New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-15
THE UIYS or THE SHOPLIFIER
A DETECTIVE TELLS HOW WOMEN CAN AVOID
BEING ROBBED BY PROFESSIONAL THIEVES.

A DETECTIVE TELLS HOW WOMEN 'AN 'NOiD
BEING ROBBED BY PROFESSIONAL THIEVES.
"I am ready 20 believe" said the manager of one
Of the large drygools stores in the city Yesterday
that about ten persons out Of every 100 IN ths
city would steal II they thought they would not
d. caught AT H. and that about FIVE out of the
100 will take any pool chance 70 steal. and run the
risk OF being caught"
His remark was part Off conversation with a
Tribune reporter regarding such thieves as iniest
the drygoods and notion stores in Fourteenth-st.
Sixth-ave AMI Twenty-thlri-s;. There has been a
great deal of trouble In the stores lately on ac-
count Of the plckpockets AMI shoplifters. Hundreds
Of articles which are not bought and paid for dis
appear every day from the counters in the stores.
and the managers cannot tell II the articles are
stolen by strangers or by employees. in many cases.
Arrests by the detectives In the stores are fire.
ouent but the managers do not want to have the
patrons OF the stores think that they are being
watched by the detectives and many shopfters
VII, are caught with stolen property In their pos
session are Jet go when they say they are re-
spectacle persons. and that they took the things
b. mistake Many professional thieves are ordered
to leave the stores by the detectives every day.
In some OF the several sharp oash-girls and
saleswomen are paid extra salaries for keeping
watch persons whose actions are suspicious.
These amateur detectives are frequently OF more
service than man detective could be when the
persons TO be watched are women When they see
a woman take an article from one of the counters.
they follow the thief until they meet the regular
detective in the store. Then there Is an exchange
Of signals AMI the detective politely asks the
woman t. step 10 the Office. In nine cases ont Of
ten the woman makes some lame excuse. returns
the stolen article and IS allowed 10 60 II she has
'sh0plifters bag she is 70 the Central Office
under arrest. becaufe there ia no reason 10 doubt
thai she is a professional thief.
The "shoplifters bag Is an extra skirt with a
large compartment for the reception OF stolen
articles II is under the ordinary dress skirt.
which cOncealS IT from view. \ woman who Wa,
taken to the Central ONCE a few days ago from
one OF thr SiNth-avr stores had -" yards OF emma
silk in the compartment OF her extra skirt
Just now" said a detective in one OF the store,
yesterday. I'VE ara having a great deal OF trouble
account OF the raids made by pocketbook thieves
These thieves understand human NATURE ana woman
nature IN particular ana they piopapy are Women Women.
They steal pOclebookS out OF pockets out or Satches
quickly and skifully that the detectives have not
been able to catch them \ woman who cones
carries her pocketbook in the satchel and because
she is a woman. she carries the aatchel 50 as 10
the satchel in such position that If the clasp is
unfastenel the Hap opens away from her and not
crowd can open her satchel and take out her
pocketboos without her knowledge There nave
every case the thief has thrown away the poke /
hook after ans the mohey IN leM G'sg MINIS ,ne
the cash. to the satchel from when II was stolen,
the flaps toward them. there would be less danger.
but II we speak to them about it they feel nsuied
Many women carry their purses cdrelrssy IN the
out side pockets OF their Jackets when they are
shopping and thus offer temptation to the thieves
Ii IS no wonder thar they are robbed other women
who usually carry their pock"bOoks IN their natdS
frequepty lay the pockebooks on counters IN 'front.'
Of them while they are trying on hats. Tnen they
see II hat few feet away which they want TO
look at and they forget about their pocketbooks
until they have been stolen 10y thieves on the watch
Sometimes il is the satche which Is iett on the
counter and thief comes along and takes me
satchcl The trick of changing satcheis Is resorted
10 by OF the thieves.
The sidewalks in front OF several of the stores
recently became the haunts OF young thieves. wno
suatch,.l sAchcs or pocketbooks out of the hands
of women who were entering or leaving IN" stores
Being fleet OF foot. tn" thieves managed 10 escape
arrest sometimes running into the stores and losing
themselves i'm the crowds. but INSPECTOR Mclaugh-
lin sent detectives from the Central once 10 pirol
m. sidewalks and the thieves captured and
prison. Lately there haXe been Few thetts
OF that kind in the shopping district