The Washington times., 1902-03-19
SHOPLIFqERS SALLY
FORTH EASTER WEEK
Advent of the Season Bring
With 1t a Harvest.
DEPARTMENT STORE A MECCA
Local Sleuth Exposes the Methods EN-
ployed by This Class of the Light
Fingered Gentry, and Tells How EN-
ployes Are Baffled.

vest.' said local sleuth. who makes a
speciality of detecting shoplifters and
pickpockets "The ladylike and gentle
manly pilferers of all of the large cities
know this and begin their operations in
the large department stores as soon as
the Easter crowds begin to make their
appearance.
These artists feel that Easter comes
but once year. and before and after
shoplifter sallies forth. and the pickpock-
ct wends his way with keen eyes and
ready hand among the busy throngs
wends her way, perhaps IL should be put.
for Of the shoplifters who infest the de-
partment store the large majority are
females
Easy and Remunerative.
There are various reasons for this.
The work of shoplifting is comparatively
easy it is sometimes remunerative, and
above all it is congenial. There are few
ladies to whom visitation of the shops
and the handling of the wares are not
joys which transcend all others on earth.
And the female shoplifter has that touch
of nature left in her which makes a cloth
ing store. a variety bazaar. or a jewelry
establishment the most delightful spot to
exercise her cunning.
THE clerks duties are manifold. He
has to take down and sort his wares for
customers, answer thousand idle
queries, puff up the goods, summon the
cash boys and see to the account and
change. All this time the busy throng
is moving and swirling past him and he
has no eyes for an individual Iounger.
Women, who, above all infcst these places
cannot but see how ample their chances
are. and such are the ight-fingered COM
munity, and even some who are not strong
in resisting the temptations to which
their sex are most subject. are only too
liable to pick up some stray trinket or
bundle they have been handling and walk
away with it. During Easter and Christ
mas week many jacket and many a seal
skin sacque as we'll. could tell a curious
tale of the odds and ends that were hud-
died beneath 1t.
How Employees Are Baffled.
ut is true that the articles captured
by shoplifters are not, in many instances,
valuable. but the number of petty losses
make a considerable sum to the store
keeper. Only recently a woman was ar
rested on whose person were found all
kinds of articles from jewelry to a ready
trimmed hat with large plumes upon it.
The ordinary female dresses may be
skillfully constructed so as to be an ex-
pansive receptacle for loot of every de-
scription. and the professional shoplifter
takes care that she is always prepared
with Just such available provisions.
'In this manner the large department
stores in which fioorwalkers are con-
stantly on the lookout. are plundered un-
der the very noses of the fioorwalkers.
The shoplifter gathers in her bounty and
slips it into these secret pockets. and If
detected in picking it up she becomes
highly indignant and boldly subjects her
self to immediate search. and nine cases
out of ten the stolen articles are never
found.
THE em2loye who makes search
unless he is acquainted with criminal
methods. slips by the false pocket and is
forced to admit that the woman is in
nocent in spite Of the evidence. Often
these shoplifters create sensation by
ueCfdElHS tudt tHey Will suit dSdiuot
the proprietor of the store for embarrass-
ing her before a crowd of shoppers. This
is merely con game, which is resorted
to in order to free herself, and make her
innocence appear the stronger.
Cloak a Useful Article.
THE cloak is also a very useful ar
ticle of apparel for the shoplifter. and
is kept of innumerable women who
have concealed inconceivable quantities
of goods under q sweeping outer garment.
Large rolls of cloths, costly dresses and
seal skin sacques have been withdrawn
from these repositories and l remember
that one clever professional carried about
under her arm a quantity of articles
which would be difficult for a man to
carry with his arms outstretched
"A woman was noticed leaving a Sew
enth Street store last Easter with big
dolman on her and moment later a
clerk came out saying that n number of
bonnets had been stolen from
the counter in the store.
II elbowed my way through the crowd
and walked beside the amply clad woman.
feared to make mistake and subject
myself to merited censure by making an
improper arrest so l conceived the ruse
Of stumbling apparently accidently and
raising up one of the suspected woman's
arms
THE trick worked admirably. The arm
went up like a fash. and the ground forth
with was strewn with bonnets of all de-
scriptions and sizes. The foorwalker in
the store afterwards told me that he had
seen the woman lettering around the
bonnet counter and was of the impression
that he had seen her take bonnet from
the counter, but for fear of making a
mistake he did not question her. The
bonnet was worth nearly $25.
Two Cases of Shoplifters.