The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-29
COUNTER THIEVES.
in Wor-
cester's Department
Stores,
WHAT THE MERCHANTS SAY.
How the Evil Flourishes
In Holiday.
Trade.

Shoplifting is one Of the evils that
merchants have to contend with, out
this city is remarkably free from sneak |
thieves, as compared with many cities
of the same size.
Worcester is naturally law abiding |
community, and the police department
have professional gangs of operators
pretty well spotted, so that when nice
little family party comes up from Bos-
ton, bent on doing" the local stores, |
they are told very politely by the po-
lice that their services are no longer
required.
In fact. if they remain In the city, the
department will be under the painful
necessity of locking them up. And they
generally take the first train back to
Boston or New York, where the chances
of their being detected are very much
smaller. Chief of Police brennan says
that there have been no professionals
working the stores here for some time.
The petty thieving going on is confined
TO amateurs almost altogether and while
the bulk of their peculations may ag-
gregate quite a sum in the course OF
a year. still there are seldom whole
sale raids of the big department stores.
At the Boston store, H. A. Cook, SUI
perintendent of the departments, says
that of course they lose a few things
every year, and it is to be expected
But the pilferers are pretty well Known,
and a stranger who acts suspiciously
is always watched. Perhaps you can
not understand what l mean," Mr..
Cook said, but if you had been in this
business a number of years you would
develop a sort of instinct that makes
you watch certain people. But there is
no system of surveillance over the Gus
toners, as is employed in some large
stores in cities like New York or Bos-
ton. We trust to our customers hon
or, and il some one pliers some small
article, why we may not know Of it,
At John C. Machines Co.'S, one
of the floor walkers admits that a
number of articles are stolen through
out the year, but it is impossible to esti-
mate how much.
THE CLERKS AND FLOOR WALK
ERS,
in attending to the customers wants,
naturally observe any one acting in
suspicious manner, and occasionally
some woman is caught secreting some
small article in her bag, or about her
person.
A member of the firm of Barnard,
Sumner & Putnam company told The
Spy reporter several amusing stories
Of women who had been caught shop
lifting in their place. For some time
ribbons were being missed from che
ribbon counter, and no one was seen to
take them. The pilfering went on for
several weeks. 1t was at last noticed
by an observing clerk that a certain
woman Kept coming in the store carry
ing muff, although the weather was
very mild. She was closely watched,
and was seen to drop her muff en- the
ribbon counter, and then, after falling
to make purchase, walk carelessly
away The floor walker. went up to her
and told her he wanted to see her alone
a moment The woman became hgsteri-
cal, and Immediately owned up to TAX
ing the ribbon At her home a large
amount Of valuable ribbon was found
AT Christmas time, and during holt
day trade, when the stores are crowd
cd the pest opportunities are afforIe
the sneak thief to pilfer. Some of the
BEST DRESSED LOOKING WOMEN
are guilty of taking some article that
might not cost more than ten cents
one woman, on certain Christmas
eve was seen to stuff a nunhar or
hanuKefchlefS in her shopping hay : he
was confronted by the floor walker
VINO asked her in private WHY sha took
those things. 1t seemed that she came
~ rom the country to do her Christmas
puylns, ana at the last moment found
she had left out of her, calcuIations oz,a
member of the family. She bad ~
money 20 buy anything else. So sne.
eook the handkerchiefs. MADAM F"
sald member of the firm. .'you have
lot palu Tor these goods, so YOU cannot
Win proprlety give them as presents
1t would be better for us to send mr.,
with our card inelosed."
AIiotner woman, who had a good
cIeQlI at the store, one day was detect !
ed taking some article that would ,9o+ |
cost more than 25 cents. wben asi 10
why she had taken it, she could onIv
say: don't see why | did ii. can.
not understand why | should have IA
ken II. She would not have Thought |
OF buying the article in question al |
though her credit was good for a hun |
ureu times as much, but the impulse
came upon her and she yielded to it.
sun another case was that of a wo- |
man VINO took some fancy article worth !
perhaps dollar. In the private office
of the firm, she said she only had 60 |
cents with her, but would GET the |
money from friend. This was foo
transparent trick, and the suggestion
of an officer made her produce a gold
watch as security until she could bTine
the money. She never made her an.
pearance, and it was nearly a year af-
ter that man came into the store |
and asking for the watch, produced the
necessary amount.
All the heads of departments agree
that articles are being taken
from them every year, that are
known nothing of. On many in
stances Of detection they fix the matter
up with the guilty party without re-
course to the courts. The women alrl