The morning times., 1895-08-11

strated by experience
1t requires skill and cunning to play
the shop-lifter, and at the present day the
| tyro is almost certain To be caught at the
| first attempt TIE proprietors and man
| ayers of stores have hedged themselves
around with private detectives, watchmen
| and spoilers and when these are absent the
| floorwalkers and clerks are INSTRUCTED d
| to keep sharp watch.
The men employed for this purpose are
| very careful in their work. They very sell
| dom arrest a person unless caught in the
| act of stealing, with the goods upon
| them. Even when found with the articles
| il is not always safe TO be too hasty and
To prefer charges, for claim OF having
absent -nlindedly taken up the things may
| be Sustained in the courts.
RATHER LOSE THE GOODS.
Such an occurrence and the publicity nat
uraliy given to the affair re much more det-
rimental to the store than the actual loss
| OF the goods The proprietors have learned
| this from experience, and instruct their
men to be very careful
detective employed in one of the Wash
| ington stores reported TO the firm that he
! gone out of the place, bat that there were
grounds for doubt, and under these circum-
stances he thought 1t was preferable 10
| run the risk of her having taken $50 than
| 10 make a mistake The proprietors en-
| dorsed this view, and said, furthermore,
that they would rather lose $500 worth Of
merchandise than have it said that they haCi
! accused an innocent pefsol.
Men employed in this kind of work are
| prone to become bold and too eager In
| course OF time they become more and more
| like the patroInlan on mis- beat. He forgets
! the deIi.acy with which he must act, and
| sometimes makes bad mistakes. These
hurt the standing OF the firm, and because
| of the frequent recurrence OF such affairs
some establishments-and among them are
! the largest-have done away with tue pri-
| yate watchman system
FLOOR WALKER ON THE WATCH.
The floor-waiker is the man on whom
| the burden of responsibility rests and he
! concerns himself about the matter far
| more diligently than when the other sys-
| tenn is in force, for then he is not held ac-
| eountab!c. Each clerk constitutes himself
a spottcr and in some cases this system had
worked admirably.
A Washington detective who has seen
many years of service in this line OF work,
tells of "A thing which frequently takes place,
and now ard then Genes 10 public notice
through the newspapers. Some shoppers
! purchase quickly Others have TO he shown a
! considerable quantity of merchandise be-
| fore they decide TO buy. Sometimes one OF
! the latter, after having looked over great
! amountaud variety ofgoodS, Suddenlycomes
| TO tine conclusion that ne can do better else
where and therefore leaves.
The girl behind ihe counter may be tired
! and worn out, and in this state is easily
| fretted by the hauling down and unrolling
| OF the big balls. In this frame of mind
| the declaration of the shopper that she
wants nothing to-day VIII probably bring
| from the girls lips:
''Oh, l knew she didn't want to buy.
! She is q shoplfter."
This remark, or words 10 the same effect,
! spread through the store, and, i'll fact,
other establtshm ents, until the lady is
| spotted in all of the stores of a city.
! The most insignificant act on the part
| of the innocent woman may result in
! her arrest. Numerous instances of this
! occur, and some of them have proved dis
/ aStrous to the firms.
| A CASE IN POINT.
| Not so many weeks ago woman was
apprehended in large Washington store
on the charge of shortlifting, sud despite
| her protestations OF innocence she was
| taken to the station-house. There the
| investigation showed that the prisoner
t had been pointed cut to the detective by
no tn ~ nv a
| clerk who had been warned by this par
| ticular woman when working at another
| store.
| The woman was absolutely respectable,
belonged to q good family, and the matter
was compromised only at an enorm ously
high figure.
| OF course there are just as many others
who are shophfters and are never de-
| tected. Firms lose thousands OF dollars
| worth of goods every year and are una Bile
| to account for their losses. Washington
does not afford an extensive field for
the successful operation of the shoplifter's
profession, aud hence the experts i'll the
business are not frequently found here.
The capital is, however, included in the
shoplifter's circuit. 1t may not be generally
known that parties of this class annually
| make the rounds of the great cities of the
country plying their trade In this circuit
are included New York, Philadelphia, Bal
timore and Washington and then perhaps
a little foraging and pilfering trip through
| the South and West. The goods obtained
I, are sent up North and there disposed of
to fence" or auctioned at a sacrifice
GOODS SOLD SECOND TINE.
1t has been known to be the case that the
| firm from whom the merchandise was
! stolen received the same things the second
! time
Detective McDevitt recalls q case where
three members of one of these bands came
| to grief in Washington. Two ladies', hand
somely dressed and accompanied by gen.
tieman, entered a dry goods store soon
| after opening, wEeI there was but one
clerk in the store. They were experts ut
| their trade, and purposrly asked TO see
| some heavy blankets whicS, of course,
| during the summer season were kept on
! the upper floors. The clerk, accompanied
| by the ladies, went up stairs, while the
| ladies' escort fingered near the door. After
some time had been spent in unpacking and
| inspecting the blankets the two customers
| stated that they would look around a little
more and if they did not find u better bar
| gain would return.
On going down to the first floor it was
| found that the gentleman had left and after
| the departure of the ladies it was discovered
| that about ST 600 worth of the finest silks
| had gone with him. The entire party was
arrested fifteen minutes later seated in a
| car which was just moving out from the
! Sixth street depot. Then not only had the
| ell
| $50 900 worth of silks aud laces which
| they had lifted while off on their trim