The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-31
she ECATCHES
WOMEN
THIEVES.
Mis- Austin Has ATrasla1 900
in Big DapaTmsnl Store
In NV YtTk.

New York. Dec. 3i.-Detectivcs In thu
big department stores are kept bus,
these DAYS. when the stores are constant
ly crowded with shoppers, and wher
shopliftors are numerous. In every bis
departn ,nt-housc IN New York there arr
several women detectives.
Miss Tillic Ausuu, Who is one or IN
| most feared women detectives In New
! York. has In the last eight years oaughl
90 shopliftcrs I'm thu bis Third avenue
department store in which she Is en-
ploAcd Miss Austin yesterday explained
her work 20 a reporter.
my work Is exciting during the Christ
mas season, she said, and at times II IS
dangerous. There are 50 many persons
who come 10 store 20 steal and not 20
buy just before Christmas that am
compelled to watch very closely TO save
my employers from loss.
"shopifters are much holder during this
season of the year than az any other
time suppose IL Is n desire 10 get things
for Christmas and the sight OF so many
pretty things in the stores that make
them lose their heads and become desper-
ate.
TEMPTATION IRRESISTIBLE.
'I have seen women come In here
crazed with the desire for some costly
trinket which they could not purchase
because or their slim purse They were
women shout whom there had never been
one word Of disgrace.
Some of them had families at home
honest husbands and excellent reputa-
lions They simply could not resist the
temptation 10 steal.
Then. too I have seen women with
well-slled purses. who Gould afford to
pay for what they wanted. come In here
and slir articles under their clothing.
These women are charitably called klep-
tonnr MACS. but In reality they are the
greatest thieves OF the lot. They are
women who steal because they are sell
fish and stingy. They are not led TO do
so by the desperate desire that influences
a poor woman.
do we prosecute all the women and
children we catch stealing? BY no means.
Many OF them are prosecuted In the po-
lice courts. but others we let go after
searcnlrg them and subjecting them to
humiliation.
MAKE PITIABLE APPEALS.
"The appeals women make when they
are caught stealing are often pitiable.
Some Of them will declare hunger led
them to commit the thefts: others will
show defiance, threaten suit and often
they Will fight. Most OF them become hu
inflated before we are through with
them.
Those who are defiant or those who
have been caught stealing more than
once are the ones we prosecute.
"On more than one occasion women
who have been caught stealing have at
tempted suicide when they were brought
10 my office and searched and the stolen
articles found on them. / have known
several women who were overpowered
by men 20 prevent them doing themselves
bodily harm. / have never made a mis-
take in spotting a shoplifter. IL would go
hard with me IL ] had.
II never arrest woman until after
she has stolen more than one article, un-
less / am absolutely sure that she has
stolen the one Ninety-nine shoplifters
out OF one hundred will not stop with the
theft OF one article
"All wonens pockets arc hard TO find.
irt the pockets OF n professional shop
cr are puzzles which only woman
detective could solve When a woman is
arrested with these secret pockets Il Is
always plain that she is a professional
thief and an old offender We never fail
TO prosecute these"
While Miss Austin was talking she was
moving about the store examining an ar
tlcle here and an article there AT times
she acts the part of buyer. At others
she Is n saleswoman. Her eyes are sharp
and she Is ever on the alert Because OF
her long experience she knows most OF
the professional women shoplifters by
sirht. In her office is "a rosues' gallery.
This gallery has been OF great service TO
her I'm running down women thieves