Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-13
WOMEN DETECTIVES.
r is SAID THEY SuRPASS MEN IN
CATCHING SHOPuIFTERS.

Less Apt to Ee Recognized by Those Who
Visit the Big Stores to Steal-A System
Much In Favor With the Big Boston
Business Houses.
An admirable female detective sys-
tenn is in vogue in number of the lead
| ing dry goods houses of this city.
1t has been proved beyond doubt
that the female thief catcher is more
effective in the unwilling of shoplifters
than the most sagacious slenth in the
secret service department of the city of
Boston. Thief catchers like the veteran
Joe Knox, for instance, cannot Fly
their vocation with any degree of SUE
cess for any length of time in q large
and furnishing dry goods house. This
is because of the fact that their identi.
ties become known to the dry goods
| thief after time, and it goes without
saying that the shoplifter will not begin
operations until all danger of discovery
from that quarter has passed away. The
professional sboplifter is as familiar
with the figure of the inspector as she is
with her own Likeness. For this reason
unassuming and unsophisticated maid.
ems arc put on the qui vive to ferret out
willy shoplifters and bring them to
speedy retribution. The girls assigned
to prosecute detective labor are we'll
adapted fer the work mapped out for
| thom. The superintendent or chief floor
walker is pretty certain to select girl
with accomplishments befitting the de-
tective. If she is lacking in acuteness
and fails to perform her work satisfac-
torily, another is substituted in her stead
and the benighted ono is given q posi-
ton in the store.
Nor does the competent detective de-
pend entirely upon her wits in deter
| mining who is a shoplifter and who is
| not. She is generally reader of char
acter and is very apt to ascertain by q
study of face whether its owner is a
designing person or not The shoplifter
often excites the suspicion of the spot
ter the moment she enters the store.
There are certain airs of uneasiness in
| her department that catch the prac-
ticed eye of the young sleuth at once.
Women who invade dry goods houses
for the purpose of larceny have not the
fullest confidence in their dexterity to
purloin an article from tho counter
| without exciting suspicion. The PRO
fessional" never attempts theft with
out first feeling certain that she is not
| watched, yet it frequently happens that
when she is convinced that there is no
| danger of detection the eyes of the fe-
| male spotter are upon her, and she is
| trapped in the act.
Miss Fannie Leahey and Miss Kittie
McNamee are the young detectives who
are employed to keep vigilant lookout
for evildoers at a big concern in Penn
| berton square, and very watchful and
conscientious detectives they are, as their
efficient services distinctly show. Miss
McNamee is modest little girl of IL
years, with jet black hair and cheeks
like a blush rose. and is considered the
| most prepossessing girl in the business.
Her partner. Miss Leahey, is an attract
i've blond, with n natty figure. Each has
her own district to patrol daily, but
| sometimes both can DO seen in deep con-
versation in the little Office on the Penn
berton square side. Tho most cautious
shoplifter would fail to detect in the
demeanor of the twain the nature of
their calling, and thus it is they are
able to expose more wrongdoing in the
store than any of tho inspectors at po-
lice headquarters.
When shoplifter is caught dead to
rights, she is asked if she will not ''pay
for the articles" stolen. This interroga-
tory is merely made in order to elicit
an admission of guilt from the thief.
She is then taken to the Office to await
the arrival of an inspector from police
headquarters. If she has the appearance
of q woman of means, she can easily
| procure bail and thus escape the pain
| and detection of night in prison.
In speaking of her experience, Miss
McNamee says that large percentage
, of shoplifters are women of good fam
! lilies and comparatively we'll off in
| worldly goods.
I'VE have to watch pretty carefully
to catch the professional shoplifter, she
began. You see, they are up to all
| sorts of chicanery and can easily hood
wink the salesgirl, who may be busy
| with half dozen customers at the same
| time. You would never believe, to see
| those women ON the street in all their
finery, that they would steal Some of
the shoplifters are born thieves. They
haunt the dry goods houses and steal ev-
cry time they get a chance. You may
not believe it. but 1 can tell at first
| glance the woman who comes here to
steal deliberately.
! Her eyes are o sure index to her
thoughts. and when you SEQ a woman
glancing searchingly about her you can
I depend upon it that she means to steal
Women with an untroubled conscience
} do not act in this way"
There are three detectives in one
store, and still the pilfering of the
firms property goes ON from day to
day. There is the woman who carries
off articles in closed umbrella, and
there is the woman who manages to
convey property to neatly arranged re-
ceptacle in her underdress lining. To
be on tn these tricks the female detective