The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-02
THE GLAMOUR OF SILKS
MRS. MOLLY JENKINS AND MISS
CLARA JENKINS ARRESTED.
Each, 1T Is Alleged, Lifted" $3 Worth
of Goods in StOre-Mer-
chants Action.

Newspaper readers may have gained the
impression that an epidemic of shoplifting
has taken a strong hold in Indianapolis.
Though it may be that there have been
more cases of shoplifting in the last few
weeks than before, the publicity that has
been given to them is due to the fact that
the merchants have tired of losses and con-
slant watchfulness and are making a de-
termined effort to punish all who steal from
the stores. The police are informed that
the Merchants Association has employed
attorneys to prosecute shoplifters. Cases
of shoplifting have been common enough,
but when the guilty ones have shown re
spectability'' in most cases they have been
taken to the Office of the manager of the
store and threatened with arrest and finally
let go with the warning that they will be
prosecuted if they are again discovered TAX
ing goods without paying for them.
Yesterday afternoon two more women
charged with stealing in the downtown
stores were slated for shoplifting. They
were Mrs. Molly jenkins, forty years old,
of 1917 East Vermont street, and Clara Jen-
kins, twenty-three years old, who came to
this city from Muncie on Monday.
The women say they are not re-
before. Detective Weible brought them
both in. Detective Weible was called
to Block & Co.'s store on Washington
street, and as he entered the door floor
walker pointed out the younger of the two
women and said, There is one of the
women you want" She was about to leave
the store The detective stopped her and
asked what she had under her coat. She
pulled out a small package. 1t was a piece
of silk worth So, wrapped in paper She
confessed without hesitation that she had
taken it from one of the counters and had
wrapped it with a piece of paper she found.
The detective led her into the managers
office, where the older woman had been
taken after, as alleged, she was detected
lifting" a piece of silk the same value as
that the younger woman had stolen. 1t
seemed at first that Mrs. Jenkins had
slipped out of the office, but glance around
the room revealed that she was crouching
under a stairway. When she was discov
cred she came from her hiding place. She
wore black silk dress and 1T was smirched
gray with dust and laced with cobwebS
from the walls of her retreat. She made a
pathetic scene, but was taken to the police
station with her companion.
She Sobbed and cried when she was put
behind the bars. and begged that she be re-
leased, saying she would gladly pay for
what she had taken.
"Oh, l don't know why i did it," she ex-
claimed Il didn't need it. Please let me
out. I'll die if 1 have to stay here
Are you married." she was asked.
"Oh, yes" she moaned. Il have a fam
lily. oh, please unlock this door and let
me GO"
She seemed on the verge of going into a
hysterical flt. Her behavior was in contrast
to that of the other woman Clara Jenkins
was cool and resigned to her harsh apart
ment. She said that she had no family
and had worked year in boarding house
in Muncie. She was well dressed and she
answered questions as quietly and politely
as If she had been serving meals to the
guests of the boarding house which she had
left two days ago. She also said 'she didn't
know why she did it," She needed neither
the goods, she said, nor the money the goods
might bring. She had 49,
Il have a gentleman friend here" she
said, but l wouldn't tell his name. He
would feel himself disgraced if it became
known that woman he was acquainted
with had been arrested. Are such cases
as mine tried in Police Court?'
Sne was told that her case would be tried
in Police Court and that her bond was $3.50
She thanked her informant and said she
did not have the money to bail herself out
and bad no friends here she would appeal
to. She pleaded with her fellow-prisoner
to go and lie down on bunk and be quiet.
1T will do no good" she said. Ito force
yourself into Mysteries"
woman. IN die if they don't let me out
My husband must not learn of this.
She did not think it necessary to appear
why she should be locked up when she was
willing to pay for the goods. The younger
woman had no such delusions Mrs. Jen-
kins had a little money in her pocket and
also receipt showing she had paid taxes
on household goods.
Mrs. Jenkins sent out many messages to
friends, and late in the afternoon one of
them bailed her out. She and the younger
woman will appear before Judge Cox this
morning. Once the court was lenient with
shoplifters who appeared in the guise of
'kieptomaniacs, but not long ago he sent
one, Weil,dressed woman who had several
hundred dollars in her pocket, to the work
house for shoplifting and announced his in
tentlon to break up the fast-growing evil
IL it were in his power