The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-05-10
DETECTIVES rs THIEVES
From Watching Others They
Degenerate Into Shopllfters.
DIFFICULT TO DETECT.
Woman Employed in One House
Fifteen Years Stale Furs Amount
ing to Five Thousand Dollars
Instances in Which They Worked
in League With Noted Crooks.

inc to Five Thousand Dollars
Instances in Which They Worked
in League With Noted Crooks.
S, me OF the cleverest shCplifters
are women detectives. From watch
ing the adroit work CT others they
develop an expert knowledge that
makes it difficult for them to be
caught. For added to the cunning OF
the petty thief, they have the train
ing and confidence of experienced de-
LectiyeS tnaC makes them the most
dangerous crooks the department
stores have to contend with In one
OF the large stores, where recently
three OF these shoplifting detectives
have been caught, the Chief OF tho
detective force tells come interest
ng details about their operations.
One OF the clevereSt games | ever
saw worked by woman detective
was put through after | had en-
ployed her on my force. She was q
remarkably bright woman, cultured
and at one time Lad been wealthy
she told me. ] was impressed by
her intelligence and brightness and
determined to give her the first va
calcy on the staff.
She had done excellent scouting
fol- about week, when one day
was sent for hurriedly by floor
walker, who said that he had seen
q stylish:y gownd woman take a big
roll OF expensive handmade lace,
tuck it in Dor bag and walk to an
other countei Together we hasten
ed to the aisle where he had seen
the shoplifter disappear, and there
to my surprise, he pointed out the
woman detective had just put or
the force.
II supposed she was doing it for
a joke and gave the matter no fur
Their thought until she came in to say
good uight and did not mention the
incident Of the lace. As she start
ed out | told her I would walk home
with her because I wanted to talk
about her work, and she coarteousiy
invited me to accompany he... When
we reached her house she invited me
to go In, and as l had determined
to know what she had done with the
lace / followed, We discussed the
best ways of detecting thefts and
what she should do once she landed
shoplifter.
Later on she asked if I thought
the store where we were employed
would exchange hat that she Dougnr
is another shop, because she didn't
want to go to the other store now
she was detective. | suggested
she let me see the bonnet, and to my
surprise discovered it was one worth
at least $50. l hold her that they
would undoubtedly give her credit
or exchange such an expensive piece
of headgear if she went to them.
"Out Of another bundle she took
costly fur coat which she said was
the gift of friend. In the mean.
time she opened the package with
the lace, and when I had an oppor-
tunity took it out, put it in my coat
and left a few minutes later, con-
vinced that she was one of the clev-
crest shopiifters l had ever met. The
next day when she reported for
work | told her that her services
were no longer needed.
How long another woman detective.
had been helping pretty friend TO
steal from the store I do not know
but once when I was looking owe,
the force and watching their meth.
DDS OF working, I saw her have q
whispered conversation with a woman
who hastily showed her an expensive
silver purse and then tucked it in q
bag and hurried out of the store. I
wanted to be sure there was no mis-
take and detailed a man to watch
her movements. After one day Of
watching he reported that she was
working in with two women shopIift-
ers who were doing big business in
the store.
After working in the store as do
tective for fifteen years another
woman developed into a shoplifter
and became a very clever one Fura
were her speciality and suppose she
stole at least $4,000 worth before she
was discovered. She would ask for
day off and come into the shop
heavily yelled and make straight for
the fur counters. There giving an as
1umed name she would try on wraps,
coats and all kinds of furs, telling
the shop girls that she would surely
buy the next time she came in. Once
she was seen taking an expensive
fur colla,-,. but realizing that she was
followed. dropped it and disappeared in
the crowd before she could be caught
A few weeks later she was seen TAX
ing fur coat and captured just as
she was sliding it into a suit case
There was CONSERVATION in the store
when she lifted her veil and we saw
that the shoplifter was or trusted
woman detective. She was sentenc.
ed to serve six months"
Wanted a Square Deal.
Mrs. NeWed-"Pd like a nica