The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-09-05
WOMEN WHO .PILFER,
sHoPLiFTERs AND THEIR METHODS
IN THE BIG STORES.

IN THE BIG STORES.
why the Proprietor OF One Estab-
alshment Was Taking No Chances
When He Bluntsy Accused Ono OF
Hin Customers OF Stealing.
There must be an Irresistible fascina-
tfon In stealing for some women, for,
although day after day the papers tell
OF arrests for this crime In the big
stores OF the cities. etlll the practice
goes on. and in most cases women who
are beyond the touch Of want are the
culprita.
Ono day not long ago toward the
close of the afternoon clerk In one of
the large dry goods emporiums on
Canal street saw, or fancied he saw, a
| woman at the next counter slip q bolt
Of silk under her cloak. She was q
person Of middle age, with plain but
attractive face, and her handsome at
tire and easy bearing indicated O we'll
to do gentlew0man. The clerk beckon.
ed to a nearby doorwalker, and in an
excited whisper told what he had wit
messed.
you're crazy" said the foorwalker.
'"That lady Is Mrs. -; she's an old
customer and is simply above sus-
plcion."
"I don't care what she is," persisted
the clerk. 'T saw her steal that silk" !"
| At that the proprietor happened to
pass and heard the story. He Is O
man Of much experience and habituai
| promptitude. "Ara you absolutely
certain?" he asked.
II am. SIR" replied the clerk.
The merchant sighed and walked
dowH the aisle to where the woman
was standing. "Excuse me, madam" !"
he said quietly; "will yor lndly un-
fasten your cloakT
"Sir" she exclaimed, taking @ step
backward and turning ghastly pale.
'Throw open that cioak:' ne said
sternly. dropping any pretense OF
courtesy. but still speaking In q very
low tone.
| The womaa's face had assumed O
frightened hypnotic stare, and che
obeyed mechanically. her hands trem.
bling 80 violently that she could scarce
ly unfasten the buttons. Under the
garment was the telltale bolt OF
silk and strange collection OF smaller
articles-a pair Of stockings, three
gloves, some lace, quantity Of edg.
Ing, a white shawl. roll of Jet trim
mings-evidehtly things snatched up
at random as opportunity offered.
AS the plunder was ranged ON the
counter the woman hung her head and
began to sob hysterically.
"Now. madam" said the merchant
in q matter Of fact voice. 81 have Just
one thing to say to you: You have
traded here for over Is years to the
best Of my recollection, and were one
of our most trusted customers. /
won't charge these things to you, as is
usually done In such cases, and the
affair shall not be mentioned. But I
must ask you never again to come into
this store"
I Suppose you had found nothing un.
der the cloak" suggested q newspaper
man, who CHANGED to witness the incl.
Cent from beginning to end; "wouldn't
that have put you III O terribly awk.
ward posltion?'
"YeS." admitted the merchant frank
~ but was really taking no chances.
l knew to an absolute certainty that
the woman was ehoplifter before 7
addressed her"
"Is It trade secret7"
ei, it's one don't mind explain.
Ing. knew because es.e hats What :
call tho 'shoplifter's elbow BY Gong
practice store pilferers acquire an ex-
traordinary grip with the left upper
arm and can hold anything with ease
that Ia clipped against the body on
that Side. Their dexterity In that par-
ticuiar Is really astonishing, and Il is
almost like the acquisition OF q new
member. but to anybody who has made
q study OF such legerdemain the posi-.
| ton In which the arm Is held Is unmis-
taxable. It Is turned slightly outward.
| with the elbow against tho point Of the
hip, and the forearm is entirely disen-
gagged.
'The moment I got q good. SQUARE
look at this woman I knew she was
holding something under her cloak.
ana then. OF course, had no longer
any hesitation about accostipg her. It
would never do to make a mist.ke, and
we avoid such thing by taking no
chances. If there Is the slightest room
for doubt, the suspect is allowed to
walk out without word. When we
detect shoplifter, our invarlable pol-
Icy Is to warn her from the store, the
reason being that we wish to escape
the necessity Of watching people or Of
making a scene before our customers.
we have bIaclzllsted several dozen
IN New Orleans. Yes; they belong to-
oil circles socially. know one yvoman|
In town who would cheerfully give
$1,000 IL she could cross our threshold.
She has importuned us repeatedly to-
take her OF the list, but we can't do
it"-New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Why the Cannabal vept.
On the subject of cannibalism Of the
present day Theodore Koch discloses
the following in his report to the In.
ternational archives Of ethnography:
A common practice still prevalent