Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-19
TEMPT GOOD AND|BAD
WINDOWS AND COUN-
TIERS OF BROAD STREET.
THOUSANDS OUT YESTERDAY.

Season for Activity Among Shop
Liftcrs, Few of Whom Are Detect
cd-No Lack Of Articles Suitable
for Men and Women-Things That
Catch the Eye.
The delightful weather yesterday
brought out thousand Of shoppers to the
stores on Broad street. All during the
day, especially in the afternoon, the
/ poole busily engaged in select
ing articles for Christmas pre-
scnts. Merchants on Broad street say
| that the volume of business this sea-
son is greater than that OF last year,
! which was unusually good. THE only
| thing we dread is rainy weather. said
j one merchant. Two or three days OF
| very Indictment weather seriously Grip
| pies our sales. and we cannot make up
for the lost opportunity on clear days.
! The people are buying higher class Of
! goods than were purchased last Christ
| mas season.
| The department stores were thronged
! from morning until the closing hour.
! Especially was the true of those shops
| where articles ranging in prices from to
| 10 cents are sold This is the season for
| activity among the shopifters. II hate
| to think Of the things that are going out
| Of this store that are not paid for" said
| one merchant. but despite the watchful
ness Of our men, it is impossible to de-
teet but few cases where goods arc
taken from the counters by ShoplifterS.
There n a
hood or sisterhood of shopifters who
operate during the week just before
Christmas. They do not conti1e them
selves to taking goods from the stores.
The most fruitful source of revenue is
derived from pocketbooks that are care
lcssly placed or the counters or upon
the seats running alongside the counters.
a lady in shopping will frequently put
her pocketboolS down, and in her inter-
est in examining goods will wander sew
cral yards away from the original spot,
and on seeking her money will find that
some theft has picked it up, and lost
himself in the surging crowd.
AN INCIDENT OF THE WEEK.
Only this week two young fellows en-
tered 4 large department store on Broad
street, and swiped q pair of gloves. They
had been in the store on several occas-
ions before, and their actions attracted
suspicion. They were watched from
Time 20 time. dllQ on Ineif laSC "Trip, lneN
aged the gloves. One of the employees
OF the store Swallowed them to one of the
side streets. where they pulled the gloves
out and tried them on. Each of the
young fellows tri*s1 on a glove for fit.
While experimenting, the employee
tackled them both. One Of the shopif-
tiers struck at him, and the other in get
ting away dropped his hat It was pick
Ell UP by the employee. The owner Of the
hat took to his heels, pursued by the en-
ployee. He was overtaken at Seventh
and Franklin streets, and compelled to
return to the store. The other ti1ief's
name was secured. The captured youth
was sent UP to the reformatory for q
good long term.
PURLOINED VIOLET WATER
The shoplifters do not draw the line
on small things. One lowered around
the Derfumery stand in one of the large
department store Just to get bottle OF
violet water that might have been pEr-
chased for triiing sum. Some pick out
more valuable objects, but in these cases
the danger OF detection is great, and the
eagle eye OF the shoplifter is more FREE
quent!y turned to the tempting pocket
books that are lying around. They can
more easily be disposed of, and are less
liable to Identification
THE CALENDAR RAGE.
In the book stores, the great rush is
seen it's best day, and the Chrsty and
Gibson effects in the line OF calendars
have supplanted them There is a large
demand for leather goods, the burnt
leather variety being very popular. Pop
ular novels have been in demand con-
tinually. They ere found in abundance
III the department stores where they are
necessary adjunct to the sales depart
n1ent. In the housefurnishing stores, |,
chatting dishes are selling like hot cak
One large dealer said yesterday. people /
are looking after their appetites this I
year certainly. for we have had an IN |
sale OF chatting dishes" The !
new ornament vaes in gilt and met.
colored in imitation Of rare proclaim. are |
very popular. They are thoroughly ar
tistic and very reasonable in price. Por-
celain tiles in blue margins of fancy de- |
sign with central panels depicting Ger i
man scenes, the whole encased in frames .
of black stained oak. make nice decora-
tons for dinng-roonls or Railways.
Nothing has taken the place of cut
glass articles for the buffet and dining
t. bic. The varieties this year are more
artistic than ever before.
THESE FOR THE MEN
The haberdashers present everything
attractive in the line OF appropriate gifts
Cor men. Bath robes of every conceiva-
bic figure and color, smoking jackets OF
silk and plaid goods. and the inevitable
scarf are displayed in abundance. OF
course. umbrellas will be sold by the
thousands. They are always au fait for
l gift and being recognized by some I'M
written code as public property they
he weather demands ard the chance oc-
ours. There are fancy silk suspenders
or the unwarv but generous woman
who wishes to specially favor some man