The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-05-13
sHoPolRL ON sHoPLIFTINo.
Clever Women Thieves outwit Detec.
dves in the Big Stores and
Generally GO Free.

1NArAaAt W [AH-
81 tell you some of the women
customers down here are the
smOothest propositions when it
comes to surrounding things
that you could picture in a hurry"
remarked a pretty little dark
eyed shopgirl in a big downtown
store. She was sorting dainty
lace stocks as she spoke, End
used them in her gesticulating for
the better emphasis of her right
eous Indignation. "Why, some of
them" she went on earnestly,
"would freeze you, simply freeze
you. They look all right, style
and all the rest of it, and I'll bet
they have money in their pockets,
but they steal Oh, my, how they
steal! Anything they can lay
their hands on, whether they
want it or not.
"0f course, the old dodge of put-
ting on gloves and taking up hand
kerchiefs and walking off with
them is played out so is the care
less dropping of a muf on a
counter and then carrying off
more than the muff. They don't
do those Old-fashiOned stunts
much nowadays. Our detectives
have arrested too many of them.
See, there's our head detective
nOw!w She pointed to a stout,
middle-aged woman dressed in
neat black, who was examining
cOlOred embrOideries at an ada
cent counter with an attention
that seemed complete.
"She's great" ratified on the
pretty shopgirl. spots them
every time-that is, whenever it's
possible to spot them. But, say!
How would you spot a woman
who hauled things off the cOun-
ters and dropped them in a little
heap on the floor, hidden by a
skirt, and picked them up under
the pretense of tying her shoe?
And sometimes when you do spot
them you can't arrest them, and
half the time you can't get the
things back. Isaw a woman take
a $15 lace collar the other day,
fold it up nicely inside her coat
and go off with it. Well, that lace
we got back, for we sent a detec-
tive out to the front of the store,
and when my lady sailed out he
walked up as polite as you please
and requested her to forward the
lace!
"But the case that got me was
the ostrich boa affair we had here.
l had a pretty lot Of bOas tied on
to a show stand, with tags at
tached. Well, this fine lady
strolled up and examined them.
| don't know how she managed II
they being tied on and all-but
she certainly got one of the os.
trich bOas off that stand andround
her neck without a soul spotting
her. Then out she marched, if you
please, and the boa looked mighty
becOming-all but the tag hang.
ing down her back!
"She had a black dress on, and
the little square of cardboard did
look so queer and white hanging
down behind. Two of our men de.
tectives followed her down the
street. You could track that white
tag a mile and three-quarters
away. She went into a restaur
ant. But, do you know, they could
not arrest that creature. They'C
nothing but our word to 90 on
and they don't accept salesla
dies testimony against Gus
toners, apparently, in the law
The pretty shOpgirl shifted anC
pushed a tray of gay neckweal
under the glass top of the counter
"And though they could see the
boa and see the tag, they couldn'r
have her up, and we never saw
that feathr boa again.
81 don't believe anyone has an,
idea of how much shoplifting goe,
on in the big houses. 1t simpl,
Jars you silly. But, as | say, wha.
gets me is that half the time the,
get eff scot free, and keep tn,
things. Yes, ma'am, did you sa.
you wanted a feather boa?' ant