Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08
"MoIly-Buzzers" Busy Among
Christmas Shoppers.
MUCH CASH is STOLEN
Estimated Losses Will Total Several
Hundred Dollars.
ONE ROBBERY ON STREET CAR
Miss Mamie Nichols Loses STA When
Handbag is Taken-Sixteen Wom-
en- Victims in One Store.

en- Victims in One Store.
Working in stores and once on a street
car. pickpockets for a duration Of about
two houEs last evening reaped harvest
at the expense OF Christmas shoppers.
several hundred dollars being stolen.
Sixteen woman shoppers I'm a Pennsyl-
vania avenue department store we're VIC
Tins OF Molly BUYERS as that type
OF pickpockets are termed i'm the dction-
airy of crime In 9Th street store two
such cases were reported 10 the police.
while another victim had suit case
containing about 500 worth of articles
taken from her Only one robbery was
made on a street car. SO far as reports
at police headquarters were concerned.
the victim being relieved of s74 in a
pocketbook by the ''light-fingered' artist.
Detectives Go to Stores.
The report Of the sweeping operation
of the pickpockets was flashed to po-
lice headquarters shortly before the
roll call" OF the headquarters detec-
tives last evening. Eight or ten de-
tectives We're sent by Inspector Board
man. chief Of detectives. to the several
stores where persons had been robbed
while some were sent to other places
i'm hope of arresting the thieves.
The greatest loss was that OF Mrs
III. Connolly of Cleveland Ohio. who Is
visiting w. II SHOWS OF Takoma Park
Md. Mrs. Connolly went to police
headquarters last night and told OF her
suit case being stolen from her while
in eth street store. She said she
placed the suit case near her while
ri K N ON Of phncnlafn oh
finished she reached for the case. and
was surprised To find that il had dis
appeared
Mrs Connolly stated the suit case con-
tanned wearing apparel some onyx stones
and gold watch. She said the articles
were valued at Sl@.
Next Largest Loss.
The second greatest loss was that or
Miss Mamie Nichols of lil7 I'D street
northwest Her handbag was opened by
A pickpocket. while she was riding on
an + street car between 18th and +
streets northwest and 1+th and q streets
northwest. and her pocketbook contain
ing S74 was taken.
Miss Nichols told the police she sus-
pected two young women about twenty
years Cd. wearing small hats and dark
skirts. She said they crowded her while
she discovered her loss The money was
one twenty dollar bill. one ten-dollar bin.
eight five-dollar bills and four one-dollar
bills.
OF the sixteen robberies committed I'm
the Pennsylvania avenue department
store the greatest loss of those who made
complaints to the police was that OF Miss
Viola Topley of 1916 sth street north
west. small black purse containing
$40 and several car tickets WAS stolen
from her.
Robbed While in Crowd.
Miss Florence Pollock of the Congress
sional apartments was another victim OF
the thieves in the department store. Miss
Pollock stated she entered the store about
: O'Clock and went to the second floor.
While on the main floor of the establish
ment she said she was forced to go
through a crowd. When she reached tho
second floor she discovered her handbag
had been opened.
Il cannot understand how any person
could have opened my handbag without
me knowing it, Miss Pollock said. The
clasp is very tight and 1t seems impos-
sible that il could have been opened
without my knowledge. 1t was closed
before I entered the store" The purse
Others Reporting Losses.
Others who reported they were robbed
in the department store We're
Mrs William II. Howard OF 261o Gar
field street. Woodley Park. brown leather
purse containing between s. and 81
Miss T. Evans. 633 l street northeast.
black purse containing 81 in change.
Mrs. G. VI. Hugely of 1913 18th street
black seal skin purse. contain
ing "A fve-dollar bill and a two-dollar bill
Mrs y. Price of 9D4 \ street southeast.
a black purse containing 50 or So.
Mrs = a Stanclif, Ldnham, Md. black
purse. containing between 81 and 81.
Mrs. X c Washington, l2i3 Lawrence
street. Brookland. ID. c.. small purse. con-
tanning s.
Mrs. William 7. Owens. Bethesda, Md.
child's small purse, containing fifty-eight
Mrs. b. T. Grey. Phoebus. Va. light
gray purse containing a five-dollar bill
and a silver snake chain.
Mrs X Rosenfield, 3l4 p street north.
west. small black purse containing 81
and five tickets.
Mrs NJ r. Weed the Northumber-
land apartments. purse. containing
fve-doIlar bill and a two-dollar bill.
Mrs. l.. NARROW, 1423 Harvard street
northwest, blue card case. containing two
new two-dollar bills. key and visiting
cards.
Three Other Cases.
Three other cases OF persons being
-obbed in the store We're reported, but
he victims refused to disclose their
IDENTIFY One of them informed a de-
ective that she did not desire to go to
he Police Court to enter a prosecution
{ the htief was caught. She stated.
however. that quite a sum OF money was
AIKEN from her.
The pickpocket cases in the 18th street
store were from Mrs. X. Il. L. Geary.
s449 18th street northwest. gray leather
,urse containing five-dollar bill. change
md ticket on the Baltimore and Ohio
abroad from Old Point Comfort TO
Charleston. w. Va.
Annie NJ Bowman, .05 G street north
EAST. small pocketbook. containing $3.50
and laundry ticket.
The detectives and police in civilian
,olthes remained in the downtown stores
asst night until closing time, but the per-
sons who committed the thefts were not
lpprehended. None of the victims OF the
tore robbers was able to give the police
/ description of anyone they suspected.