The San Francisco call., 1910-04-03

things to wear. something for personal
adornment, and they seem TO think
that a little thing taken from big
establishment makes no dinerence.
They get it free. gratis and for nothing
and it's all TO the good"
The retired merchant was OF the
same opinion. He said; While Nine.
Humbert or a Cassie Chadwick is rarely
TO be met with. the woman thief In the
department store is an everyday vis-
itOr. Sometimes she is saleslady who
wants a little pin to wear with her
new stock. or a pair of gloves for an
evening party. 1t is SO easy. There
are so many right at hand, and she
sees no harm in the act. Sometimes
II Is the shopper. She is at the lace
counter. perhaps, or at the necktie
counter. She looks over several pieces
of lace or different ties. lingering them
as though to ascertain the quality.
and then gazes vaguely around. appar-
emily looking for something entirely
different. oh. no. this isn't the color
l want AT all. she remarks. but in that
interval OF hesitation a necktie has
disappeared under her fur piece or
inside a half opened coat or into con-
venienb pocket.
Il recall one peculiar case in which
a full skirt was the shOplifter's chief
asset Entire pieces of silk began TO
disappear mysteriOusly. You know
silks are put up on p2steboard car
tOns--wOund about them-and when
part of piece is sold we mark OFF the
number of yards so we know juSt how
much there is left. Almost every day
for several weeks we discovered an
empty carton. but how did the silk get
away? detective was detailed 10 that
counter. and at last the woman was
caught. Her scheme was quite clever.
a sagrr f.. oh. .rfI arr1
while looking them over. would lift one
of the pieces with apparent mcOn-
'sciOusness. holding IT in front Od her
and moving IL about. at the same time
making the salesman take down other
pieces. while the piece upon which she
had designs was slipping slowly from
its carton down into a capaciOus pocket
in the front of her full skirt waiting
to receive il. Then she would slide
the empty carton in among the other
pieces OF silk. where il would be dis
covered later on This woman was. OF
course. a real thief and was stealing
the silk to sell When she was ar
rested several hundred pieces OF silk
were found in her room.
Generally. though. when a woman
steals. 1t is for personal adornment
wearing apparel. or little things which
she fondly believes viii make her more
attractive; while. when a man steals.
1T is to get money either for a woman
or for gambling. If he can pick I'D an
article Of jewelry which he can sen. he
may do IL II he wants money for the
races or for a woman, but the sama
man would not think OF stealing a
necktie for himself. The fellow who
'borrows $40 from his employers cash
drawer. expecting to put it back from
his winnings ar the track. does not
think that he is stealings n IS only
borrowing
Sometimes stealing in the depare-
ment stores is not confined 10 single in
dividuals. but II IS organized and op-
Grated on cooperative lines. Not so
very long ago the largest stores in sew
eral cities were IN the throes OF great
excitement. The vestigation was in
stigated at a big public ball. The pro-
prietor OF one Of the large stores was
there with his wife. whose attention
was attracted by the magsihcent gown
worn by one Of their employees, a young
lady who was the head OF department.
The material of the gown was OF great
value and the suspicious Of the proprt-
etor were aroused. Within few weeks
1t was discovered that many OF the
clerks, the heads OF the departments
and the cashiers were banded together
and were working a gigantic swtndle.
Goods apparently purchased by a Gus
toner were accompanied by a paid
slip, sent up to be wrapped ana then
sent out by the delivery wagon to some
convenient address, to the house OF a
friend or relative who was In the game
and helping IL along. This particular
store, one OF the largest in the west.
found that It had been robbed OF
thousands OF dollars by its employees
The upheaval In that establishment led
to similar Investigations in many other
stores, with the result that precisely
the same conditions were discovered in
other cities.
The propensity for women in shop
ping TO get something for nothing led
to the adoption Of the coin system for