Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-06

tioHefy IAN De carried OIL IN that way. 1
have known women to walk out with two
sealskin jackets or fur capes under their
dress skirts, which they secured in the fit
ting ROOM, n many a one has got on
with expensive undergarments they have
contrived to appropriate while trying on
the different styles, even with the sales
woman right there in attendance.
Goodness and assurance are the mann
essentials for the shoplifter. Some of
them, I believe, like the excitement of
stealing just as a gambler likes the ex-
element of a game of chance.
Being a detective makes you grow
softer-hearted," went On the astute wo-
man, as she Strengthened out the gloves
she had rescued from her carriage Gus
toner. when I first went into the bust
ness six years ago I was hard as a flint,
had no pity, and thought in every case
that the thieves got just what they de-
served. 1 know he world better now,
and know peoples temptations and so am
not so harsh. The other day I saw a pref
ty girl lingering a gold pin, one of several
unusually pretty ones stuck in a cushion.
She examined it again and again, and A.
nally, when she thought no one was look
ing, she slipped it in her muff. She was
refned-1ooking, and I was as sorry when
she put that pin away as though she We're
some relative. She moved about exaHin-
ing other things;bought some little knick-
knack or other, and then I saw her watch
the chance to put the pin back on. the
counter. 1 thought her conscience would
not let her keep it. and turned my atten-
ton elsewhere, but in a little while 1 saw
the same girl before that cushion of pins
again; she looked longingly at the one
she had previously selected, stretched
out her hand, and was just going to take
it when l touched her on the arm. my
dear, you don't want that L said, and 1
looked at her for a and then NOV
IL Che folJNu-oI /, (hnr 70 no
crimson) and thanked me effusively. L
don't know who you are she said, but
you have saved me from being a thief. I
was crazy for that pin, but had not the
money to get It, and l should not have
fingered round and looked at it as I did
Children not more than 8 or . years
old are among our shoplifters. Some car
ry off things of their own accord, plan
ming their own mode of doing it, and 9TH
ers are instructed by their mothers be-
fore they come, and frequently fix the
goods for the mother to get hold of, do
ing this while the women engage the
clerk in conversation or otherwise divert
attention. l saw a woman pinch a child
sharply one day when the little one did
not AXE the beaded pocket book that
had been showed just in front of her. 1t
had probably been a prearranged trick
that the child was to take certain things,
and when she failed to do this the pinch
1Gnllupur lltl. CIlC olIld
thief comes in here with two beautifully
dressed children, a girl and a boy, the
latter only about 4 years old. She slid
different articles that she took down the
child's back, and was carrying on several
remnants of fine embroidery and pieces
of nainSook when l stopped her out on
the pavement.
Every detective has to be especially
careful about guarding her identity, sbe-
cause once her face n figure become ia
miliar to the clan her usefulness is gone.
My name is never called in the store. and
If a friend of mine should come and ask
for me, they are careful to make sure
that she is really a friend before she is
granted an interview. All sorts of pre-
texts are resorted to by those who wish
TO discover the detectives identity. One
of a clan of deceivers will pretend to
have lost her purse, and ask to consult
with the detective about it. Another
will come with some co~ck-and-bull story
about some relative being i'll and having
sent for me in a hurry.
"When two women work together they
can perpleX a detective, and one not long
at the business, no matter how clever,
would be very likely to fall into their
trap. One trick Is for a woman to take
some article (While oStensibly trying to
divert the clerks attention from her mo-
tions) and TO do this so clumsily that he
takes note of the occurrence and warns
the elective. Later, when the counter
from which the woman took the goods
is crowded, she puts the article back. If
the detective. Later, when the counter
this, she accuses the woman wrongfully
| and gets into trouble.
One day, when l was working in a
store where arrests were frequent, a wo-
man sent in an urgent request that |
| would see her upon important business.
found her closely yelled, and, although
neatly dressed, l could see enough of her
face to feel a sort of sorrow at it's ex-
preston. She spoke very well and stated
that she had reason to suspect a person
living in the same apartment-house with
her, of having designs OF sons vaiuables
that she had in her fiat She was anxious