The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-11-16

They are in all our big drapery and furnishing emporiums-and they have busy time.
 The shoplifter, bear in mind, is not. as a rule, the homeless creature in rags; she is fashionable butterfly who flutters about the most expensive stalls. She has condescending smile, q pat ronizing air, and the majestic grace of 8 newly presented debutante. And she sweeps along-choosing crOwds-wear- ing bag skirt and a belt of fish hooks
 The shoplffter wears them level with the knee, underneath her loose and flowing skirts. They are spaced just far enough apart to keep them from becoming entangled. To the inner side of te under skirt a wide Eband of oiled silk is sewn. This, with similar bands around the knees, saves both the theft and her skirts from being hooked, and permits the hooks them selves to hang free.
 The thoif who wears these fishho0ks wears also two little spur-like projec- tions at the back of the French heels of her shoes. With these she picks up handkerchiefs, blouses, silk and other materials of a like nature and raises them beneath her skirts to the hooks. All this can be done by an expert in the most unSuspicious manner possi- ble, even beneath the eyes of the de- tective, without giving that individual the slightest intimation of what is be- ing done.
 Another theft used a large hook and heavy sinker, these being suspended beneath the skirts and capable of be- ing raised and lowered by means. of a small reel carried inside the shoplift- CTS pocket The theft knocks the ar ticIa to be stolen off the counter as if by accident and stands ocer it. With one hand she calmly proceeds to lower tfso hooks until it touches the floor and cal ohoS he blouse or piece of silk there Then up comes the hook with walks quietly away.
 The shoplifter when at work wears drop skirt. This is a silk or a linen lining dct1ched from the skirt at the hen. but fastened to it at the belt. It Is really bag with a drawstring where there should be ahenl. and 3,he' ends If the tape that holds it drawn*up in silk in the outer skirt hidden by folds. i,
 Not long ago woman was caught dipping lace into what seemed to be racla,t al. the side of her skirt When
 ~ecosted shc slipped her hand into the
 I If tho skirt and tried to unite the string Had 'she succeeded in releas- ing the drawstrings the goods would have fallen to the ground, and, of ooursc. she would have denied all Knowledge of the theft.
 Some women train their little daugh- ters to help them in their thefts. When examining goods on the counter they will suddenly sweep some article aside. and in a flash the girl has it in hnr huff and under some pretense hastily leaves the premises.
 The women that detectives watca include the woman who stoops. she who presses closely against the counter, and the lady with the home made parcel.
 Then. again, there are the women who wear canes-the cape may cover a lot of thieving, and among shoplift- CTS of the poorer class 1t is invariably worn.
 The woman who stoops has been known to sweep cutie a host of arti- cles under her skirt and, her awk- ward gait being unnoticed in the throng on 8 sale day, walks away to The ladies' tea room with her plunder firmly gripped about her.--London An sWers. .r