The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-02-21
A Woman in a Carriage
Disposed Of Stolen
Property.
An Organized Gang Thought 10
Be Working Stores in
This City.
Gloves Stolen From HE Bros. Identi.
fed by the Owners-"Mrs. Weiner"
Sells the Stolen Goods.

The Police Department is quietly but
earnestly searching for all organized gang
of shoplifters, who are believed TO be oper-
ating III this City on an extensive scale.
Several months ago the big fancy-goods
stores of this City began missing goods to
larger extent than is ordinarily the case
and several establishments, including the
Emporium and Hale Brothers, put COM
peteut men on the watch and also notified
the police.
In spite OF these precautions the losses
OF gloves, hosiery and other articles con-
tinued, and a search was then made for
the 'tence" that disposed of the stolen
goods.
This was also unsuccessful and the
merchants, who were the largest losers,
had begun to despair of getting at the
bottom of the matter when ali accident re-
vealed the scheme by which the thieves
got rid of their plumber. The discovery
was made by Jacob Wand of Michaels IL
Wand, the Kearny-street tancy-goods
dealers.
In the boarding house where he Ii yes
there also resides the mother of Police
Com missioner Gunst.
Several days ago handsomely dressed
woman stepped out OF a carriage In front
Oi tue nOuSe anu, entering, asked o see
some of the ladies who were boarding
there. When they came she corfided that
she had Just come from Australia and that
she had lot of fancy goods, gloves, laces
and the like that she would dispose OF at a
very low price.
| She said that they mad been struggled
INTO the country, and that the ladies
could have them for about half of what
they could be purchased in local estab-
lishments. She pleaded the immediate
| need of a considerable amount of ready
money as an excuse for selling them.
few articles were purchased by ladies
in the house, and Mrs. Gunst mentioned
| the visit to Mr.. Wand. The latter's curl
osIty was aroused, and he asked to see the
| gloves that had been bought of the
woman.
| An examination confirmed his uspicion
| for he saw the marks of several firms VINO
! he knew had lost articles. Later Hale
| Bros. identified some of the gloves by the
marks on them. They were goods that
had been purchased at about 50 per dozen,
and the seller had parted with them at
the rate OF 80 cents per pair.
The woman who had sold the goods
gave her name as Mrs. Weiner, but when
asked for her address in case 9th articles
were wanted later declined 10 give it. She
| was of medium height and rather stout
and wore a profusion OF jeweIry.
| Several ladies on Van Ness avenue, in
| the vicinity OF Suffer street, received calls
| from the woman, and number bought
from her to greater or less extent.
As far as the police can Judge from the
descriptions of her that lave been fur
nished them, she is newcomer in this
City and an experienced worker in her
particular line.
The theory that a regular gang is at
work is based on the extent of the losses
and the manner which the thieves have
adopted to get rid of their plumber.
The Dry-goods Mems Protective Asso-
citation has taken the matter up and will
do all in its power to aid the police in
rounding up the shoplifters