The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-06
TRICKS OF sHoPLIFTERs.
Ingenious Ways of Smart People to
Get Things for Nothing.

NeI AAlukS IOT NOtuluk'
From Tit Bits.
There is no section Of criminals that
display such varied ingenuity as shop
lifters,' said n clever detective, who
has had long experience of the fra
ternity; and l can assure YOU that
many of them might give lessons in
cunning to the most artful Chinee.
Shoplifting is a science that appeals
largely to woman. Their sex, to a
| certain extent, disarms suspicion, espe-
| cially when, as Is usual, they are ele-
| gantly dressed, and do their shopping
in we'll appointed brougham. 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 rule. it simply means
| an awkward interview with the pro-
prietor and payment for the goods ap-
| propriated.
You see. it does not pay a fashion
! able shopkeeper to give his house a
| bad reputation as a haunt of thieves;
and, further. many of the lady-lfters
| are women with some standing in So
| ciety, who are either kleptomaniacs or
who cannot resist the sudden tempta-
tion or 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 into
their umbrellas when the assistants
back is turned If detected it is the
simplest of accidents, and the culprit
apologies prettily and restores the
article.
Another favorite place Of conceal
ment is in the loose folds of blouse
or shirt where anything small will
lie indicted, while the more artful
among them have cunningly devised
| pockets in their skirts. into which they
can slip quite large amount of plum
der
One lady, who had quite a long and
| successful career at counter-stealing,
was always accompanied by a little
girl, ostensibly her daughter, carrying
a 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 a valuable doll
which the child might drop at any mo-
menD, and when the assistants atten
u
into the hollow interior of the doll any
small article, from a bottle of scent
to an article of jewelry, that might
be lying near.
jewelers. and chemists whose count
ers are crowded with portable articles
Of value are the chief victims of wo-
men Of this class. The periodical sales
of large diapers naturally afford good
opportunities for women thieves-many
OF them, am sorry to say. women OF
social position. In the inevitable crush
it Is an easy thing to annex from the
counter costly piece of lace. a REM
nant Of silk or a few yards of ribbon.
and there are many women with well
filled purses who cannot resist the
temptation of stealing shilline's
worth of ribbon at the risk of social
disgrace and ruin.
OF course, as ] darrsay you know.
nearly all firms employ women detec-
tives, smartly, dressed and of ladylike
appearance who mix with the crowd
of purchasers, and have a very keen
eye indeed for these peculations. These
women are regularly employed by the
firms, live on the premises, are paid
from e1 los. to G2 los. q week. and
keep an eye as much on the assistants
as on their customers.
The tricks of the male shoplifter are
much more varied and subtle than
those Of his female rival. 4 very COM
mon practice is to carry stick or
umbrella with a hollow receptacle at
the top. A spring releases the silver or
gold-mounted top; the stolen article,
which must naturally be small as 1t is
valuable. is slipped into the padded
hollow and the top sprung back again
into position.
very skillful thief made a hiding
place of the hollow part of an artificia!
forearm. into which he could palm an
article with lightning rapidity. One Of
the latest devices is to wear glove
with a 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 prac-
ticed 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. The opportunities for exer-
cising these tricks while the assist
ants back Is turned. or while he Is at
tending to another customer, are many
But much shopifting Is done with the
help of a confederate, who strolls In
casually while No Is making his pur-
chases. One or two valuable articles
are handed to the second customer,
who is apparently quite stranger 10
No. !, and, If the latter Is suspected
and searched, Of course. nothing is
found in his possession. OF till rob-
berries, with smeared and hookened
sticks. of false alarms Which draw the
shopkeeper in pursuit of imaginary
, thieves. leaving the real rilferer free
to do his work, and of the hundred and
one other artifices. It would require al
L a l,olIil,ac N,