Amador ledger., 1909-09-03
STEALING IN STORES.
lhe ingenuity That Is Shown by
the Woman Thief.
TRICKS OF THE SHoPLIFTER.

Their Very Simplicity.
AS numerous as they are ingenious
are the tricks Of the modern shopllft-
ers. declare store detectives. 1t keeps
the detectives busy to get on" to the
devices of the men and women who
live by their wits in stealing from
stores For tricks that are canny few
CLASSES of criminals. 1t Is said, ap-
preach them.
The method of stealing by using the
aatchel with a false bottom is one of
the ceverest of the tricks.
Well disguised, the shoplifter enters
"A store. Her eyes run over the coun-
tiers. She perceives the object she
enthusiastically something small and
valuable, sometimes Il purse Il custom
er has left lying OH the counter.
over the object the shoplifter places
her satchel. Pretending to delve into
the satchel to extract purse or hand
Rerchief, the thief lifts false bottom
in the bag. reaches under it. draws in
side the desired article, adjusts the
false bottom. closes the satchel and
walks away.
But this is only one Of many clever
ruses employed declared detective
the other day. THE women especially
are ingenious Their dress, of course,
helps them.
"One of the methods of stealing is
for the shoplifter to have slit in her
dress near the belt. As she stands near
The counter she can deftly seize the
article desired. be it piece of lace
or costly fabric or bit of jewelry,
and slip it into the skirt. The folds of
the skirt are voluminous and conceal
the thing stolen.
Some tricks are successful because
0f their simplicity. A fashionably
dressed woman may walk into the
clothing department, look over coat
suits, pick up one, fold it neatly up,
place it under her coat and walk
away
IF she is detected she will indig-
lantly declare that she bought the suit
some time before and that she has
brought it back to be altered.
Or woman. her hands glittering
with rings and dressed ~ the latest
style. may walk into the store some
winter day. She wears only a rich
coat of dark fabric.
"In the coat department she will ask
TO see some fur lined coats. Oh, she is
very particular and tries ON one after
another. Other customers come up, and
the saleslady gets busy with them
while madam is trying to suit herself.
while the saleslady is turned she
puts on one of the richest sable trim
med coats, turns on her heel and
walks away. Perhaps the salesgirl
may not notice the loss until there is
an account of stock.
Each month from fifty to sixty ar
rests are made in the average large
department store. The detectives must
be extremely careful, for false charge
would precipitate a suit for damages,
which would mean many thousands.
Certain departments hold especial
lures for shoplifters. The jewelry de-
partment is invariably guarded. When
the furs come in we have sleuths who
keep their eyes open for the woman
who likes to take fur to the window
to examine it, then running for the
door; the woman with the false skirt
and the woman who puts fur on and
audaciously walks away"
Although the sales departments and
The detective departments work to-
gether, there exists between them
spirit Of justitiable rivalry. If a de-
tective perceives some one getting
away with goods it casts discredit on
the person behind the counter from
which the goods were stolen. There
fore the sales folk keep an alert watch
for shoplifters.
One might imagine that goods are
dumped pellmell on the counters OF
the big stores. AS matter of fact, the
efficient saleslady will have everything
so arranged that she will notice the
disappearance of an article almost i'm
nlediately.
IL Il saleswoman suspects a person
she Immediately notifies the head de
tpctivc. If it is a woman. Il woman
detective is usually put on the job II
Is said store managers usually find
women more efficient than men.
Few arrests are ever made In the
stores as an arrest gives only undc'
sirable publicity. The detective usual
~ follows suspected persons from the
store and arrests him or her outside.
1t is said that arrests for shopliftine
IN New York exceed 3,0O0 Il year. III
that city full description of all SHOP
liftcrs caught are sent 10 the Retal
Dry Goods association. which in turn
distributes the information to the va
rious members.
Nnlv hY concerted nrtiOn ana WIZ