Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-17
sHoPLirrlNc.
Ways THAI Are Dark And Tricks That
Are Vain,

Ways That Are Dark And Tricks That
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 arttul Chinee.
Shoplifting is q science that appeals
largely 70 women. Their sex. 10
certain extent dlaarras suspicion.
especially when, as is usual. they are
elegantly dressed and do their shop
ping 10 a well-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 II
they are caught red-handed. as a rule
Il simply means an awkward inter
view With the proprietor and pay
ment FOR the goods appropriated.
You see, 1t 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.lifters
are women with some standing In so.
ciety, who are either kleptomaniacs
"a Nhp NAilA1l itnint tue nuAuth temp
tation OF annexing a pretty thing with.
ont 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
gn1nTff nnAIaUfuna F.t.NffIsr
stores the article.
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 Ca very natural and
prudent act with a valuable doll which
the child might drop at any moment) I;
and when the assistants attention was
Withdrawn she would slip into the hol-
low interior of the doll any small
article, from a bottle Of scent 10 an
article of jewelry, that might be ~
ing near her
or course. nearly all city firms en-
ploy women detectives. smartly dress
I'd and of lady-like appearance, who
mix with the crowd Of purchasers. and
nave 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 a stick OF
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 it is valuable. is slipped into the
padded hollow, and the top sprung
back again into position.
a very slilful 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 a glove
with a pocket or a series Of pockets II
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 b,
"a practised movement Of the fingers
Another trick is to carry some ad
E hesive substance In the palm of tn
gloves, and by carelessly resting tn
palm on an article of jewelry to re
move it. The opportunities for ex
ercising these tricks while the assist
ants back is turned, OF while he 4
attending to another customer, ar
many.
But much shop-lifting is done will
the help of confederate, who stroll
in casually while number one Is max
Ing his purchases. One or two valu
able articles are handed TO the secon,
customer, who is apparently quite
stranger to number one; and II tn
latter is suspected and searched, o
course, nothing is found in his pos
session. OF till robberies. with smear
ed and hook-ended sticks. Of falls
alarms which draw the shopkeeper II
pursuit Of imaginary thieves, leaving
the real pilferer free to do his work
and of the hundred and one other art
fees, it would require almost a volum
to speak.