comes the object of every emplOye to
make money for mis- governmental
rulers and to aid them in withstanding
those whom like the otfice+seekers we
have always with us.
| But each year thousands of dollars
are lost from the pockets of the firm
| despite the legislation, brides and
adroit detectives. For what avail all
these things against the half crazed
half cunning or wholly professional
trickeries OF class Of women who are
| interesting to the doctors, mOralists
and lawyers As class, these women
are the products of feverish, unwhole-
some mental and physical life in our
great hysteric trade centers, and they
are little understood by even those who
have to deal with them. Shoplifting
is a profession and a disease; less pro-
fession than it used to be, perhaps,
| because of the detective systems, end
more disease, as we dash with high
pressure down the fin de steele slope.
Or, so the detective said when this sug-
gestion was offered, the professional
shoplifter poses as q kleptomaniac,
knowing that it is her one sure means
of escape. And if her haul is not too
big, and if too elaborate preparations
are not found upon her, her chances of
escape are excellent The keptoma-
Mae acts with wonderful cunning and
without any precautions save those of
insane cleverness in binding the eyes
of detectives, floor walkers and en-
| ployes not three feet distant.
| The business-lihe shopIifter is thor
oughly equipped, with every trained
sense upon the alert, and her eyes on
the goods only when their guardians
are at reasonable distance. The KEEP
tomaniac seizes small articles, often
valueless. The shoplifter is out for
"big-pulls," and can make off with 5000
worth of merchandise iii morning.
A few days ago, clerk in one of the
| best managed shops of New York, laid
three rolls of silk, valued at $50, upon
tle counter to ship out of town. He
was called to the further end of the
counter for moment and returned to
| discover that the card board from three
| bulky rolls of silk was all that remained
of his shipment. There was no dis
| turbance in the room, which was not
crowded. Floor walker, shoppers and
employees had suspected nothing as
some woman slowed sixty yards of silk
upon her person and walked silently
out of the door
Spurred by his wrath over this bold
stroke the detective in charge was
moved to disclose some Of the bitterness
of his lot
"The wickedest male criminal on
l. ! l. Io1l Al
beside mild, shrinking, respectable
little bit of woman. I've been here
! twenty years and [ know every
mothers daughter of 'em who has been
up to tricks for living. But when a
! new one comes in she's bound to swipe
something, unless one Of the two girls
who work with US have the good luck
to spot her as suspicious. Our method
of capture is this: | see woman
! dressed neatly and quietly, walking
| slowly through the store. Probably she
carries a shopping bag on her arm and
wears a long full cloak. Sometimes she
carries baby, but in such a store as
this that dodge attracts too much atten-
ton But there's nothing like baby
to stow away stuff in. Why, once in an
East Side store where [ began my ca
reer, the searcher took twelve bottles of
cologne, six handkerchiefs and lot Of
| jewelry from a baby's toggery. L sup
pose that kid was what you people who
don't know anything about it would call
a kleptomaniac, because she yelled and
kicked and looked surprised when we
took the things away. That's Just what
you have to expect, though, when
you're dealing with woman. Well,
we follow the woman until she stops at
a counter. Then one of my girls, or
both if necessary, takes her position
close by and asks the salesman, who is
I trained to treat her as an unknown
customer, TO show her certain goods
The foxy shopliftcr sometimes sees
thro' this, and then the girl buys out
right and pays on the spot. That is the
only absolute safeguard known to de-
| tectives For unless sharp eyes look
! down into her lap, the woman can slip
piece of silk into her sham pocket or
over her arm while the salesman calls
Cash" These new capes you're
wearing are a great snap for the shop
| lifters-almoSt as good as the shaWls.
! How do we get the goods back after we
have tracked the thief? We don't try
to unless we are dead sure that she has
! them on her person the moment we
accost her. | follow her into the street
and ask her to kindly accompany me to
the room where the stolen property
she has on her person may be rem Oved.
! She threatens and busters and calls a
policeman. [ show my badge and tell
her the game is up and she comes back
quietly enough. What happens next
this young lady can tell you better than
| L." And the detective glanced at
| handsomely dressed girl who sat tap
ping her gold edged lizard skin purse
on the lace counter near by. The
bored looking aide rose, pulled her veil,
dahbed at her eminently correct gown,
and advanced to be questioned con
corning the queer characters in her
charge.