The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-16
DOROTHY TGURK, DETECTIVE
HIDES IN a CELLAR AND CATCHES
MAN STEALING.
One Girl Clerk Outdid Private Thief Takers
ny Catchins . Fellsw Clerk. Who.
the Police Believe. ms stolen Hun
dreSSs Of Dollars Werth az Go0sss

One esIfl eIefk OutO1O frI\ote uuses ssASs
by Catchins . Felisw Clerk. Who.
the Police Believe. ms stolen Hun
dresis 0f Dollars Worth az Goods.
Patrolman Frank McGurk Of tho Seventh
street police station in Jersey City IL mighty
proud Of his eighteen-year-oid daughter
Dorothy. So also are O'Brien bros.,
in whose big dry goods store In Mont
gomery street Dorothy Ia employed as
clerk. Chief of Police Murphy OF the
Jersey City force, IL what he said yesterday
counts for anything, also harbors whole
some profession IA admira ton for the young
woman.
Miss McGurk's popularity with her en-
ployers and in police quarters il inspired
by aot,lal accomplishments in the de-
tective line BY her own efforts and in
eenuity, and entirely unaided except at
the last moment. she has succeeded in
catching man whom the police believe to
he the clever thief in O'Brien Bros store.
who in the last three months has walked
of with many hundreds OF dollars worth
of goods from the o Brien store.
The prisoner ia Elmer Nentx, a young
man living in Plainfield, N. j., who has been
in O'Brien Bros employ for three years,
and who was regarded by them ~ one
OF the most Trustworthy and reliable clerks
In tho store So far were the owners from
suspecting Mentz that only few days
before his apprehension they complimented
him on his success in his work and counselled
him as to what he should do for further
advancement At that time goods were
being missed almost daily from the store,
as they had for many weeks. Private de-
tectives and the employees themselves
had kept close watch, but their combined
efforts had failed.
About that time Dorothy McGurk asked
her employers to allow her to 90 some
saw the young woman was IN earnest they
consented, although they regarded it rather
Miss Dorothy kept watch around the
store closely for two days, always making
a pretence Of doing her work as usual. On
the third day she noticed that Mentz, more
frequently than the others, went down to
the basement. where each clerk has .
certain amount of reserve stock on which
to draw Mentz always went down osten-
sibly to get something for a customer.
several Of whom were waiting at his counter
Whenever he made the trip Dorothy FOL
lowed him on tiptoe to the basenent she
says she saw him take piece OF silk from
under his coat ard hide 1t in the reserve
stock.
That night she told the proprietor OF the
store that she wanted the ne xt day to herself.
She arranged a place in the basement OF
boards and screens, Axing 1t In such way
as not to attract suspicion. About noon
she put on her hat and coat and walked out
of the store past Mentss counter she
entered the basement at the rear OF the
store and took up her watch. Her quarters
we've cramped and the only view she had OF
the basement was through knothole.
and she had to kneel to look through that.
She waited three hours before Mentz came
into the basement. She heard him coming
and got her eye fixed at the, knothole.
stock. and, after satisfying himself that
there was nobody near. he took silk por..
there from beneath his wafstcoat and hid
it. Then he went back upstairs.
Miss Dorothy did not, as most girls
would have done. rush up and report the
matter to the proprietor. She wanted 70
oet the thief with the goods on him. She
Knew he coubl easily explain the presence
of the portie-e in the reserve stock. She
waited Two hours longer until Ment1 came
down a few minutes before the closing
hour and concealed the portiere under
his wastnoat Dorothy was so tired and
nervous from the strain that she moved
at the sound and looked all around the
basement, coming so close to the young
detective that he almost brushed against
her skirts.
When Mentz had left the basement Doro-
thy slipped out by the back way and got
Policeman Mccarthy, who nabbed Mentz
as he was leaving the store, Four silk
portiares, valued at 81 Is each, we're found
wound about his body He was arraigned
Yesterday and held in $500 bail for the
Grand Jury
Miss Dorothy's detective work has been
rewarded. materially by her employers.
and Yesterday Chief Murphy coanplimented
her highly for what she had done