davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12

store man waited to see what price she
would finally name Three thousand, FIVE,
seven. he declined politely.
We'll" the girl said at last. seeming
little hurt, lit seems TO me that ten thou
sand is really too high. but I'll give you
that"
And then she opened her shopping bag
and took out bundle of money the size of
a small cabbage. II was not a half dozen
folded yellow backs. but a rubber banded
roll. such as sometimes comes to New York.
usually from beyond the Rockies. and Is
written about in the newspapers when il
is flashed in Broadway bar. The red
haired girl iuttered down through the out
side twenty. all five hundred dollar bills.
and the detective solemnly protested after
ward that she had only touched the sur
face Of the sheaf.
There she said. holding them out to
him.
she got my nerve that time he said
telling about it II know now just how
these poor women feel when they think
the stores so rich and :hey so strapped
] made one jump out an grasped the
matron's hand To steady my nerves"
Neither Of the guardians of the law could
make anything out of the case. II seemed
beyond human credibility to suppose that
any sane criminal. especially one pros
porous. would walk into the lions mouth
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
Clever Trick by Which They Purioin Oooos
from the Store Counters

pana can't believe ~ and won't under
stand The woman detective who saw his
daur,ter take a pair Of silk stockings not
a., hour ago is summoned. and the stock
f,rs are produced. Grace breaks down for
the tenth time. and finally makes clean
breast Of it--a little breast which is jump
ing ,niserably under a bit of white nun
sbe took a week ago in another store
IN is not pleasant The detective recog-
nizes the father an honorable man and
makes n as easy for him as he can. but
nc makes il hard for the girl Her mother,
must be told. he insists. Grace. thinking
II over wears later when she has girls OF
her own. wonders how she ever lived
through those awful hours, as she won
ders how she ever took the gloves in the
first place After that. nothing else could
have happened except what did happen
il was SO easy She rs very. very thank
fuI now that they caught her when they
did.
Now. in the store where Grace was
caught on every day IF the three hundred
and odd days that the store is open in
tho year, two persons are caught in the
act Of shoplifting. And in practically
every ono Of the larger stores in the city,
many Of rhem not a third so big that
ono she srrne average number Of detec-
tions is made. Nearly all Of the Offend
ers are women. and only few Of them
arc professional thieves. Unfortunately,
not all % them feel the disgrace as keenly
as Grace Many Of them keep At n, are
caught a second time. brought into court
arg sent 70 rriSOn
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12

and had borrowed right and left. She had
been walking about the city with $1,000
in bills in her handbag.
The situation was a new one for the
matron and the detective. The investiga-
tions confirmed the girls story and they
finally withdrew the charge. settling the
case without publicity. But they refused to
make an exception, and insisted thar the
parents Of both the young women, should be
brought to court and told everything. Then
at last the girls broke down and cried IL
was hardly strange that after the fresh
mans mother heard the story the young
woman's initiation did not go on. and that
she did not join a Greek letter society dur
ing her college course.
But heroics usually have small place in
shopliftng. Fifteen unmarried women out
of twenty say they steal TO make them
selves attractive in sae eyes of a fance.
and goOdly proportion Of married women
make the same excuse. but with a husband
as the secondary cause. Nineteen times in
twenty cases the story Is a lie. and the
twentieth GIRL Of whom II may be true. has
too much pride 10 say so.
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
WOULD FORFEIT CASH.

ON the occasions 7 have mentioned, and
al other times, when necessary, the police
would be ordered into action, and a num-
Der Of disorderly houses would be rsided.
The visitors az such places would give
false names al the station and leave SO In
money. Then they would vanish, and We
saw them no more. crowd of miserable
human beings. in police court next morn
ing, would pay fines i'm cash ranging from
SIS 10 so apiece. So Christmas was a
merry season for the laws representatives,
with gifts and the spirit OF worship. and
in the good old summer time every man
Fsyly sailed forth on his vacation.
BY and by our form of municipal gov
eminent was changed and thereafter all
the judges and clerks Of the police court
were paid from the public treasury. HUI
man nature follows the point OF view. and
self-interest is an unanswerable argument.
When our police Judges ceased 10 live by
fines alone their state OF mind, as was in
evitsble. underwent happy transforma-
tion. Hearts once fiinty were filled with
kindness and pity. The wretched fund,
assessed against sinners, was no longer a
barometer indicating the rise and fall Of
Judicial mercy and prisoners charged with
intoxication were almost invariably let go
Rith warning
"A drunken man. for instance, would be
sent 20 a police station At night. Some
time next dav. perhaps late in the after
noon he would he taken before one Of the
police judges. lectured briefly. maybe. on
the evils OF strong drink. and dismissed. A
large and grateful following was thus OBJ
tained by the men on the bench, a following
that elected them term after term. or ad-
Kanced them 70 higher Judicial positions.
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12

