The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-18
ARREST OF SH0PLIfTERS
They Have Been Operating on an Ex-
tensiye Scale In This City.
SIX OF THEM ARE IN THE Tolls
In tho House at 1888 POM Avenue. Which
They Occupied. Were Found Goods
Worth from ST 500 TO $4,000.
Their Plan Of Operation.

up of a gang of shoplifters ever made
In this city was that done yesterday
by Chief william II. Simpson, Captain
r. w. Edwards and detail of officers.
Three Italians and their wives were
placed behind the bars. and the house
where they lived, at 1895 Penn avenue.
in Green Ridge, yielded up when
searched from cellar to attic q monde
script collection Of everything from q
yard of silk to u spool of thread, from
a gold watch to q hairpin. and from u
suit Of clothes to cotton handkerchief.
All the goods recovered by the police
filled seven large trunks, and the most
conservative estimate places the value
at from $1,000 to $1,000.
The names Of the prisoners are Philip
Lodato and wife, Andrew, his brother,
and wife, and Peter Spoto and wife.
The thievipg was done by the women.
and they have been so adept In their
work that the amount of goods recov-
cred yesterday has been stolen within
the past year.
Chief OF Police Simpson has been
aware for several weeks that two
Italian women We're going around from
store to store In the city shoplifting.
The complaint came PRINCIPALLY from
the jewellers, who had suffered to q
great extent from the depredations.
The Way They Operate.
The way they did the business was
remarkable for its barefaced daring.
Two of the women usually went to-
gether and they carried child with
them. If they went into a jewelry
store they wanted to see the best gold
watches and when the price would be
told to them a shrug Of the shoulders,
peculiarly characteristic of Italians,
would follow and. "Ah, me no wanta
see that gooda watch; me lika four,
fiva dollar
The clerk that waited on them as a
rule left the tray of gold watches on
the case while he went to get the cheap
watches, and invariably when they
went out one Of the good watches was
missing.
Three or four days ago they went
into G. L. Ackerman's jewelry store on
Wyoming avenue and bought a ring
for an infant. A gold watch worh S55
that they did not buy went with them.
Two months ago two Italian women
were in Ackerman's and the clerk
waited on them. They stole $40 gold
watch that was not missed until they
had gone. 1t is believed that it is the
same women who stole both watches.
Saw One Of the Women.
MIR. Ackerman saw one Of the woman
yesterday morning and he told Pa
trolman Meinzer, and she was arrested
and locked up. The chief sent for Pa
trolman Victor Sartor. He recognized
the woman and he found out from her
where she lived.
A search warrant was procured and
Captain Edwards. Officer Steven Dyer,
Patrolmen Sartor, Feeney. Johler,
Meinzer and Clerk J. Robert Simpson,
Jeweler Ackerman, Oscar Adams, Jew
eler E. G. Lloyd, George Pryor, and
VIII Evans visited the house and a
wagon was sent out.
A search was made through the house
and scarcely nook or corner was WIS.,
tied in vain. In the cellar about $500
worth of silk dress goods was found
covered beneath a heap of culm. In
one trunk upstairs was found fourteen
suits of mems clothes of all sizes. The
afternoon was occupied in loading up the
wagon and enough was secured to start
up novelty store. The three families
live in a house owned by Mrs. c. j.
Sykes.
Some Of the Spoil Identified.
Jeweler Lloyd identified a plated gold
chain; Frank ]. Ward, of Fritz's store
identified two razors. The women
were in Fritz's store not long ago and
Mr.. Ward caught them stealing a razor
and took 1t from them and put them
out, but when they left he found an
other razor missing.
jewelers. Mercereau & Connell, Free
man. and Gross have missed diamonds
and jewelry. The shoes found bear the
marks Of Banister's and Shank's, and
boht these gentlemen identified several
pairs at the police station.
Goldsmith's Bazaar, Friend & Ruyl,
and the Globe Warehouse are among
losers. as q good deal OF their goods
are among the job lot recovered.
Chief Of Police Simpson opened all
OF the trunks last night and took out
the contents. The majority of the dry
goods was identified as belonging to
Goldsmith's 5Bazaar In one of the
trunks was found a bank book con-
tanning an account of 1855 opened by
Sproto on Dec. ., 1894.
About fifteen suits of clothes of all
sizes and colors were assorted out of
the heap and there was scarcely a sim
gle one but was stolen from Lauer &
Marks.
DDTnE M C0I nDEn MAN