The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-30
SACRAMENTO SHOPLIFTERS.
SENSATION CAUSED BY THE AR
REST OF TWO WELL-KNOWN
WOMEN.
THEY HAD ENGAGED IN THEFT AT
WHOLESALE AND PLUNDERED
MANY STORES.

SACRAMENTO, March 29.-Mrs. Howell
Bidwell and Mrs. J. F. Farmer, two we'll
known ladies, were arrested to-day and
charged with petty larceny, there being
four complaints lodged against Mrs.
Farmer and two against Mrs Bidwell, with
numerous others to be heard from. The
discovery made to-day that these we'll
known ladies have been following a sys-
tematic practice of shop-lifting for long
period of time and that their populations
amount to thousands of dollars worth of
almost every imaginable kind of valuable
property, has created an immense excite
ment in all quarters of the city and is the
talk of the town.
Last evening Mrs. NJ. NJ. Parkinson, who
conducts a millinery store at Gil street,
hearing her doorbell ring requested one of
her apprentices to open the door. The
girl did so and informed her mistress that
Mrs. Farmer and Mrs. Bidwell were in the
store and had called to procure hat
which one of the ladies had left to be
pressed few days previous. Mrs. Parkin-
son directed the girl to give the article to
the ladies and collect so cents for the work
done. The girl was handed a dollar in
payment and was compelled to leave the
ladies alone in the store while she procured
the required change for Mrs. Parkinson.
While the latter was making the change
she heard noise in the store as though
something had been dropped into paper
bag. Her suspicious were aroused, and
after the ladies had departed she investi-
gated and found that one of her most valu-
able imported Partisan bonnets had dis
appeared. This morning Mrs. Parkinson
visited City Attorney ]. Frank Brown and
related the story and asked his advice.
The official issued search warrant and an
officer was ordered to serve it. In a short
time the policeman returned and desired
to know what kind of hat was wanted,
and stated that there was nearly hundred
hats to pick from of all shapes and sizes.
This aroused the suspicious of Chief
Drew, and he made a personal inspection
of the premises and discovered perfect
bonanza of silverware, cutlery, valuable
silk dress patterns, handsome purses deco
rated with pure silver, twenty pairs of
ladies kid gloves, pieces of valuable lace,
bolts of silks and satins, fine shoes, rib
bons, hat plumes worth S. apiece, in fact,
almost every conceivable article of value
that could be carried from store without
creating suspision.
That these populations have been carried
on for long period is evinced by the fact
that Mr.. Davis of the firm of Wasserman,
Davis & Co. discovered a remnant of silk
that had been purloined from the store of
the firm over year ago. The following
firms have identified portions of the stolen
property: B. Wilson & Co., dry goods /;
Weinstock and Lubin, Wasserman, Davis
& Co. and Z. S. Elkus; Mrs. Sullivan, Mrs.
Stafford, Mrs, Pealer and Mrs. Parkinson,
millinery; Gus Lavenson and Nolan &
Sons, shoes.
Both the ladies were born and grew up
in this city and their husbands are well
known, Mr.. Bidwen being an employee OF
the firm OF Van VOORHEES, and Mr.. Farmer
being noted musician. The ladies have
been released on bail pending trial