We should have made thirty-tWo thousand
arrests in 1905 and thirty-five thousand in
1879 Last year our arrests dropped to ten
thousand. This year they will not exceed
six thousand. Still. We have made more
arrests for felonies than ever before.
Il have been accused" Chief Kohler went
on 20 say, 'of sacrificing the efficiency Of
our police force 20 a sentimental feeling.
and OF encouraging disorder and crime. The
facts deny and disprove the accusation.
When 1 called our men I'm during the Christ
mas holidays OF 1897 for personal instruc-
tion ! told them that in order 10 make
Cleveland a better place TO live in l would
direct that all the members Of the police
department be as kind and considerate as
possible TO unfortunate offenders against
the laws ana ordinances when the cases are
misdemeanors only.
But, ] was careful 20 say. patrolmen
must be satisfied that the alleged offences
were not purposely or malicicusly com
mitted. or with a view Of injuring the per-
sons or property OF others. continuing L
added. as We are and should be. severe and
relentless in our prosecution of the felon
and the hahitusl ViolatOr'
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
TO SAVE regulations.

MY object, l told the men. was to dis
pose Of trivial misdemeanors without ar
rest 10 prevent the disgrace OF persons
who. through thoughtlessness. passion or
temper. or in the spirit of frolic or mis-
chievousness. are supposed TO he Offend
ers: and. also. 10 save from humiliation
fathers. mothers, wives and other rela-
tives who are of good reputation and
character. Broadly" Chief KohIer said.
those are the principles of my common
sense policy Misdemeanors, under Ger
tain circumstances. are excused. Crimi-
mails are hunted with more vigor than
has ever been possible in the past"
''lt is asserted" I remarked. that your
system really makes each officer on a
beat police magistrate. when he has
neither the right nor the ability TO assume
such a function"
mo policeman under any scheme of ad-
ministration." Chief Kohler replied "is
permitted 10 run smuck. shooting. knock
ing down and arresting whomsoever he
pleases. He is given his orders. verbally
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
AN UNLUcKY HUMP.

hoorvalker in a Chicago store once
had baby which had the Group The
foorwalker was afraid IL would die. and
the thought troubled him while he was on
duty AT the store. As he stood by the door
late one afternoon while the homebound
shoppers were surging out. he saw a
shabby. bent, pitfully humpbacked little
girl. with delicate face and appealing
blue eyes. Everybody knows that N Is
certain good luck 90 Law ones hand ON a
humphack's hum. The noorwalker Thought
OF the baby az home and touched the girl
on the shoulder. II was surprisingly soft
and the girl gave a little cry and a start
An involuntary movement OF his hand
pushed the hump down into the middle OF
the girls back. They took out OF that
hump three pairs OF stockings. gold
mounted fountain pen. quantity OF nna
lingerie. a hypodermic syringe with needles
and morphine. red morocco copv OF
omar khayyam" and a teething rIng-all
OF which. OF course. had been concealed
there by person operating within the
store.
For small articles. iewelry and the uL.
a mum Is often sufficient Again a shon-
htter VIII bring an innocent hooking mar
eel, apparently a shoe box. usuaIlv n,,,,
the printed wrapper OF shoe stora xh,u-
ing on the outside. Part of one end a.
the poN mas been cut away aud a sir
ihaue w the paper just over the opening.
hidden oy the Hap which folds over the
emo OF we'll wrapped bundle To slim
a brooch or small roll OF lace into mi.
opening Ia not . difncut matter The box
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
A HAIR RAISING STUNT

