The Washington times., 1919-11-02

busy Fifth avenue, which the er.
rand girl had described. II her
amazing story had been doubted.
proof that it was true was soon
revealed.
In a long attic room, fitted with
benches. desks and a blackboard,
class of boys and girls. each Just
old enough TO be eligibIs for posi-
tons as junior clerks and errand
girls in department stores, was be
ing instructed in complicated
methods of beating" the checking
systems Of the different big stores
in New York City. The teacher, a
man, had on his desk duplicates
of the various sales checks in use
in each Of the larger stores. Illus
trating on the blackboard, be was
explaining to his pupils how these
checks might be manipulated in
such ways as TO permit sales
clerks TO purlofn small packages
OF valuable materials left by Gus
toners TO be delivered; how TO
make false price entries so as 20
permit the pocketing of a part OF
the money paid them by customers
and yet avoid attracting the atfen-
ton of inspectors, cashiers or su-
ditors; how TO act in collision with
dishonest drivers, delivery clerks
or errand girls so as TO place
packages OF purchased goods in the
hands of the confederstes who
waited at appointed rendezvous
for anything that might be hande1
them TO carry out of the store.
For Tire benerit of to- no
might become errand girls Il was
explained how valuable parb~-es
might be made to disappear" with
out. record within the store-iust
as the $3.50 c. o. d. suit had been
apparently lost only TO be col
lected for by another member OF
the band.
The teacher and the juvenile
members of the class were taken
away by the police. Among the
latter the store detectives recog-
nfzed several girls who. IN the day
time, were pupils in the training
school for young clerks conducted
in their own store. In the day
time they were taught how 10 turn
this efficiency TO the account Of the
master criminals band of shop
thieves.
From the young pupils in this
class in crime as much OF the Fagin
story as they could ten was learned
by the detectives after many hours
of questioning. The teacher refused
TO speak.
Agents of the master criminal
or Of those who made up the shop
filters organization and preyed up
on the big department stores,
sought young girls capable OF MI
ing positions in the stores, at many
sources. Sometimes they found
them in the waiting rooms OF the
store employment departments
and followed them to the street
after they had made applications
for positions. The ways OF APP
preaching these work-hunting chill
dren were devious. Nearly always.
though. il would be youth, neatly
dressed, debonair and pleasing OF
manner, who would scrape up an
acquaintance with a girl who was
thought to be a likely candidate
for a place in the criminal organt
zation. Older girls, already lured
into the net, sometimes were sent
TO the stores as applicants for
positions, and thus TO find their
way into the store schools where
newcomers were taught the intri-
cacies of the sales system. Here
these older girls made acquaiutan-
ces of younger pupils and tempted
them with pictures OF CAV times
to be had. of pretty clothes and
money in excess OF their wages, II
they would be dishonest now and
then. The youths who made &C
quaintances on the street, or at the
movie shows, OF the drug store
soda fountain, simply used the age
old formulas of infatuation. Many
OF these young men were imported
from South America-their quaint
foreign manners and fascinating
gallantries worked havoc with the
emotions Of the susceptible young
girls they sought 10 corrupt
The general disappearance OF
proper environments in many OF
the homes Of the middle classes In
the great cities of the East has
made this corruption of children
comparatively an easy task for
those who are cunning and skilled
and INSCRIPTIONS. The master
criminal, no doubt, has capitalized
this unfortunate condition to q
great extent. The majority of his
youthful victims have been found
to be little girls who have known
nothing Of the Sunday school or
church-instead, they have learned
that their only playground is the
street corner, and the only zest in
their young lives the firtations
they pick up there. The night
lights of the cafes and cabarets,