Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-08
NEW YORK LEADS lin CRIME.

WHEN Ii comes to novelties in tho erimi-
nal line. as often set forth in this cores
pondence, New York comes pretty close
to leading the world.
About a. month ago one Of the great
department stores Of Twenty-third street
engaged as a floor detective for the holi-
days an alert, handsome woman OF
thtrty-five or So When the woman pre-
serted herself for the job she had all
manner Of fine credentials. showing that
she had performed similar duty in depart
n1ent stores in other cities. and she was
engaged in quick order. She was as
signed to the fur department. which COW
ers g. whole floor of the great depart
nent stores building, furs being one OF
the esta blishment's specialties Il was
her business, of course, to keep an eye
on shoDlitters.
She hadn't Leen at work IN her new
position for more than week before the
statesmen and saleswonen began to miss
good many articles-firle boas and muffs
and such But the female detective seems
ed to be tremendously busy all over the
department all the time, and her employ
ers were convinced Of her competency
So they simply charged the missing ar
ticIes up to profit and loss, deening a
certain amount Of eribbing by shoplifters
inevitable during the Christmas shopping
season, even with the services of expert
female detectives. During the second
week Of the new female detectives IN
c,1mbency the thefts from the fur de-
partme1t increased at a prodiglous rate.
The siloplifters were not contenting them
selves with boas and muffs. but they were
actually getting away with heavy and
valuable fur coats. When these facts
werc made known to the firm by the fur
statesmen 1t decided to put one of its regu-
lar female detectives in the fur depart
ment to assist its new detective in watch
Ing the shoplifters. Tho regular temale
detective hadn't been on duty with the
extra employee for more than halt a Gay
when she saw q woman whose picture mas
FOR years been in the rogues. gallery
with 'shopl.4 ter scrawled underneath
the portrait, deliberately pick up E Valu1 :
able seal muff and walk away Wle,' u
right under the eyes OF the new female
detective. This fact she reported to the
firm. l...-.,,
THE DETECTIVE DETECTED.
The firm telephoned for a headquarters
detective. The headquarters detective
was strolling through the fur Departments
of that establishment about tfteen MN MN
utes later, and he had no sooner clappeu
eyes upon the extra female detective ttnan
he indulged In a broad grin. He recog-
..orious shoplifters in America. whose
picture is in every rogues gallery in the
United States; and at the very moment
the detective made his appearance that
FUR department was simplys cluttered Wltn
professional shoplifters. men and Wo-
men. who were iooting the place with
he full sanction and approval and con-
aiyance of the female detective, their
pal.
The woman was taken off to headquar-
-ers in a cab with the detectives. She
vas too game and too much OF an Old
inner to ''peac CHI on her pals, but the
HEADQUARTERS man found out where she
lived, and with a couple OF assistants,
ne raided her fiat that same evening. He
lug out something like $4,000 of the
,rSn's fine furs, and corralled half q
1ozen Of the woman's pals, men and wo-
men, all Of them with international repu-
sations as 'ifters.''. The woman had
;kilifully forged the credentials with
which she obtained her position as store
detective, and then she had invited all
hands among the shoplifters to come
nlong and loot the establishment. It was
elbout as cleverly planned a raid as has
ever been pulled off even in New York,
where there are thousands of crooks
Who spend all Of their time framing up
such schemes. The woman has engaged
one Of the most notable firms of criminal
aWyers in New York to defend her, and
lobody familiar with these things over
acre is foolish enough to imagine that
She will have any great amount Of
time" to do when the trial is over.
things don't happen that way in little
Old Now York.