At length. concentrating their attack upon
the red-haired girl. and threatening i'm
prisonment for both IL she. did not tell
everything, they drew out the story. The
prisoner was freshman at a womans
college al some distance from. New York;
the other was a sophomore who had been
detailed 10 direct her in a series OF
stunts by way of initiation to a Greek
letter s1ciety. In a particularly reckless
mood the tormentor had ordered her pupil
10 take fur which she pointed out in the
course of a visit 10 the store. OF course
they meant TO send il back the next day.
Both had exalted ideas about their re-
sponsibihty TO the fraternity. and indeed
TO the last refused 10 tell it's name. The
red-haired girl. growing anxious when her
victim did not return from the store.
learned Of the arrest by telephone. Be
cause Of a minor fraternity cffice which she
held she had the check book of the chapter.
and was wealthy in her own right besides.
She had persuaded an uncle TO cash
check for the entire balance of the chapter
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
Many Persons Are Dissatisfied with the Change
However, and Desire Return to
More Familiar Methods

the conclusion that the Golden Rule could
he applied in the relations between police
officers and the human delinquents and
lawbreakers they meet on their rounds2"
My reply" Chief Kohler answered, will
require some reference 10 my individual
history. Twenty years ago I came 20 the
police force a patroiman. ! was very
young. but l ambitious and proud Of
my position. At the end Of six years was
A sergeant In 1908. after having served as
a lieutenant. a captain and tho chief %
detectives, I was given my present posi-
tion. All the way up had been observing
and thinking.
when ] began TO walk the streets the
officers in our single police court. from the
judge on the bench TO the cheapest clerk
al the desk, were paid out Of the money
collected in fines from all kinds OF law
breakers. II the fund was short the judge.
OF course. had 20 wait for his salary. II
was the same with the cheapest clerk.
You VIII understand. therefore. that good
many watchful eyes were on the fund. es-
pecially along about Christmas and IN sum
mer, when vacations were eagerly sntici-
81
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
COMMON SENSE ENOUGH.

The practice Of employing commor
sense In the making of arrests" Chief
hohler continued. has been tested for
twenty-three months. and I am more GER
tain than ever that II Is right and safe.
IL is disapproved by about one hundred
lawyers who used 10 make their living at
the police courts. by professional bondsmen
ana other human vultures but that of
course, is 10 be expected
There is something wrong with the
criminal policy OF civilizstion.' Chief
kohler said with much earnesness. ION
every side there are calls for more iaiIs
and larger penitentiaries. Men are nor
being reconstructed. l should do away with
determinate sentences and have each pris-
oner stand on his merits The house
breaker. with long list of crimes. who
tells the truth TO his keeper confessine ALI
and keeping nothing back, gives mora
promise OF reform. II seems 10 me. than
does the man who has robbed but once and
then lies about IL
Copyright 1909. by James p. Morrow
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
INQUIRIES ARE SEARCHING.

BY no means all. nor half. the amateur
shoplfting cases are settled without pub
licity. There Was a deal of inquiry Of
which Grace knew nothing before she was
let off so easily. inquiry which went
into her own history and that OF her family
for many years back and her mother made
ont a list Of all Graces recent acquisitions
TO be compared with her confession of
petty thefts and the sales records of the
stores WHERE she had been All the larger
stores in the city have an agreement that
no case which has once been brought 10 the
police court shall he withdrawn. but that
the charge against the offender shall be
pressed through 70 General Sessions. The
rule works we'll. and exceptions are rare.
With the professional thieves IL Is diff
ferent story. They are Of two classes-the
matinee workers" and the pupils who
work under teachers who have retired from
active practice The matinee workers are
81 called because they appear in the stores
usually about o'clock in the afternoon.
having slept all day. Many of these
women are members Of the scon game
and badger game" teams which infest
hotels and steamers; others are thieves
Of a more desperate sort They are
among the best dressed of tho offenders,
and arc by far the most skilfuI resourcefuI
and daring. \ campaign by the stores. di-
rected az these thieves. during the last
three years has nearly driven them out OF
the business in New York City
Their method is usually simple. but IL
is hard to detect. They work with shop
lifter's kit" a pocket formed by sewing
the button of an underskirt TO the outer
skirt. with long vertical slit at the hip
concealed by a pleat in the skirt and
usually covered also by the skirt of An
outer garment. A dexterOus shOplfJer
looking over the goods on counter. can
whisk gloves. stockings. jewelry and what
not into this opening with marvellous ease
and escape detection many times.
Ths very latest wrinkle in shoplifting is
an Improvement on the regular kit" The
slit and the closed skirt pouch are still the
principal features, but instead OF tight
seam az the bottom joining the skirts there
is an adjustment Of draw strings. When a
woman thinks she Is being watched she
steps into a corner. often with only her
feet concealed. and pulls a ribbon end
which Is concealed under her belt The
draw strings give way. leaving the pouch
wide open, and the woman walks of like
dumped coal car. leaving the appropriated
articles on the floor. II she is searched no
stolen goods are found on her.
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12

