The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-18
TWO FEMALE THIEVES
EXPERT SHOPLIFTERS GATHERED
IN BY THE POLICE.
They Were Shipping a Box of Plum
der to ChicagO-CIaims of
the Women.

Two women arrested yesterday afternoon
at the dry goods house of Brosnan Bros.
gave the names of Mrs. M. Gordon, Brazil,
and Mrs. II. Smith, Louisville. The women
are charged with grand larceny and it is
believed at police headquarters that they
are shrewd pair of shoplifters. When ar
rested one of the women had a costly plaid
silk skirt in her possession which she had
picked up in the Brosnan store. Patrol
man Griffin was called in and took the
women in charge. They pleaded with the
officer to release them, and the woman who
had the skirt admitted she had stolen it.
She claimed they were very poor, and said
poverty had caused them to commit the
theft.
At the police station the women were
questioned closely by Superintendent Quig-
ley and the detectives. They were both
well dressed, and appeared to be respect
able. Their appearance, however, did not
bear out the statement made to the patrol
man that they were depressed financially.
The Gordon woman had a pocketbook con-
tanning $l10 and pair of valuable diamond
earrings. She also had pawn checks for
jewelry from pawnbrokers in Cincinnati,
Chicago, st. Paul and Denver. The Gordon
woman gave her age as thirty-three, and
the Smith woman said she was twenty
three. They claim to be aunt and niece.
A receipt from the Adams Express Com
pany was found in possession of one of the
prisoners, and an officer was sent at once
to the Office of the company. Presenting
the receipt the man received a large pack
age addressed to Mrs. P. H. Gordon, Chi
cago." The package had been deposited at
the office a few hours before the women
were arrested. 1t contained large guam
tity of new silken finery. There were silk
waists, silk petticoats, pair of gloves and
a pair of fine slippers bearing the name or
the Shillito Company of Cincinnati. the
gloves were identified by a representative
of the WATSON dry goods house. Part OF
the other articles found were identified by
people from the New York store and Boyd,
Besten & Langen. 1t is thought one of the
silk skirts belongs at the L. 5. AyreS store.
say concerning their arrest. The Gordon
woman admits she has lived in Chicago,
but says her home has lately been at Brazil.
She says her husband recently joined the
saw the Gordon woman yesterday evening,
and claims he knew her when she lived in
Chicago. One of the women says she
stopped at the Bates House on Monday
night. In the package found at the express
office yesterday was sheet OF note paper
from the Bates on which a letter had been
half written. In searching one of the wom-
en- yesterday the matron found a new pair
of shears secreted in the prisoners stock
ing. To-day the prisoners Will be photo
graphed and measured by the Bertillon sys-
tenn. Their pictures and measurements will
then be sent to the police departments of
the larger cities. The Smith woman, who
is the younger of the two, is rather pretty.
She lie tall and slender, and of dark COM
plexion. The other woman is rather short,
with dark hair and grey eyes.