Catoctin clarion., 1899-11-30
sHoPLlFTING.
Ways That Are Dark And Tricks That
Are Vain.

Are Vain.
There is no section of criminals that
displays such varied ingenuity as
shoplifters, said a clever detective
who has had long experience Of the
fraternity; and can assure you that
many of them might give lessons in
cunning to the most artful Chinee.
Shoplifting Is a science that appeals
certain extent, disarms suspicion,
especially when, as is usual, they are
elegantly dressed, and do their shop.
Their dress gives them unlimited
scope for the concealment of small
articles; and again, the game Is so
comparatively free from risk, for If
they are caught red.handed, as a rule
1t simply means an awkward inter.
view with the proprietor, and pay.
ment for the goods appropriated.
You see, 1t does not pay fashion.
able shopkeeper to give his house
bad reputation as haunt of thieves;
and, further, many of the lady-lifters
are women with some standing in So
ciety, who are either kleptomaniacs,
or who cannot resist the sudden temp.
tation OF anneXing pretty thing with
out payment.
Ladies of this class are novices in
the art, and are readily detected. A
common practice with them is to slip
any small article from the counter in
to their umbrellas when the assist
ants back Is turned. II detected, it
is the simplest Of accidents, and the
culprit apologies prettily, and re-
stores the article.
One lady, who had quite long and
successful career at counter-stealipg,
was always accompanied by little
girl ostensibly her daughter, carrying
large doll. The mother, who was
young and pretty, and faultlessly
dressed, would hold the doll while she
was being served "a very natural and
prudent act with valuable doll which
the child might drop at any moment);
and when the assistants attention was
Withdrawn she would slip into the hol.
low interior of the doll any small
article, from bottle Of scent to an
article of jewelry, that might be ly.
ing near her.
OF course, nearly all city firms en-
ploy women detectives, smartly dress
ed and of lady-like appearance, who
mix with the crowd Of purchasers. and
have very keen eye indeed for these
peculations.
The tricks of the male shoplifter are
much more varied and subtle than
those of his female rival. A very
common practice is to carry stick or
umbrella with hollow receptacle at
the top. A spring releases the silver
or gold mounted top; the stolen
article, which must naturally be small
as it is valuable, is slipped into the
padded hollow, and the top sprung
back again into position.
A very skilful thief made a hiding.
place Of the hollow part of an artificial
forearm into which he could palm an
article with lightning rapidity. One
Of the latest devices Is to wear glove
with pocket or series Of pockets in
the palm; and while examining small
articles Of jewelry, rings. brooches,
gold pendants, and so on, to slip one
or more into the concealed pocket by
a practised movement of the fingers. :
Another trick is to carry some ad-
hesive substance in the palm OF the
gloves, and by carelessly resting the
palm on an article of jewelry to re-
move IT, Inc opportunities 1or eX-
ercising these tricks while the assist.
ants back Is turned, or while he Is
attending to another customer, are
many.
But much shop-lifting Is done with
the help of confederate, who strolls
in casually while number one Is max
ing his purchases. One or two valu-
able articles are handed to the second
customer. who is apparently quite
stranger to number one; and II the
latter is suspected and searched, Of
course nothing is found in his pos
session. Of'till robberies, with smear
ed and hook-ended sticks, of false
alarms which draw the shopkeeper in
pursuit Of imaginary thieves, leaving
the real pilferer free to do his work,
and of the hundred and one other arti-
fees, 1t would require almost volume
TO speak.