The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-04-07
|SPOTT|NC CRIMINALS
Plans Of London Shops and Banks
For Foiling Thieves.
"A CODE OF SECRET SIGNALS.


In an Establishment the Warning Is
Quickly Given to the Employees, Who
Are Instantly on the Alert
do you know II Brown has returned
that parcel of stones yet?"
The scene may be the shop of fash.
ionable west end jeweler Costly
ems CLINT in velvet lined cases. One
'ock coated shopman turns casually
b another with the perfectly natural
Squestion quoted above.
To those customers who may be In
the establishment the remark means
nothing, but to the man who Is ad
dressed It spells volumes. Brown" Is
N secret code word. and It means that
the elegantly clad woman to whom
the speaker is displaying a tray Of
sparkling stones is suspected by him
Of being a thief and that her every
action must be watched
Quite recently in connection with a
terrible outrage In the west end of
London, in which an unfortunate mon
ey changer was done TO death in his
office by desperate robber the fact
| vas disclosed that In the case Of a
udden attack II had been arranged
lat one of the assistants should en-
oy the distress signal" of hurllng
rass paperweight through the win
wv of the office.
Although most people are quite un-
Yare Of the fact, practically every
mixer, money changer and jeweler
4 the fashionable quarter of the me-
rtropolis has some prearranged code by
which one employee may warn his
fellows that dubious character has
! entered the establishment
In one well known bank this is the
! system adopted: Should cashiers
suspicions be aroused by the actions
or speech Of man upon the other
side of the counter he will step across
in perfectly innocent way to GER
tain desk which stands quite apart
from the others. The custodian at the
doorway sees the action, knows fits
'gnificance and is instantly on the
ert. @
In the case of another bank the
ishier whose suspicious are aroused
eed not even move away from his
esk to warn the watcher. The
scheme employed is this: Along the
guarding rail Of the counter are Sc
ries of plates bearing the word
! Prayer or Receiver" according to
the duties of the cashier in each par
ticular section.
These. by design, are all placed
slightly askew Should one of the Of
J fcials behind the desks suspect the
good faith of an individual to whom
y he is attending all he has to do in or
4,r to place the patrol in uniform
(upon the qui vive is to reach up "A
leisurely hand and turn one Of these
pilates so that 1t is in perfectly
q 'aight line with the rail from which
L projects.
The ingenuity Of this idea lies in the
(act that, while the action is perfectly
i natural, it is so unmistakable that even
when the bank is full of people it can
not fail to be observed by the man
who is upon the lookout.
Quite the most elaborate system of
which details are obtainable is that In
stalled by q firm Of electrical engineers
for one prominent west end jeweler
The manager who is on duty sits at
glass screened desk in the rear of the
shop In such position that, while
scarcely being seen himself and GER
Fainly without making any movement
he has an absolutely unimpeded view
lof every counter and show case.
Near him, on small board. shielded
from view. is a row of tiny red electric
Hight bulbs One corresponds to the
position of each of the suave assist
ants who attends to the wants Of the
jewel buying public. Sunk in the floor,
near the foot of each assistant, Is
utton, and his duty is done when,
Ting may not be ION the square" he
places his foot on this convenient but
ton The little glow lamp lights up at
the other end Of the wire. and the
managers attention is promptly 70
cused In the direction indicated
Should his keen scrutiny reveal an
actual theft from the articles displayed
on the counter or from some unpro-
tected tray he himself presses but
bton as the thief turns to leave the
shop. This serves to warn smart at
tendant who is on duty at the portals,
and the wrongdoer finds his or hel
pathway barred without a word hav
ing been uttered or sign Of warning
igiven.-London Answers.
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