The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-26

thing a person who takes a thing from
one department without apparent detec-
ton cannot resist trying 1T again IN an
other place. l camp on the trail and
nine times out of ten / see them pick up
something they haven't bargained for and
start to walk off. Then | interrupt them
and ask them to accompany me 10 Ine
office. Generally the worst Kind OF
scene follows in there, but when L know
that ! am right the outcome Is assured.
The patrol wagon is sent for and the 20
lice Court takes the settlement OIL our
hands.
| believe we have compromised just two
cases since this store started, but there
were circumstances surrounding, both
One was in the early days when
the departments We're, run by DIFF
with nice motherly face came in and
went downstairs TO the vegetable stand
and while the attendant was busy with
another customer she just stuffed her
sealskn cloak with his stock in trade and
came upstairs. She managed to find a
newspaper somewhere and unloaded her
she could hardly carry, and then walked
around up in the house furnishing depart
ment as coolly as possible, looking at
things, thinking that she had made the
deal all right. The vegetable man had
seen her pick up the things, however, and
ne got, me to go with him Ia and "a ask thr ner
the bundle on a pile OF comforters, ana
then went into a tearing rage. But after
a bit she Gained down and asked llt Wnat
the damage was. There were two pota-
toes, four tomatoes. three apples, a head
of lettuce, two oranges ana three or TOUR
handfuIs of dried peas in that bundle,
and she paid the man 81 so for the out
fit. And she had pocketbook Just packed
with twenty-dolar gold pieces to pay 1t
out Of
The other case was that of pretty and
refined looking young lady who came in
here with her little baby. She left 1t In
it's carriage and went to different coun-
tiers. and finally delibera tely stole. some
cheap little articles. putting them IN her
pocket right before my eys;e Whe en- WE we
her name and did so only when we
threatened TO send her off in the. patrol
wagon at once. Then she wrote II on
bit of paper and we found that she was
the wife of a very prominent lawyer We
sent for him. and the scene there was
when he found his wife there under tho .ts
circumstances was the worst thing OF the
kind that / ever went through At first
he wouldn't believe it possible that t,rs she
had done such thing; p tbr she tbo pro IN
with the baby between them crying as
though their hearts would break The
end of it was that we let them out the
back way and agreed to say nothing more
about it: but we added her name to our
list of ''undesirables '-persons VINO nave
ment-and she has never come inside our
doors since
There are two pretty young girls here
in town who got themselves into queer
fix by their love for finery. They plotted
the whole thing together, it seems, and
started out with a big satchel which
they proceeded to fill at the expense Of
this store Feather boas, which seem to
have a specially irresistible attraction for
women thieves. ribbons neckwear belts
and toilet articles all went in there, and
in consequence they went up before Judge
Mogan. They were proven guilty and
confessed, but the Judge has never SEN
fenced them. Instead he insists upon
their appearing before him every two
weeks. when he makes INQUIRIES as to
their behavior and surroundings, gives
them good, sharp lecture and lets them
go for another half-month. They Were
arrested last October and have been
coming up for sentence" ever since, and
the effect has been most salutary upon
them.
A handsome white-haired old lady,
dressed in most elegant style and with
plenty of money in her silver mounted
purse lowered around the bijou counter
one day and annexed dozen or so sill