is often lined with cotton batting TO d.adea
the sound
Frequently the professionals work n
pairs. They. like the amateurs are Al.
most always women They stand close to-
gether at a show table and discuss. COM
pare. turn TO the light and go through all
the universal motions OF shopping women
10 conceal their uanipulattons. Often, os
course. they make genuine purchases. For
a time several professionals work in a
large store without being watched by ths
simple device OF asking for transfer
card. which would allow them to selecs
goods from different departments and have
them all held 10 be paid for at once az
the central Office. They could thus 20
through the ceremony Of buying 70 their
hearts content without actually having %
invest a dollar. while at the same time
the card gave them the appearances ot
prosperity and respectability. or course.
they would not call for the articles they
had ordered and when they were through
ordering could quietly leave the store and
tear up the card
In the largest store in New York no:
long since a middle aged. hearty looking
woman. with a little girl OF eleven years.
was arrested. Though she had none Of
the appearance OF a professional thief. her
skirt was fitted with the shopliftins pouch
II was heavily loaded with remarkaos
miscellany in which were such bulky ar
ticIes as shirtwaists. carving knives and
a half pint flask Of whiskey. The HIS
girl would take the articles 70 look ar them
and while her mother covered her WIN
her arms and a newspaper which she car
ried would slip them into the slit IN tbs
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12

have been suffragette. but hardly looked
2 consort of criminals. She looked over
the matron and the store detective from
head TO foot and finally selected the de-
tectiye as the more irnpressiOnable. = She
asked for "A private interview.
She told him in many words that she
herself had directed the girl to take the
fur, that she had shown her how TO do
the trick and that she had agreed TO
buy il. She was responsible for the
trouble and ready to pay any fines
there might be so that the girl might get
out without the affair becoming public.
The detective. somewhat taken aback, tried
to explain 10 her that the regular course
OF Justice did not follow the trail she was
blazing. The young woman crossed her
knees and said quietly:
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
SAID SHE HAD A TUTOR.

The woman confessed 20 having stolcn
from stores for more than year sns
was the wife of a respectable plumber, Vno
seemed TO be frightfully shocked TO learn
of her thefts She said ste had oeeh
taught TO steal by woman who TOOK 'nr
goods and paid her small sums ror lneA-
The police investigated the story lsa
trap and arrested the second woman 4nes
had little doubt that the charge asalnsl
her was true. but no criminal record cou''
he found and no testimony 20 conrlrm uie
accuser,z story. She was discharged
the police court -,
There is no doubt. the police say 'na.
there are schools of shopliftins IN many -
the great cities Of the country IN "n''.
weak women learn the trade Every y"
months a prisoner tells OF such an his'i.-
tion and the newspapers blossom WIN u7
story OF a new "'Fagin.' usually WoinaN
The police try 10 strike directly al lne -
Structors end often succeed AS the iS','
are usually criminals with a record anu
niche in the rOguss' gallery. II Is nov
20 deal With them once they are causA'
But this form OF crime, too. IS dyihs ~
under stricter policing. greater eo-opeis's''
among cities and better methods OF S''h''
nal Identification.
Men shOplifters are rare. When tneS -
caught the supposition is always tna' ~.
are professional thieves. or are ABOUT =
become such. and the fullest sentence W,
sible under the law is meted out 70 tn''.'
These cases are never settled out {, oo...
The offence is so utterly despicaoe w.
there is no sympathy 70 be had
AS for the things these persons steal -.
the catalogue OF n mail order house -,
take everything. Frequently women .aA 90
Pins of a somewhat unusual pattern W.
they could buy for cent or two dolss'
Last year In Philadelphia shoplifters you,
a block and tackle. three hundred zee.
cable chain. the derrick that went WIZ |.
and a tsn-.on hoistinS engine % WON -
derrick. The case was one Of senul"7
shopHftins. The property was eNposso -
sale under an arch of the Pennsylvsn~
Railroad viaduct. near Broad Stree,
tfon. I'm the heart OF the city. The tnie'e.
loaded II on a four-horse dray az 10 -
IN the morning and drove with u tn'-
quarters OF a mile through the o"sS y
district and sold the material 20 -
dealer in South Broad street. -
Are most persons honest@' = a p>r'ino
question asked OF certain store d@tec'
GIVE me something easy." one OF the-.
W ,.,s ,hs bes'
said. in reply. and he was. perhaps. e"' ,,f
store detective IN the United Sta'eS .s.s
course. there's an awful lot or toiAS
are honest. Then there's a lot ths' -,
Count out the mere fear of oeinS
and I wouldn't lust want % say N.r<,
think has the majority. see 'h7 -
side Of II. OF course but ! can't hep A
that lots and lots of persons Nan' -
what's right and Yet lose their hsa's
go Wr0ng
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12

