New-York tribune., 1906-11-11
>SbopIifffnS: the Irresfsfible Impulse
Even Slersyunen Fall Victims the Little Black
Fate Sure to Overtake Lisht-Fine.red

When the word "shoplifting IS heard the pub
lie mind invaIiab'y associates II with women
The crime IS not confined, however 10 one sex
Not long ago two c!ergymen were caught shop
lifting IN q Sixth avenue department store They
were bona fae clergynen. well dressed and ven
cradle in appearance C-e OF them picked up
pineapple and calmly walked of with IT openly
tn HIS hand. The other lifted" something equally
trivial, Both broke down when invited to step
up 10 the c1ioe begged and prayed not TO have
any publicity and offered 10 pay for the things
ten times over The man who walked off with
the pineapple did not even plead absentminded-
ness or undue fondness for that succulent fruit
He said that az Irresistible impulse" came over
him and he just had 70 take the thing This is
always the plea Of rich women caught shoplift-
ing. Elegantly dressed, perhaps profitable GUS
toners OF the store. when they are called TO the
once they break down. weep. offer 10 pay and
declare that the temptation 10 take the thing
was irresistible. Il is always a case Of the
little black man" Other non-professionals are
miserable. poor women who steal some trife in
order 70 sell II and get money for food. 1t is
seldom Jnat person or any OF these classes IS
arrested, for the time necessary TO prosecute
them would be worth more than the article
stolen The intention is TO scare them thorough
ly by threats Of exposure and publicity. Arrest
snd prosecution are almost always reserved for
professionals
EMPLOYEES TURN THIEVES.
Since the organization Of the Association of
Department Store Owners novel and ingenious
methods Of fraud on the part Of employees have
been discovered. The system by which depart
ment stores eep track of their enormous num-
Der Of daily sales IS complicated one and the
methods employed 70 defy il must be compli-
Gated also. A shipping clerk in one Of the big
stores recently ran quite q race before detection
he would 80 TO a certain department and say
TO The salesgirL Give me six yards of that To-
cent muslin, for Glrs. Blank, Of such and such
an adorsss lie would pay the 30 cents. and
the sa!esG'rl would send goods and cash 10 the
cashisrs desk. she would receive in return two
sales checks. one of these she kept for her
sales hook. and the other she sent TO the shin
ping cleIh. The latter neatly erased the record
Of six wards or goods 90 cents and substituted
zone rug. SO" The rug went out 10 a cOnfed-
crate AT the address named One department
store recently seized $500 worth OF rugs at one
address. sent There through the connivance OF
the shipping clerk.
a favorite method or the saleswonan IN rob-
bing the store is precisely analogous to that OF
the conductor. When the conductor knocks
down ne ueElec;s ring up the fare The
saleswofsan has contrived an ingenious method
OF not ringing up her sale. Each person sell
ing GOODS receives each morning a saiesbook
containing the full number Of checks. A check
IS made out for each sale i'm duplicate and the
duplicate sent 10 The cashiers desk. At night
the checks al the cashiers desk must corre-
epond with those in the book II one IS missing
from book or desk II must be accounted for.
Recently the books of certain girl kept com
ing back aM right. and Vet for various reasons
she fell under suspicion. a stranger was sent 70
her counter 70 make a 9S-cent purchase in pay
ment for which TWO half dollars were given,
She handed she goods up 70 the wrappers desk
above the counter and when she passed the
parcel over the counter not one customer in one
hundred would haze noticed that she took the
two ceuts change out Of her pocket instead OF
out OF the little mechanical box that comes
buZziIg back from the cashiers desk Ten
minutes afterward She was called to the man
sger's ONCE. There she was accused Of making
the sale described She denied # and offered her
salesbook in evidence.
You have not checked that sale In your
salesbOok," said the storc detective 1T was
made between the last that are checked
there You have got two silver half dollars
nicl1ed on the edge in your pocketbook Show
me your pookstbook" The pocketbook on being
produced was found 10 contain the marked
money. The gin WAS discharged in disgrace
and her name and description sent TO every