The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-10

| chascs-and only gave up tne struskN
against evidence OF guilt when confronted
with further evidence, showing conciu-
sively that in every instance sne
had received in goods double ana
treble the value of the money paid
And there may be devised an INFINITE
number OF variations OF this theving
process, while the next step is not hard
to actually pocket money received from
customers, or make their checks call lot
more change than is duethe customer ana
pocket the difference.
Imagine two clerks thus engaged In
thieving trade. Imagine third clerk at
another department entering into the piot.
Then imagine that clerks from yet otnef
departments join i'm IL and hnaiiy the
number involved in each department Is
added TO. one at time, The first
thing you know an immense deal oil
thieving has developed and nobody mas
stolen thing directly. Indeed, money
may often have been actually PAID
for goods, only more goods nave
been received than were paid Tor.
Each becomes partner oil the
other in thievery. No one steals Tor her-
self each steals for the other. It j. done
in the open and unsupported by watchful
eyes that would catch a shoplifter shoy-
ing to put something from off the counter
into her pocket. In one department at
Shepard's six out OF nine girls at one
counter were in this thieving conspiracy
II Is Bound to he Discovered.
And vet the end must come. Those en-
gagged i'm the conspiracy are bound TO grow
more audacious, more careless, more
greedy. Finally some one comes under
suspicion. There is something wrong
somewhere with her. She Is watched.
She is discovered. She breaks down.
How did she steal successfully? She
must have had confederate. Her name,
too, is learned, and from that TO the dis
covery OF third and fourth and fifth
| is an easy step. And so, like tumbiing
bricks, the whole thing falls. The key
| stone once out the pitiable structure col
lapses by its own weight. And at Shepard
and Company's store within "a hours
after the discovery of what was supposed
! to be an isolated bit OF thieving on the
! part of a misguided girl, score of repu-
| tRtions were shattered, score OF young
| women i'm whom the firm reposed the ut
| most confidence we're disgraced and the
| appalling fact is revealed that the con-
! Germ bas fesn the victim OF wholesale
stealing for three years, the aggregate OF
very large sum.
One OF the most pathetic features of this
! cruel business is that those engaged i'm
| such a conspiracy must OF necessity come
| from the ranks OF the old and trusted en-
| ployes. The new comers and those whose
department is such as to place them, i'm a
way, under surveillance or special disci-
plining and training, either through ne
glectful or careless methods, shift
lessness or inexperience, unb1si-
ness-like department toward GUS
toners, cannot be enlisted in the
ranks OF the conspirators. The tried, the
trusted and the respected among the en-
| ployes those whose long service and
seemingly assured character entities them
| to the utmost considerat ion, to absolute
confidence, to abundant faith in the i'm
tegrity OF their motives as in their capacity
and business qualifications, and perhaps
| to certain relaxation in discipline not
inconsistent withs store regulations these
arc the only ones who can successfully
engage in the miserable business. This
\ was the kind involved In the conspiracy
| at Shepard's. None Others could have
pursued it so long. They were above
| suspicion until the wretched facts con-
fronted the firm with all their startling
significance. Passing belief, the facts
compelled belief. Confidence confronted
| with the disclosures lay mcrcilessly shat
| tered
What's to BE Done?
| IL is curious feature of this situation
that so far as Is known only girls are in
volved. This means also that only the
smaller and more easily handled and
readily concealed class Of articles have
been the objects OF the thievery. The
dress goods and other depart
ments, where men are mostly en-
ployed, have not been broken into.
! Perhaps men lack in the finesse and
subtlety which such = conspiracy de-
mands. Trouble wonld be likely to arise
in the progress OF the stealing transactions,
and the thieves would, more than likely,
fall out over their spoils. Then, again,
the woman's gown affords ready and sim
| pie opportunity, unavailable to the man,
for concealing articles TO be smuggled out
| OF the store.
There is nothing new in
the situation at Shepard &
Company's. Few old established
dry goods stores but have had to grapple
| with IL at one time and another,
and TO watch for IL ever after--until new
generation of employees secures renewal
| of the old confidence. Not long ago big
store within 40 miles OF Providence
awaked one day TO the fact that two
thirds Of its women employees were band
ed together in such a conspiracy and
the stealings had reached to high
priced garments aud elegant costumes. IL
| the plot at Shephrd's had not been ex-
p,oded yesterday II would have continued
TO grow in proportions and numbers for
an indefinite period, until the losses of the
house became SO great as TO permit OF no
other explanation than stealing.
These girls arc naturally in humble cir
cumstances. Many of them have families
dependent on their help for support. Some
OF them are@he sole reliance OF the sick,
the aged and the infirm in their house
holds. This is the exact case at Shepard's
! and not girl among them all but can be
truthfully charged with from six to a
4 dozen cases OF larceny.
! As Mr.. Shepard remarked to one OF the