Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-07-09


tised, but they thrive. Female Fagins
are no longer regarded as phenomenal
criminals-thcv are considered well os-
rablished enemies to the police. Vigil
ance versus shopliftors, though, Is Il
contest in which the store thieves arc
invariably brought to grief.
As q woman leading little girl pass
ed from counter 10 coUntcr III Il Sixth
avenue store one day last week another
woman closely followed and never took
her eyes off her The woman with the
little girl walked and talked rapidly.
They asked for nothing; their eyes
sought much Their stops ut various
counters seldom lasted more than Il
second. When they had reached the
jewelry department, their pace slack
cned. As they passed 4 counter where
Il sale of gold mounted combs was
III progress the woman's arm flew
out from beneath 4 black cape and back
again. With the arm on its return trip
had gone one of the most handsome and
expensive combs.
On the woman and the little girl
passed until they came opposite tray
of earrings The clerk was about to re-
turn the tray to It's case.
"What pretty stones, mammal ex-
claimed the child.
Yes. my dear" responded the wom-
an, '.but wcwon' look at them today.
tOh. yes. Let's stop. You know you
promised TO buy me some earrings for
my birthday
II know, but your birthday is still
Ear away. =
WHY, mamma, You know that it is
next Tuesday.
My goodness, The child tells the
truth. How time does fly! Well, We'll
look at them, bat I'll not promise You
10 buy tLSi.l today.
Then bs::.ius the examination of chill
drcn eaT1iags. Mother and daughter
look Ut them critically-they admire
most Of them. This goes on for several
minutes. the mother protesting to the
child thar the purchase should not be
made ia3av Diamond earrings of al
sizes axe il tie Tray.
y customer steps up to make an in
curry. The clerk turns her eyes for an
instant toward her questioner. One of
the largest Of the diamond earrings
gives flash and is gone The little girl
comes between her mother and the
counter. When the customer is gone,
the littIe girl has two small earrings i'll
her hand and says:
Wont you set mamma to buy me
this pair
While the clerk smiles and the moth
er is saying they will call again in 4
day or two the large diamond earring
is being fastened inside the cape. The
mother thanks the clerk, then they
hurry from the store.
They are scarcely out on the sidewalk
before 4 command is Whispered i'll the
woman 5 car:
Return that stolen property. .
The girl takes to her heels. a man
follows and catches her.
The woman calls it an outrage She
protests; says she'll make them pay for
the insult She grows hysterical. They
lead the two back 10 a side door They
take them into the searcher's room.
Then the woman detective carefully ex-
amines all their clothing. The child
cries. The woman becomes silent. She
sees it's all ND. What's the use of 60
ing to the trouble OF making another
scene: The child is - years old and has
been but week under instruction. Be-
ing arrested IS new to her
\ society takes the child. Her teacher
in crime. the woman who posed as her
mother, is held for trial.
This is but sample case. In the
same store last<week there were 10 ar
rests for shoplifting. Those Of the pris-
oners vino had never. been in such
scrapes before We're released. This par
ticular store tries to avoid the courts as
much as possible
One woman who was arrested Wore 4
shoplifter's skirt. This skirt consists
chiefly of pockets There are pockets of
all widths aud depths. This skirt is
usually worn as an underskirt An
opening is provided in the overskirt,
through which the pocket filed skirt is
easily accessible.
IL the concealed pockets Of the wom-
an mentioned were found two pieces of
embroidery, several rolls of silk braid,
six remnants Of silk, several pieces Of
ievelry and Il pair Of shoes. Two of the
store detectives. q man and a woman,
had watched tie pulloining Of all these
articles.
1t is the rule Of most stores that no
shoplifters are to be arrested until they
reach the street. Scenes caused by ;r-
rests are very undesirable il q place Of
business. Besides this those placed TN
der arrest III stores often make the de-
Tense that they did not intend to take
the goods away-thcy simply desired to
examine them IL coed light.
one shoplifter, arrested last week.
and one on whom the stolen goods were
found had six children at home. The
Youngest was 6 months Old The WON
an husband has good business. He
furnished bail Ter her When the pro-
prietors q the store learned that the
woman lad Z G-mcntl!s-old child at
home they Withdrew the complaint
against her The woman S husband said
he could not understand why she should
wish to steal
Store detectives deny that there is
any such thing as kleptomania.
"Klepiomania is q mistaken notion
that somc women have that stores are
easily yictiMizvd, is the definition that
the detectives give.-New York Tele-
gram.
Humanity In War.
For the mass Of fighting men war is
certainly more humane than twas even
generation ago, because the destruc-
tive forces employed are 50 great that
many Of the most risky maneuvers
which were considered of first ilnpor
lance in military art are now obsolete.
a charge against a we'll equipped and
+,.,;,,o1 foo world NOT rO[y ln attnr,,-,t-