The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-27

the managers of the American big stores
 and stmply are ranked as the irresponsi-
 bies called kleptomariacs
 1t is, for the professional shoplifter, not
 the occasional kleptomaniac, that the se- cret police of the American mercantile
 world are ever on the watch. Often it is
 q very dinicuit thing to obtain enough
 evidence to warrant an arrest, or even
 temporary detention for search. Unless
 the stores detectives, many of whom are
 women. have succeeded in catching a
 shoplifter in the actor can absolutely
 identify the suspect as professional shoplifter or swell-known kleptomaniac
 they will not readily make an accusation
 of guilt. as the risk of making costly
 mistake Is always guarded against m
 care.
 Marvellous Outfit of Girl shoplifters.
 Secret pockets found upon Rosa Spino.
 an S-year-old girl arrested in New York
 on charge of shoplifting, have been
 pronounced marveis of ingenuity. The
 child was detected in Sixth Avenue dry
 goods store putting a fan in her pocket,
 which, she declares. she received from
 her sister. Maria Sforza, wife of Patrick
 sforsa. who lives at 2ss East Twenty
 ninth Street.
 The older sister was given a hearing tn Jefferson Market Police Court and the younger appeared before the Children's Court. The child, who at first said that
 her sister told her how to steal, changed her story subsequently, and said that the methods of theft which she had employed had been learned from another child.
 Whoever designed the pockets which the child had filled with pearl fans and such knickknacks well knew the mys- A1Nf <~E ~r<S~ l--.. (T~ N-1 E~~ ( r-A front of the skirt were two canvass pockets. reaching from the waist line to the hem of the garment and about five inches in width. In order to reach the opening of these receptacles it was neces- sary for the child to put her hands through slits in her coat and also in a blue gingharn apron which she wore. Both of these slits were so ingeniously masked that 1t would be impossible for any casual observer to detect them.
 Detective Larkin, who made the arrest, said that he had never seen a more in- genious arrangement of pockets. The child was innocent-looking, and she had. ac- cording ito her own story, been carrying on a campaign fin the dry goods stores for the last two weeks.
 She told us,' said Detective Larkin. that she had at home in bureau draw CTS many articles which she had stolen. If you went there, sheS declared, you would see dolls and Santa Clauses and stockings and toys and lots of things which she had been getting for Christ mas" ..-
 .. Another Wonderful Outfit.
 A highly attractive and fashionably at- tired young woman recently arres ed in an Eastern city was found to be veritable walking mechanism of artful devices for shoplifting. She had been ''spotted'' and was politely requested to step into the managers office for few moments. She indignantly refused to comply with the request, but was detained until the ar- rival of a city policeman in uniform.
 When the search was started 1t was soon found that no mistake had been made. A recount of the articles stolen and concealed by this young woman dis closed the difficulties with which a store detective has to contend.
 Nothing seemed to have been too bulky or too insignificant in value to escape the predatory instincts of this enterprise ing individual. Among the articles were the following items: Two rolls of ve'vet, ten and half yards, and one roll of coarse lining, value about 40 cents. It seemed almost incredible that such a bulky and comparatively valueIess article should have been worth the inevitable risk of 'approprtatinR. for. as ,he store detective remarked. the amount of diplo- matic ingenuity that must have been ex- pended in the successful acquisition of that paltry piece of cloth would in all if properly directed, have sufficed to effect annexation of an em- pire.
 The valuable fur toque and expensive ostrich feathers. however, that were found concealed, together with a quan- tity of priceies lace, in a specially oon- structed pocket attached to her waist band, seemed more in keeping with tn young woman's indisputable ability.
 Her Cuffs Were Gobblers. \ Further surprises were in store, for as the search proceeded articles were found conceded in every portion of her apparel, which was iDgeniously devised so as to assist in the fur therance of her nefarious scheme. The misunderstanding handbag she carried had an opening at the side instead Of at the top for the insertion of small goods. ...
 The cuns of her rich sealsEin coat were contrfved so as 10 close with spring upon being pressed upon the counter. and in so doing pick up and hold such trifcs as rings. brooches and 80 forth. It seemed that these remark able cuffs devoured trifies with about tn same ease that an elephant devours pea nuts or the Australian carniverous tree devours birds. beasts and men.
 A book of innocent title and appear ance. carried ostentatiously in her pock- ct, proved to have had its leaves cut in such way as to form a hiding place for two valuable rings.
 A metal garter below the knee, from the hooks attached to which were sus- pended watch, some rings. a chain ban gle and bundle of valuable embroid- cry. was easily accessible when the wear er was seated, through an opening art fully contrived among the folds of her skirt.
 The Montgomery Steam Laundry does the very best work in town.