and in hook of rules, and whether he is
doing duty i'm New York, Chicago or San
Francisco. there is scarcely an hour I'm the
day he is not called on To- use his indie
Tendent Judgment All police officers. ir
Cleveland and elsewhere, arc warned that
when they make arrests they must feel rea-
SOnahly sure the persons arrested can he
convicted. Many policemen are under bond
rot to go beyond their lawful authority.
and i'm other ways are required To exercise
what might be called the Judicial faculty.
Furthermore. II must he remembered
that the Judges on the bench depend lin.
testimony of police officers in disposiug Of
most of the cases they hear the officers
having judged the cases IN ,mseIves before
the arrests occurred. Ny policy violates
no right or power of the courts that was
not vioiated before In this and all other
cities. Moreover. it rarely happens that the
officer in the street attempts To decide
whether the man I'm custody should he for
mally placed Inle- arrest or permitted to
go his way. Usually. the man il taken
to police station. where his case is talked
over with the captain or lieutenant"
What is done with men who are drunk
'1f the man can walk he is sent home.
If he can't walk. and has money In his
pocket and is willing to pay the hill, a
conveyance is. hired to take him home
When he is brought 10 a police station he
IS kept until sober and then released How
ever. do not brand him by writing his
name I'm the book of arrests"
Are your patrolmen supposed to lecture
drunkards ON the foolishness of intemper-
ance?
They have not been instructed To do so,
but they talk more or less along that line.
with good results. now and then.
What have YOU said 10 gamblers
THE day after ! was sworn in as
chief Of police I had all the gamblers in
the city come 10 my office. They vera
ordered to close their rooms at once. l
gave some of them twenty-four hours and
others p week I'm which 10 remove their
machinery. n would be DESTROYED, I told
them. If my instructions were not obeyed.
From that day To this there has been no
gambling In Cleveland. except hidden
games OF poker participated in BY profess
sional players.
Next I sent for the proprietors of dis
orderly houses Names. 7 said. were to be
scratched OF of doors. red lights were TO be
extinguished and all visible signs were 10
be removed instantly. Disturbance Of any
kind would be punished with arrest. Later.
disorderly house I ser-t a pstrolman to the
place with q pencil and tablet of paper. He
would stand on the sidewalk near the door
and demand the name and address of each
person who entered the establishment.
New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
GAME IN CHINA

In regard % the nausuratoh =. .,.rd.
game shipments from china 70 -'-,,.s
vice-Ccnsul General ". r. DORSEY
from Shanghai that game OF an ,,s
very plentiful IN that country. Svn ni. nora-
less river deer (Hydropotes ineihl' ssvsf
he found all along the Vans - ~ tns
finding pasture and shelter ahons~ %
thousands OF acres OF reeds Nhi'u pssa xants
its islands and along IFS banks thsn M
abound everywhere and 70 - nov tnsrs
usual sight In country places 70 snr>
feeding with the harnyard lows. my u
are very common throughout the Nsss-earn
me Yans-tss' and in the winter the s''.ld Ia
ard lakes are literally BLACK WIN, "'s,,,,t 70
waterfowl There is praeticslN "v e,nsulae
the amount OF game prccuraoie'
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