Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-02-22
CAUGHT BY DETECTIVES.
Pilferers In Big Department stores
During the Busy Holiday
Season.

luz BilNdlC utttCtlNtS WllO Walk
about in Chicago's big department
stores watching for the appearance
of the light fingered have a stock of
interesting stories of petty thefts dis
covered by them during the busy holi-
day week and which were never made
public. Many of the experiences of
these secret detectives are very in
teresting and at the same time sur
prising because of the prominent peo-
pie who are commonly known as KEEP
tomaniacs and who are often willing
to pay hundreds of dollars for secrecy
when they are detected while at.
tempting to carry away stolen goods
worth not more than few dollars
and frequently but few cents, says
the Chicago Chronicle.
'It is a well-known fact that wom-
en- form the largest proportion Of the
shop-lifting fraternity" said a we'll
known department store detective last
week. "And it is not the poor, needy
women who cause us the most trou-
Bile, but the wealthy woman who fits
about the store dressed in silks and
satins and wearing valuable jewelry
and who steals merely because she
likes to steal. If caught she is al
ways emphatic in her denial and she
resents any imputation of dishonesty
by outbursts of indignation which
threaten to put the whole firm out
Of business.
"The day before Christmas / was
watching counter where a stock of
woman's scarfs, averaging in price
from one to five dollars, were offered
for sale. / detected a handsomely
dressed woman folding up one of the
delicate chiffon fabrics and depositing
II in small shopping bag which hung
from her wrist. l watched her until
was certain the evidence of her theft
could be found in her shopping bag,
and then called her aside, telling her
that she would have to go back to
the private Office. She did not even
change color as she exclaimed:
"'Who are you that you presume
to ask me back to the private Office
Madam, | am house detective
and / merely want to make an exam
nation OF your shopping bag
"She raved with Indignation, but
when she noticed that she was at
tracing attention she Immediately
followed me to the Office, fearing that
some acquaintance would pass and
learn of her detection in the act of
stealing. When we reached the office
| took possession of the small silk bag
and upon opening it found little ar
ticles ranging in value from five cents
to three dollars or four dollars. She
was indignant and vowed that her de-
tention would cost all of us our posi-
tons. You would be surprised to
know who this woman was, but of
course that will remain a secret. Suf-
fee to say that when she realized that
we did not intend to release her she
stepped to the telephone and called
up the Office of one of the largest le-
gal firms in the city.
"'I am Mrs. - she shouted over
the phone. Is my husband, there?
Well, tell him to come over here inn
mediately.'
"Within ten minutes her husband
reached the store. He was the senior
member of the big law firm and has
been doing a credit business with the
store for 20 years. His account fire.
9uently runs up to several thousand
dollars. He was ready to pay several
thousand dollars to suppress the fact
that his wife was thief, but of course
she was released and nothing was
said.
This is only one example Of daily
occurrences and during the busy
shopping season many of Chicago's
most prominent society women have
been compelled to walk back to the
private Office and undergo "a search
for stolen property. OF course, the
stolen property is always discovered,
for we cannot afford to make mis-
take. as It would ruin the firm"