The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-10-09
SPOTTINC CRIMINALS
Plans Of London Shops and Banks
For FoiIing Thieves.
A CODE OF SECRET SIGNALS.

iHs moment . suspect Is DISCOVERIES
In an Establishment the Warning Is
Quickly Given to the Employees, Who
Are Instantly on the Alert.
''Do you know IL Brown has returned
that parcel OF stones yeti"
The scene may be the shop Of fash.
ionab.s west end jeweler. Costly
gems CLINT in velvet lined cases. One
frock coated sbopman turns casually
to another with the perfectly natural
question quoted above.
To those customers who may be in
the esta ablishmont the remark means
nothing. but TO the man who is ad.
dressed it spells volumes. Brown" is
a 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 O thief and that her every
action must be watched.
Quite recently in connection with n
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
was disclosed that in the case Of a
sudden attack It had been arranged
that one of the assistants should en-
ploy the distress signal" of hurllng
brass paperweight through the win.
dow of the office.
Although most people are quite un-
aware Of the fact, practically every
banker, money changer and ieweler
In the fashionable quarter of the me-
tropolis has some prcarranged code by
which one employee may warn his
entered the establishment.
In one we'll known bank this is the
system adopted: Should cashiers |
suspicious be aroused by the actions |
or speech OF man upon the other |
side Of the counter he will step across |
in a perfectly innocent way to GER !
tain desk which stands quite apart |
from the others. The custodian at the |
doorway sees the action. knows its
significance and is instantly on the /
alert.
In the case OF another bank the
cashier whose suspicious are aroused
need not even move away from his
desk to warn the watcher. The
scheme employed Is this: Along tn
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.
flcials behind the desks suspect the
good faith Of an individual to whom
he is attending all he has to do In or
dor to place the patrol in uniform
leisurely hand and turn one Of these
plates so that It is III perfectly
straight line with the rail from which
Il projects.
The ingenuity Of this idea lies In the
fact that, while the action Is perfectly
natural. it Is so unmistakable that even
when the bank is full of people 1t can.
not fail to be observed by the man
who Is upon the lookout.
Quite the most elaborate system OF
which details are obtalnable is that in.
stalled by firm of electrical engineers
for one prominent west end jeweler
The manager who is on duty sits at a
glass screened desk iu the rear Of the
shop IN such position that, while
scarcely being seen himself and GER
tainly without making any movement,
he has an absolutely unimpeded view
Of every counter and show case.
Near him, on a small board. shielded
from view, Is a row of tiny red electric
light 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 o
button, and his duty is done when,
should he think customer be is serv.
ing may not be "on 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 TO.
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
ton as the thief turns to leave the
shop. This serves to warn a smart at |
tendsnt 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
given.-London Answers.