Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-07-14
TRICKS OF THIEVTNG.
HOW SHOpLIfTERS PILFER IN NEW
Works. BIG STORES.
Women Who Use Clever Children Trained
to the Business IS aids In Their Nefa-
Store Detective.

to the Business IS aids In Their Nefa-
rious Calling-The 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-
tablished enemies to the police. Vigil
ance versus shoplifters, though, Is a
contest in which the store thieves are
invariably brought to grief.
AS woman leading a little girl pass
ed from counter to counter in a 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
second. When they had reached the
jewelry department, their pace slack
ened. AS they passed counter where
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 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 its case.
"What pretty stones, mammal ex-
claimed the child.
eyes, my DEAR" responded the wom-
an, "but we won't look at them today"
ooh, yes Let's STOP You know you
promised to buy me some earrings for
my birthday"
'I know, but your birthday is still
far away"
"Why, mamma, you know that it is
next Tuesday"
"My goodnessl The child tells the
truth. How time does fly! Well, We'll
look at them, but I'll not promise you
to buy them today"
Then begins the examination of chill
dren'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?''
While the clerk smiles and the moth
er is saying they will call again in
Gay 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 a 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 it an outrage. She
protests; says she'll make them pay for
the insult. She grows hysterical. They
lead the two back to 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 10 years old and has
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 her
mother, is held for trial.
This is but a sample case. In the
same store last week there were Is ar
rests for shoplifting. Those of the pris-
oners who had never been in such
scrapes before were released. This par
ticular store tries to avoid the courts as
much as possible.
One woman who was arrested wore
shoplifter's skirt This skirt consists
chiefly of pockets. There are pockets Of
all widths and depths This skirt is
usually worn as an underskirt. An
opening Is provided in the overskirt,
through which the pocket filled skirt is
easily accessible.
In 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
jewelry and pair Of shoes. Two Of the
store detectives, a man and woman,
had watched the purloining Of all these
articles
It is the rule Of most stores that no
shoplifters are to be arrested until they
reach the street. Scenes caused by ar
rests are very undesirable in place of
business. Besides this, those placed un
der arrest in stores often make the de-
tense that they did not intend to take
the goods away-they simply desired to
examine them in good 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 wom-
ans husband has a good business. He
furnished bail for her. When the pro-
prietors of the store learned that the
woman had a 6-months-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.
Kleptomania is q mistaken notion
that some women have chat stores are
easily victimized, " is the definition that
the detectives give. New York Tele-
gram.
A bar Of lead cooled to about 800 de-
grees below zero, according to an ex-
pertinent Of III. Pietet, gives out when
Aruck pure musical tone.