Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-08-19
TRICKS OF THIEVING.
HOW SHOPLlFTERS PILFER IN NEW
Works. BIG STORES.

Women Who Use Clever Children Trained
TO the Business as Aids In Thor Nefa-
rious Calling-Thc Close Watch of the
Store Detective,
Schools for shoplifters are not adver-
tised, but they thrive. Female Fagins
are no longer regarded as phenomenal
criminals-they are considered we'll es-
tabllshed enemies to the police. Vigil
ance versus shoplifters, though, is
contest i'll which the store thieves are
invariably brought to grief.
AS woman leading little girl pass
ed from counter to counter in 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 at various
counters seldom lasted more than o
second When they had reached the
jewelry department, their pace slack
ened. AS they passed counter where
a sale of gold mounted combs was
in progress the woman's arm flew
out from beneath black cape and back
again. With the arm on it's 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 its case.
"What pretty stones, mammal ex-
claimed the child.
eyes, my dear" responded the WON.
an, "but we won't look at them today"
"Oh, yes. Let's stop. You know you
promised to buy me some earrings for
my birthday"
II know, but your birthday is still
far away"
"Why, mamma, you know that it is
next Tuesday"
my goodness! The child tells the
truth. How time does fly Well, Well
look at them, but I'll not promise you
to buy them today"
Then begins the examination of chill
dron's earrings. Mother and daughter
look at them critically-they admire
most of them. This goes on for several
minutes, the mother protesting to the
child that the purchase should not be
made today. Diamond earrings of all
sizes are in the tray.
A customer steps up to make an in
quiry. 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 little girl has two small earrings in
her hand and says:
won't you get mamma to buy me
this pair?' ,5t'
While the clerk smiles and the moth
er is saying they will call again in a
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 command is whispered in the
woman's ear:
Return that stolen property"
The girl takes to her heels. A man
follows and catches her.
The woman calls 1t an outrage. She
protests; says she'll make them pay 70,
the insult. She grows hysterical. They
lead the two back to 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 up. What's the use of 60
ing to the trouble of making another
scene? The child is years old and has
j., been but week under instruction. Be-
. ing arrested is new to her.
A society takes the child. Her teacher
, in crime, the woman who posed as hel
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 who had never been i'll sucf
scrapes before were released. This par
ticular store tries to avoid the courts a.
! much as possible.
+ One woman who was arrested wore
= shoplifter's skirt. This skirt consist
chiefly of pockets. There are pockets o
all widths and depths. This skirt i
usually worn as all underskirt. Al
- opening is provided in the overskirt
q through which the pocket filled skirt
easily accessible.
h In the concealed pockets of the won
d an mentioned were found two pieces
: embroidery, several rolls of silk braid
: six. remnants of silk, several pieces
Il jewelry and pair of shoes. Two OF tn
4 store detectives, q man and woman
{, had watched tho purloining of all thes
" articles.
> 1t is the rule Of most stores that II
h shoplifters are to be arrested until the
# reach tho street. Scenes caused by al
: rests are very undesirable i'll place
business. Besides this, those placed un
h dor arrest in stores often make tho dc
h tense that they did not intend to tax
e the goods away-they simply desired
IS examine them in good Right.
a, One shoplifter arrested last week
20 and ono on whom the stolen goods wer
d found, had six children at home. In
IS Youngest was months old. The WON
l. ans husband has good business. II
is furnished bail for her. When the pre-
ID prietors of the store learned that til
,,,, L.,i a G.mCnths-old child 9