The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-06-07
WOMEN DETECTIVES,
IT is SAID THEY SURPASS MEN IN
CATCHING SHOPLlFTERS.

Less Apt to Be Recognized by Those Wine
Visit the Big Stores to SteaI-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 sieuth in the
secret service department of the city of
Boston. Thief catchers like the veteran
Joe Knox, for instance, cannot ply
their vocation with any degree of sue
cess for any length of time in large
and fiourishing dry goods house. This
is because of the fact that their identi-
ties become known TO the dry goods
thief after time, and il goes without
saying that the shoplifter will not begin
operations until all danger of discovery
from that quarter has passed away. The
professional shoplifter is as familiar
with the figure OF the inspector as she ia
with her own likeness. For this reason
unassuming and unsophisticated maid
ems are put on the qui vive to ferret out
willy shoplifters anG bring them to
speedy retribution The girls assigned
to prosecute detective labor are we'll
adapted for the work mapped out for
them. The superintendent or chief floor
walker is pretty certain to select girl
with accomplishments beftting the de-
teotive. If she is lacking in aouteness
and fails to perform her work satisfao-
torily, another is substituted in her stead
and the benighted one is given a posi-
ton in the store.
Nor does the competent detective de.
pend entirely upon her wits in deter
mining who is shopIifter and who is
not. She is generally reader of char
aoter and is very apt to ascertain by
study of face whether its owner is a
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-
5ioed 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 the counter
exciting suspicion. The pro
never attempts theft with
out first feeling certain that she is not
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
NoNamee are the young detectives who
're employed to keep vigilant lookout
or evildoers at a big concern in Penn.
oerton square, and very watchful and
detectives they are, as their
Efficient services distinctly show. Miss
McNamee is a modest little girl of II
'ears, with jet black hair and cheeks
ike blush rose, and is considered the |
most prepossessing girl in the business.
Her partner, Miss Leahey, is an attract
We blond, with natty figure. Each has |
Ter own district to patrol daily, but
ometimes both can be seen in deep con-
in the little Office on the Penn
oerton square side. The most cautious |
hoplifter would fail to detect in the |
lemeanor of the twain the nature of |
heir calling, and thus it is they are |
bile to expose more wrongdoing in the
tore than any of the inspectors at po-
ice headquarters.
When shoplifter is caught dead to
lights, she is asked if she will not pay
or the articles" stolen. This interroga-
DRY is merely made in order to elicit
n admission of guilt from the thief
The is then taken to the Office to await
he arrival of an inspector from police
If she has the appearance
f woman of means, she can easily /
rooure bail and thus escape the pain ]
nd detection of night in prison.
In speaking of her experience, Miss
1cNamee says that a large percentage
shoplifters are women OF good fam
lies and comparatively we'll off in
,orldly goods.
eve have to watch pretty carefully
} catch the professional shoplifter, " she
cyan. "You see, they are up to all
orts of ohioanery and can easily hood
link the salesgirl, who may be busy
18th half dozen customers at the same
me. You would never believe, to see
nose women on the street in all their
merry, that they would steal Some of
le shoplifters are born thieves. They
aunt the dry goods houses and steal ey.
~ time they get chance. You may
OF believe it, but l can tell at first
lance the woman who comes here to
jeal deliberately.
"Her eyes are sure index to her
loughts, and when you see woman
lancing searchingly about her you can
epend upon it that she means to steal.
Women with an untroubled conscience
D not act in this way.
There are three detectives in one
ore, and still the pilfering of the
rms property goes on from day to
ay. There is the woman who carries
f articles in closed umbrella, and
lere is the woman who manages to
onvey property to neatly arranged re-
.ptacle in har underdress lining To
, on to these tricks the female detective
Iust be ever on the alert and nip the
lief on the fly. There are thousand
nd one devices performed by shoplift-
1,,,+ 1Nf k0 l10 |
ing spotter. Then, again, the female
eteotive officiates as a sort of forewoman
7er the employees. They are certainly
oked upon as superiors by the girls,
1T it is not known that they ever re-
orted any inattention on the part of
nployees to customers 1t has been al
avs their policy to prefer charges only
hen the evidence is very strong, for if
leir claim is not sustained trouble fol-