The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-09
STEALING IN STORES.
The Ingenuity That Is Shown by
the Woman Thief.
TRICKS OF THE sH0PLIFTER.


Their Very Simplicity.
AS numerous as they are ingeaious
are the tricks of the modern shoplift
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.
proach them.
The merhod of stealing by using the
satchel with false bottom IL one Of
the cleverest of the tricks.
Well disguised, the shoplifter enters
q store. Her eyes run over the coun.
ters. She perceives the object she
wants-usually something small and
valuable, sometimes purse u custom.
er has left lying on the counter.
Over the object the shoplifter places
her satehel. Pretending to delve into
the satchel to extract purse or hand.
kerchief. the thief lifts false bottom
In the bag, reaches under It, draws I'm.
side the desired article. adjusts the
false bottom, closes the satchel and
walks awny.
"Rut this is only one of many clever
ruses employed" declared n 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 I'm her
dress near the belt. As she stands near
the counter she can deftly seize the
article desired. be II piece of lace
or costly fabric or a bit OF jewelry,
and slip 1t into the skirt. The folds OF
the skirt are voluminous and conceal
the thing stolen.
Some tricks are successful because
of their simplicity. A fashionably
dressed woman may walk into the
clothing department, look over coat
suits. pick up one, fold 1t neatly up,
place Il under her coat and walk
away.
If she Is detected she will indig.
nantly declare that she bought the suit
| some time before and that she has
brought II back to be altered.
"Or woman, her hands glittering
with rings and dressed In the latest
style, may walk into the store some
winter day. She wears only 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 saieslady gets busy with then
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 ID
an account Of stock.
"Each month from fifty to sixty ar.
rests are made In the average large
department store. The detectives mus
be extremely careful. for a false charge
would precipltate 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 II, 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 q
spirit OF justi6able rivalry. If de-
| tective perceives some one getting
away with goods 1t casts discredit on
the person behind the counter from
! which the goods We're stolen. There.
fore the sales folk keep an alert watch
for shoplifters.
One might imagine that goods are
dumped pellmell on the counters ol
the big stores. As a matter of fact. the
efficient saleslady will have everything
so arranged that she will notice the
disa ppearanoe of an article almost I'm.
mediately. .ft-
II saleswoman suspects a person
she Immediately notifies the head de-
tective. II II Is a woman. a woman
detective is usually put on the job. II
ls said store managers usually find
Nwomen more efficient than men.
Few arrests are ever made In the
stores. as an arrest gives only unde-
sirable publicity. The detective usual
ly follows suspected persons from the
store and arrests him or her outside.
II is said that arrests for shopliftlng
In New York exceed 5000 year. In
that city full description of all shop
lifters caught are sent to the Retail
Dry Goods association. which In turn
distributes the information to the va
rlous members.
Only by concerted action and with
highly organized STATS of detectives
can the stores cope with the ingenious
shopllfters.
The detective system of the big
stores, however, is now so perfect
that It is dangerous to attempt shop
lifting. Even the cieverest shoplifter
faces long jail term In the pursuit Of
her nefarious work.
More than that. II shoplifter for
any reason should escape paying the
penalty Of crime in one city she may
not be so fortunate IN another De.
scriptions of all suspected persons are
sent ont broadcast and arrasf IN an,