Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-13
STEAL IN THE STORES
sHoRLIFTKRS KEEP DETECTIVES
ON CONSTANT JUMP.
Women Sleuths Find Occupatiou
Among Members Of Their Sex
Generally Surrender Easily.
From the New York Evening Post.

+ rom the New York Evening Post.
The college professor who gave It as
proved that one person out Of every three
is thief may have had a natural tendency
toward exaggeration or he may have had
personal reasons for his sweeping denun-
citation OF humanity. 1t was probably a
case Of Il said in my wrath" but neverthe-
less the misappropriating instinct Is so
strong in all classes Of society and mani
tests itself so often in people who appar-
emily have not the slightest excuse for
stealing that we are forcibly reminded
that civilization is as yet incompletely
evolved The realization Of other peoples
property rights Is still imperfect.
The temptation to steal is easily
awakened in many. and it Is not to be Won
dered at that department stores with their
prliilant displays, their counters piled with
apparently unmatched goods and their
sheltering crowds not only attract profess
sional thieves but are means of making
new ones. For this reason no department
store Is without its trained detectives. men
ana women. who are paid good salaries,
not to prevent thefts altogether. for that
Is impossible. but to keep the losses down
to minimum.
Do Not Like the Work.
1t Is hard to get women for this work.
IN spite OF the fact that 1t Is we'll rewarded
and not particularly arduous. Women in
general have a prejudice against the pro-
fession. associating 1t in their minds with
an unpleasant type of woman whose use
fulness is derived from her acquaintance
with thhe seamy side of life. On the con-
trary, the demand Is for refined women to
do detective work. and these are especially
wanted in the large shops. Tact is the
prime qualification. The detective must
dress and appear well. be keen-eyed and
worldly wise in judging human nature
She must be quiet and unobtrusive in her
bearing and she must have a fund of pa
thence. for detecting in often slow work
In every store near the main entrance
there stand persons who have the appear
ance or shoppers waiting for some friend
to arrive or for tie rain to cease or for
their change to come. They see every new
conner without appearing to look at any
one. The faces of professional shopufters
are perfectly well known to them, and II
such person enters the shop or If anyone
comes in whose dress or manner is in any
way suspicious a detective follows her
until she leaves the store. Professional
shoplifters are SO clever at their work that
1t is difficult to detect them in the act. Cne
may be convinced that articles are being
taken but yet unable to actually see it
done. The detective must-be certain for
an error might have serious results. Some
times the detective. walking very close to
the suspected thief, is able to have her sus-
piciOnS confirmed by the appearance of
bulges in the clothing where bulges would
not naturally ext The shoplifter's gown
has as many pockets as a shooting coat
and 1t Is astonishing the quantity and the
bulk of the articles they are able to stow
away in them 1t Is not uncommon to I'M
load one of these gowns of several dress
patterns, hat or two. quantities of under
clothing and half bushel of small arti-
Giles.
Scenes Are Avoided
Arrests are rarely made in the store
There Is reason for this. In the first
place 1t Is bad policy to create an unpleas-
ant disturbance. 1t drives away customers
and interferes with the order and routine
Of the establishment. Then the offender
may successfully claim that she had no In
tention of taking the goods away from the
shop She may declare that she was SIM
or buttons Innings. She may say that
she wanted to see it in broad light.
The shopifter is followed to the street
and there quietly spoken to. The words
are ordinarily request TO accompany the
detective to the superintendent office.
Professional shoplifters nearly always go
quietly. but the occasional thief makes a
scene. She first demands to know why her
presence is required at the Office. And
when the detective politely replies that she
has goods in her possession which she has
not paid for she becomes indignant indeed
1t Is rarely that one Of these women re-
fuses finally to go to the office. Once in a
great while they attempt flight and the
woman detective has occasionally met with
a show of violence. She assumes fearless
front in any case an her prisoner Is not
allowed to escape.