The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-07-06
TWO GIRLS ROB.
Claim They Were Taught How to
Steal Things from Stores.

Steal Things from Stores.
The New York World says the
pretty, starched frocks of two girls,
each about ten years old, with anoth-
er girl, about three, toddling between
them, attracted the eye of Miss Marie
Young, detective, in the Greenhut-
Siegel Cooper Company store at 18th
street and Sixth Avenue Friday after
noon. At the lingerie counter, Miss
Young says she saw one of the girls
hide a slip in her sleeve. A moment
later the other took a similar gar
ment, the detective says.
She followed them and saw them
take garment after garment, making
frequent trips to the waiting room.
Finally Miss Young invited the chill
dren to the office, where Miss Young
asserts she found $987 worth of
silk and linen slips pinned under the
older girls skirts and one silk gar
ment pinned to the little girls dress.
At the police station where they
were taken, the older girls said they
were Helen Stewart and Helen Hen
wood Of No: 421l West Thirty-ninth
street, and the baby was Agnes Han
ley, of the same address. When
charged with stealing one of the girls
said earnestly:
"No, mister, we didn't take the
things. Some one just put them
there
The police then gave up their ef-
forts to learn anything and took the
three to the Children's Society.
From the time the smallest girl
reached the station house she began
to cry for her mother and father.
All attempts to comfort her failed.
The detectives went out to look up
the address, which was found to be
fictitious. This was about p. m.
Soon after they left the West Forty
seventh street station called up the
Gerry agents and asked if they had a
lost child there, giving a description
of Agnes. An hour later Edward
Ahearn, city fireman, and his dis
tracted wife, appeared at the Gerry
rooms. When they saw Agnes there
was no need for Identification. The
mother seized the baby in her arms,
crying Historically.
Mrs. Ahearn said she had missed
Agnes in the afternoon, and neigh
bors told her that two little girls had
taken the child away as if for a walk.
The next morning the baby's COM
panions we're arraigned in the Chill
dren's Court before Judge Hoyt.
There "Helen Stewart" said she was
Helen Birmingham, Of No.. 541 West
Fiftieth street, and the other said
she was Mary Murch, No. GAL West
Fifty-second street. These names
and addresses were verified by the
detectives.
After telling their right names the
police say the two girls told them
the following amazing story: They
had been taught to steal by Mrs.
Kiernan, who lives in West Fiftieth
street. With other girls about their
same age they had received regular
course in shoplifting. To make them
proficient in the art their instructor,
they said, converted her parlor into
a shop. Tables and chairs were plac-
ed in the centre of the room to rep
resent counters, which we're covered
with ribbons and various articles of
wearing apparel. Then they were
told they would "play store" The
woman's 15-year-old daughter acted
as the store detective.
"You come in as if to buy" the
girls say their instructor told them,
land the one who can take the most
without being caught will receive a
stick of candy
The two children boasted that they
had won four sticks of candy in sue
cession, although the girls pitted
against in the contest of wits were
much older. Encouraged by this
achievement, the detectives say the
girls told them, they decided to
work for themselves" instead of for
their instructor and deserted the
school and successfully pilfered ar
ticles from several shops.
The contract has been let for a
new school building for the town of
Hampton, to cost s10,500. w. H.
Hite, of Aiken, has been awarded the
contract and work will commence
about the 10th of this month.