The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-24
SHOPLIFTERS' WORK
INDIANAPOLIS STORES METHOD
OF DEALING WITH THEM.
K-Ieptomania in Well Developed
Cascs-PnferfnE by Women
Is on the Increase.

"Shoplifting is on the increase in Indian
apolis." remarked the fastidiously dressed
floor walker of the biggest dry goods store
on Washington street. As he spoke he
sauntered over to the glove counter, where
a moment before a fiashily-clad young wom-
an had stood tossing the wares about. Some
thing in the action of the girl as she moved
away to another counter provoked the OBJ
servation on the part of the floor walker.
He watched her narrowly as she disap-
peared behind a huge pile Of silks in the
rear of the store.
You don't think she was going to. lift
anything, do your ventured the reporter.
You can't tell" he said. There are
so many of them these days that when a
woman. we don't know here acts a
bit suspiciously while examining goods, she
is at once suspected. This store is per-
haps troubled more than any other firm
in town with shoplifters. There are so
many departments and so many clerks.
Why, last week we caught five thieves right
in the act. Two of them were arrested
and locked up and the other three were
let go. AS a rule the clerk who is waiting
on a shoplifter will not detect a theft. 1t
is an easy matter for a floor walker to To-
cate them. Usually / can tell a shop
litter the moment / see her. I say her for
they are nearly all women. There is some
thing about them that they can't disguise.
Although Indianapolis is not troubled with
this class of thieves like larger cities, we
have nearly every variety. The character
istics of some of these ladies are singular.
There is one unfortunate women in this
city. who is known to nearly every clerk
in the store. 1 suppose she might be called
a kleptomaniac. She belongs to the best
society in town and has a wealthy hus-
band who supplies her with money. You
would not believe it, but it is not an in
frequent occurrence for her to come in here
and carry away som article that strikes
her fancy. OF course she purloinS it and
1t is nothing short of shoplifting. but we
never modest her. The clerks are in
Structed to make a note of the stolen
article ard report it at the office. AT the
end of the month the house makes out the
bill and sends it around to the woman's
husband. He knows her weakness and is
willing to pay for it rather than have her
exposed, This arrangement was entered
ment of the store some years ago and 1t
still continues.
You would be astonished at the manner
in which some of these shoplfters will
lie to shield themselves. One of the women
caught last week is the the wife of a rail-
road man who has a nice home in the east
end of town. There Is no reason in the
world why she should steal Last week
she came in here and while looking over
the articles on the jewelry counter, lifted
a 75-cent scarf-pin. 1 stood within three
a shoplifter until they are about leaving
the store. | usually intercept them at the
1 door ana always make THIS nttlo Speecn,-
Wont you please pay for that article
you took a moment ago.?
"Of course, this woman was indignant,
and 1 didn't blame her, because it's a
mighty humiliating thing to be marched
down the aisle with a hundred pair of fem
mime eyes ON you and a at your
elbow. | said to her when she m to
jerk away from me:
Now, madam, please don't make a scene.
| / know that you have d scarf pin IN your
hand, and you didn't pay for it. Just keep
quiet and you shall not be exposed,
broke down. The pin fell from her hand
and she fell upon her knees in front of the
the sympathy we had for her was speedily
d~issipated when she began to tell a string
of falsehoods; First she gave US a false
name, and / think changed her address two
or three times. 1t was only when one of the
city detectives was summoned that she told
First She didn't know why she had taken
the article, and then said that her husband
curtailed her pin money. Neither were
! Well, somebody else will have to figure that
out. Nine out of ten shoplifters sing us the
were guilty of such an act. and they avow
they won't attempt it again. We don't ar
goods back, for the firm does not want to
prosecute unless 1t is necessary. There is
one little lady in this city that have been
she is a professional shoplifter, and she
knows that know it. She dresses elegant
ly, and has a pair of swapping black eyes.
l thought / had her the other afternoon.
but she was too foxy for me. I found her
in the act of stuffing several yards of lace
in her muff. She was just getting it in
shape when / stepped up. In an instant she
had It on the counter ana was softly rub
/ have been trying for the last six months
to catch a party of four women who come
Every rustic of their skirts proclaims them
shoplifters, but they are too crafty for me.
| They know that / am familiar with their
| vocation. and they have adopted a novel
plan to thwart any attempt at detection:
They used to come together, the four of
them, and they would, sweep. through the
| store in an almost solid rank. Now they
/ don't do it. The moment they enter the
rate. : They work separately and don't
| recognize each other. OF course, they don't
| get much, but it's aggravating to allow a
woman who knows she is watched TO ply
her trade without interference. Shoplifting
is chiefly confined to smaller articles, al
though once in a while we miss something
big. 1t hasn't been long since an entire bolt
of navy serge was stolen from one of the
caught.
"The most distressing case we have on
our list is that OF a dressmaker, VINO cant
| and then. She is one of the regular custom
| ers of the store and is often extended cour-
tesies in the way of credit, She comes with
great pockets on the inside of her cloak
and deposits the articles she picks up in
| she made a foray and included a Bible in
~ had an experience with a shoplifter
III A024S
| dressed young woman with very black eyes.
"A big woman came into my department to
buy a purse. She looked over the lot and
| then said she didn't believe she would, buy.
I turned my back for a moment and she
sneaked one of the best in the lot. | fol-
lowed her out of the store and half way
| into the next square before. l could catch
| her. She was a fast traveller but / was
! bound to get her. and did. ! ran a bluff
and made her confess that she had stolen
| a purse. She wanted to pay Cor it, but I
| was determined to demonstrate my detec-
| tive ability and marched her back to the
| office. Then there was a scene and they let
| the woman 60"
II don't think women make good de-
/ tectives.'s continued the dark-eyed maiden,
because we had one around here during
| the holidays. She was employed in the Off
/ cial capacity of a detective but she is not
Working now. / don't know what became of
! her. Before she came to the store she was
q ~sspotter' for the street car company. We
| understood that she detected a thousand
errors in two months. but that is different
| from detecting shoplifters.'
Pensions for Veterans.
The applications of the following named
Indianians have been granted:
a-4-;-a1 Iapoac Noes MarfiucblIro Wash