Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
WOMEN SHOPLIFTERS'
THEFTS DURING EASTER HAT
RUSH IN NORFOLK. VA.
Special Correspondence OF The Star.

q
NORFOLK, April q. 1905.
Considerable shoplift,ng has been reports
ed from Norfolk millinery establishments
during the hat rush incident TO the Easter
season. One large establishment on Main
street in particular reports a series OF ex-
citing incidents along this line. all within
the past few days
The series included the detection OF a
prominent woman In the act OF leaving the
store having upon her head an unpaid for
hat; another woman who changed hor win
ter hat for new one, putting tho latter on
and carrying her Old one OF IN a paper
bag, and the opening by one woman GUS
toner of another womGns pocket book with
$40 missing from the purse whom tho owner
opened II TO pay for newly purchased
S25 hat.
Tho first woman had entered tho store
presumably 10 buy Il now spring bonnet.
She remained In the storo for somo time,
and after a little was noticed by the pro-
prietor 10 be taking her departure. The
proprietor asked II he might be allowed 20
see the bonnet the woman was wearing be-
fore she left, Tho woman became excited,
declared that she had Just purchased tho
hat from another store, and that the pro-
prietor or the store she was In had no
right 10 see the hat. Tho proprietor then
threatened to have the woman arrested.
This frightened her, and she removed the
hat and begged off. The proprietor said ha
her TO the door and told her never to put
her foot inside his establishment again.
Wore Hat Out Of the Store.
The second woman entered the same store
to look at hats, and was shown many. Sud-
denly she asked one Of the clerks to give
her bag into which to put her muT She
was accommodated. and little later enter
ed ante-room in the store. She came
out with the bag that had been given her
pretty full and with a handsome bonnet
pinned on her head. Without asking fur
Their questions the woman started for tho
front door. When asked by one Of the
young lady clerks # she had not forgot 10
pay for the hat she said certainly she had
not, declaring that she had made the pur-
chase from the proprietor of the store, who
was at the minute out. The woman left.
Upon the return of the proprietor the latter
said he had not sold the woman = hat and
had not seen her, The young woman who
had seen her leave was immediately sent
to the woman's residence to confront her.
The milliner met at the residence by
an elderly lady, who sad the other lady
mad not yet returned. The millineT told
the lady at the door her business. and sad
she would come in and wait. She went IN.
After a while the lady who was wanted
drove up in a conveyance She had on her
old winter hat but was sull carrying the
well-filled milliner's bag. The store clerk
said she had been sent to bring back the
hat the woman had carried off from the
came excited and called the clerk a fool
The clerk told the woman that the best
plan would be to give up the hat and avoid
publicity, and the girl from the store re-
turned with the hat.
Ordered Hat Sent TO Her.
Yesterday afternoon a woman was in the
same store buying costly hat She found
one she liked and ordered Il sent to her in
the meantime she had pur her pocket book
down for minute, and Just after she did
this another woman customer was noticed
to leave. very eXcitedly declaring that some
one was i'll and she had 20 90 in a great
hurry.
The woman who remained. upon opening
her purse to pay for the hat she had just
purchased was seen TO color up. ana sud
denly exclaimed:
well, If that don't beat the d. That
woman took $40 out of my purse ana went
off with It,"
The woman then stopped to explain how
she knew the other woman had got her
purse.
what are You going to do about it?''
asked one of the young lady clerks I'm the
store.
What can I do" replied the woman Gus
toner Il have always heard that woman
would do things like that. hut if ! accused
her she would deny il alL ana how could I
prove anything on her in coUrt2'
The woman then paid the 50 charged for
the hat and left this ending The incident.