Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-12-17
SHoPLlFTERS IN LONDON.

Precautions Taken by the Big Stores
to Prevent Theft.
London Mail-Though there is every
in all the great London
shops that the public is to be trusted
implicitly, an elaborate and carefully
organized system of espionage pre-.
walls to circumvent the designs of the
perlpatetic thief and the marauding
lleptomaniac. The invisible detective,
whose Office is some unsupported gal
lery in the ceiling, whence from art
fully designed peep holes in the mold
ing he can survey the whole establish
tent, is the most successful foil to the
shoplifter. But there are only few
shops so structurally designed that
surveillance of this Hnd is possible.
Some of the jeweler' treasure palaces
are guarded in this manner, and, to
make assurance doubly sure, no at
tendant is without his satellite, who
keeps wary eye on the cases of
gems exposed to the customers in
spection, standing at the salesman's
elbow while he is showing them At
all periods a careful watch is kept on
those dress establishments that are
pervaded by women, but more espe-
cially at sale time, for it is then that
covetousness overwhelms morality
most easily, and the crowded state of
the shops favors the picker-up of un-
considered trifies. A manager of one
of the largest establishments in the
metropolis says it is in those depart
ments that are not spacious that pill
fering principally goes on, and that
in them detective supervision is al
ways most acute.
Every shopwalker and counter at
tendant is in effect a detective but
there are some professionals who as
sumo the guise to hide their real po-
sition. It is the duty of each attend
ant when he is suspicious of a Gus
toner to cali the attention of the de-
tective to her, not blantantly, but by
prearranged sign. The detective then
keeps the suspect under her immedi-
ate eye. In the large emporiums
where women chiefly congregate the
most efficient, because least con-
spicuous, detectives are women, either
employed as shopwalkers or as Gus
toners
When an attendant misses or thinks
he misses something, or notices dis
trrbing signs of thievery he speaks
to the detective, whe, as an elegantly
CARRIED customer, seats herself in a
position commanding a good view of
the suspects and makes her purchases
Ike any ether woman, all the while
gathering data upon which to proceed.
The disguise assumed by the shop de-
tective differs day by day
If there be one result less desired by
the shop proprietor than another it is
to convict kleptomaniac. Prosecu-
lions do not forward business. The
proprietor's policy is to prevent pilfer-
ing by every conceivable means.
Hence blind eye is turned to what
is theft in embryo, and the wretch
ed shoplifter caught in the act of pur-
Joining blouse under cover of her
waterproof is asked whether the
article may not be sent home for her
To the bullying umbrella or the gaping
handbag the detective alludes with an
apology, fearing that madam has in
advertently incommoded herself with
something that fell from the counter
First offenders are often cured by
narrow escapes such as this from fall
ing into the abyss that leads to the
dock, and gladly pay for the expert
ence in coin of the realm as If they
had all the while meant to purchase in.
stead of to purioin the goods. Should
leniency of such kind fail to lead the
trespasser back into the paths of
recJitude, the managers office is made
the scene Of more serious negotia.
tlons, on which 1t is we'll to draw the
veil But as a rule, it does not. Con-
sidering the immense population of
London and the ease with which beau
tiful objects can apparently be taken
IN the great shops, the detectives find
their talents called but seldom into
play, probably because their system of
is so capitally organized
and carried out.