The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-09


lease and that his parents or guar
dams not be notified of the affair.
The woman shoplifter is not so easy
to handle. The professional woman
shOplifter usually becomes indignant
| and will proclaim her innocence and
! demand an apology, but she is in
formed quietly that her acts are ia
miliar to the management and that
she must return or pay for the miss
Ing articles Even with this, she some
times refuses to admit her guilt. In
such cases the police are called, who
| take her to the city prison. where
she is required to submit to a search
made by the police matrOn- Snould
she refuse to submit to this embar-
RAISING operation, force is resorted to
and the men will make the search OF
her clothing and undergarments,
! which is usually more embarrassing
than were she to submit to the search
of the police matron.
The amateur woman shoplifter usu-
ally proclaims her innocence when
4 first detected but will weaken and
admit her guilt when pressed The
housewife, the daughter or sister, who
steals only because of the temptation
/ is usually found in this class. Among
! this class also are those who steal just
for the excitement and not through
actual need.
Kleptomaniacs Are Common.
| The kIeptomaniac is usually consid-
cred sa professional and in this class
are found women, more usually OF the
prominent families of a city and from
families who possess sufficient of the
worldly goods that makes such prac-
tees unnecessary. There are several
kleptomaniacs in Topeka who are
| known in the stores.
A peculiar case came to the atten-
ton of w. w. Whitney Of the War
rem NJ. Crosby company of. this city
less than two months ago. woman
who had been known to the employees
of the store as one who has been prac-
ticing shoplifting methods for two
years was detected while trying to Sc
crete a piece of silk in her shopping
bag. She was taken to the desk or
Mr.. Whitney and questioned. She de-
MED the affair and became indignant
and insulted because of the charges
that had been made against her. In
addition to that, she resisted when
told that she must remain at the desk
until an officer from the police sta
ton could come and take charge OF
her. She refused to submit and it
was necessary that Mr.. whitney ana
other employees of the store hold her
through violence.
This woman is the wife Of a promi-
nent physician of Topeka who has a
large practice and possesses sufficient
of the worldly goods to make such
acts of his wife unnecessary. WI nile
she was being held and asked to re-
turn the stolen silk she proclaimed
her innocence. Her handbag was tax
en- away from her and the contents
were turned out on the desk. Out
came the silk and a number Of other
articles. among which were number
of morphine tablets. 1t was AFTER
ward learned that the woman was I'M
der the influence of the drug when
she stole the silk and her husband
explained that she was not responsible
for her acts while under IT'S 1nnu-
ence However, the woman was al
lowed to pay a fine and was released.
81, Ofx vic cd that
time.
Stole a Bible.
Another woman was recently detected
in the same store While trying to leave
the place in possession of a Bible val
ued at $3.50 One of the boys IN the
store saw her take it and start away.
He followed her She entered the eIe-
Vator and so did he. While on the ele-
vator, he took the Bible away from her
and returned it to its former place and
the woman was allowed to leave the
store but she has not returned
Now that the holiday shopping sea-
son has started and that large num-
Der of attractive looking articles are
on display, practically all of the stores
have increased their number or moor
walkers The regular floor walker viii
attend to his usual business in directing
strangers to the various departments
While not thus engaged, he is watcn-
ing the mass of moving humanity tnAt
he might detect any attempt to steal
articles of any character from the
counters. The additional floor walkers
do nothing else but watch the visitors
and soon learn the identity of the pro-
fessionaIs. Many are detected
Floor walkers, managers and even the
sales people become adept in this work
Through practice they often become
more Valuable in this line of work than
do the detectives of the city even
though the latter are familiar with
large number of the criminal element.
Persons who resort to such practices
are not usually known in police circles
unless they have been taken to the
noIice station charged with such acts.
For this reason the employees or the
departrnent stores are more fam1llar
with them and are more successful IN
detecting such acts
Through practice, the employees OF
the department store, become prohclent
in the work of detecting the people be-
fore the theft is really committed, and
in doing so. the person under suspic-
ion is usually made acquainted with the
fact and requested to leave the store.
Losses Not Large.
The Mills Dry Goods company is not
troubled to any great extent with the
work of these characters and employ
but few persons to detect them. The
EMPLOYEES usually. are on guard and
prevent much of the work. W. W. Mills
asserted that the losses of the company
was small and said that no extra pre-
cautions were being planned for the
holiday rush, although the stock is
heavy at this time of the year and the
necessity of display afford the shOplifter
an easy opportunity for SUCH Even
at that number of detectives, both