The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-02
BRIGHT GIRL DETECTIVES.
TWO WHO KEEP UP A SHARP
WATCH FOR sHOPLIFTERs.
People Who PiIfer by Wholesale.
A Bottle of whisky Found in n
Girls stOcking-A ShOpIlfter's
slxirt--Babies Useful.
From the New York Sun.

Girls stOcI<ing-A ShOpIlfter's
SiSirt-Babies Useful.
From the New York Sun.
Go after her! She's got stuff! Co after
her" whispered the saleswoman, excit-
edly.
The girl detective took the alarm and
hurried to overtake a handsomely dressed
young woman. who was just leaving the
store. When she reached her side, how
ever, instead of sternly demanding the
stolen goods the detective, like the de-
tected went into spasms of laughter.
Its too Ridiculous" said the supposed
thief. II looked right at Miss b. spoke
purposely to a women next to me that she
might hear, and she never knew me at ALL
Now. I'm certain that No. 90 won't recog-
nize me either when she comes in. and I'll
be able to catch her at some of her tricks"
1--WE have to restort to all sorts of dis
guises to get even with the shoplifters,"
the other girl detective said to The Sun
reporter. They get so that they know
us, and are careful to be on their good
behavior when we're around, so we change
our dresses, hats, and coats, and the way
we fix our hair in order to fool them.
Often we stand right close to them in the
crowd and they don't recognize u.s."
I'VE are always dressed as if we had
Just come in from the street." said her
companion, "and no one ever takes us to
be connected with the store at ALL I fixed
myself up as an old woman once. with
spectacles, grizzly hair. scoop bonnet,
and an old shawl, and hobbled along for
several squares behind two women whom
of n baf boY,o
we had no real evidence against. Sure
enough they took the things TO a certain
fence in Ludlow street, which some time
after the police ralded. Several articles
belonging to the stock here were found
among the stolen goods that they hadt
been able to sell.
Were instructed to be very particular
about making arrests" she went on.
The superintendent says he would rather
have a hundred guilty people go unpun-
ished than have one innocent person &C
cused besides, IL falsely accused, the
parties could sue the house for heavy dam
ages. We never accuse any one, no mat
ter how much we may suspect, until we
actually see something stolen. I've been
detective in this store nearly ten years,
and I've got so that can tell a shoplifter
almost at first glance. I judge from the
uneasy way they roll their eyes around,
from the motion of their fingers, and
~AtD d9 NA4Ns AAON6 lAlEiI AAHQS. 1nGY
assume various DISCUSSES. Nearly all the
professionals that we arrest have pawn
tickets somewhere about them, and they
try TO get rid of these in all sorts of ways
so that we won't get hold of them. One
girl chewed UP a pawn ticket and swal-
lowed it, and was chewing up another
when we found out what she was up to.
Another girl had two rings in her mouth
which she had taken from the jewelry
counter"
DO you catch many shoplifters here?"
asked the reporter
I'VE got fifty-eight from Dec l up to
Christmas eve" answered the male detec-
tive. There are very few days that we
do not find two or three. and some of
them are old Offenders. A certain party,
well known here, was arrested six times.
This number does not include those who
admit that they took the things and prom
Use better behavior in the future we
nabbed man about 80 years old on
Christmas eve. He had taken three or
four pairs of childrens stockings, some
Windsor ties, toys. and a spring upon
which to hang bird cage.
The story he told to the supernten-
dent, which l afterward found to be true,
was so pitiful that the girls here were
in tears about II, and we gladly let htm
20. He was a hard workingman, only got
81 a week, had three children to support
and his wife had committed suicide a
few weeks before, having lost her mind
through worry and i'll health. The chill
dren had to stay by themselves all day.
while he was at work. except for the little
attention woman who lived in the same
house could give them. His little boy mad
a bird that he thought a great deal OF
He had nothing to give the children for
Christmas. ana so had stolen these things
He had never taken anything before.
There are lots of people who take
things without so good an excuse-women