The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-11-12
WOMEN DETECTIVES.
IT 10 SAID THEY suRPAss MEN ~
CATCHING SHoPuIFTERs.

much In faVOF with the Big BoSeop
Business Houses.
An admirable female detective sSs.
tenn is in vogue in anumber of the lead
ing dry goods houses of this city.
1t has been proved beyond doubt
that the female thief catcher is moro
effective in the unwilling of shoplifters
than the most sagacious sleuth in the
Ieoret 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 fourishing dry goods house. This
is because of the fact that their identi-
ties become known 10 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 shoplifter is as familiar
with the figure of the inspector as she IL
with her cwn likeness. For this reason
unassuming and unsophisticated maid.
ems are put on the qui vive to ferret ont
willy shoplifters ana bring them co
speedy retribution. The girls assigned
to prosecute detective labor are well
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-
Sective. If she is lacking in acuteness
and fails to perform her work satisfao-
| torily, another is substituted in her stead
and the benighted one is given posi-.
ton in the store.
Nor does the competent detective de.
pend entirely upon her wits in deter.
mining who is shoplifter and who fs
not She is generally a reader of char
acter and is very apt to ascertain by
study of face whether its owner is a
designing person or not The shopliftes
often excites the suspicion of the spos
ter the moment she enters the stora
There are certain airs of uneasiness in
her department that catch the prao-
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 the counter
without exciting suspicion. The pro
fessional'' never attempts theft with.
out first feeling certain that she is nos
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
MoNamee 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 II
years, with jet black hair and cheeks
like blush rose, and is considered the
most prepossessing girl in the business,
Her partner, Miss Leahey, is an attract,
i've blond, with natty figure Each has
her own district to patrol daily, but
sometimes both can be seen in deep con.
versation in the little Office on the Penn.
berton square side. The most cautious
shoplifter would fail to detect in the
demeanor of the twain the nature of
their calling. and thus it is they ore
able to expose more wrongdoing in the
store than any Of the inspectors at pc
lice headquarters
When a shoplifter is caught dead to
rights, shei 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 poles |
headquarters. If she has the appearances
of 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 well off in
worldly goods.
eve 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 Yor >-ould never believe, to sea
those women on the street in all their
fnery, that they would steal Some OF
the shoplifters are born thieves. They
haunt the dry goods houses and steal ev-
cry time they get chance. You may
not believe it, but | can tell at first
glance the woman who comes here to
steal deliberately.
fHer eyes are sure index to her
thoughts, and when you see woman
glancing searchingly about her you can
depend upon it that she means to steal
Women with an untroubled conscience
10 not act in this way"
There are three detectives in one
store, and still the pilfering of the
arms property goes on from day to
day. There is the woman who carries
off articles in a closed umbrella, and
here is the woman who manages to
convey property to neatly arranged re-,
,eptacle in har underdress lining To
be on to these tricks the female detective [
must be ever on the alert and nip the {
md one devices performed by shoplift.
rs, but not one is unknown to the cum !
hing spotter Then, again, the female !
detective officiates as a sort of forewoman
yer the employees. They are certainly
ooked upon as superiors by the girls
et it is not known that they ever re- ]
'orted any inattention on the part Of 0
Employees to customers. It has been al.
Ways their policy to prefer charges only
7hen the evidence is very strong, for If
heir claim is not sustained trouble fol- !,
1ws. 1t is claimed that it has never oc- :,
urred that the detectives were in faul. 4
n accusing person Of theft Boston
rSVellsE
How does Midgely get the repuga
.afl L.,