Great Falls tribune., 1921-11-17

tellin' that Mind, I don't say it hap
pened in this store, but it shows the
kind of schemes every store is con-
stantly havin' put over on it.
| Not long ago, it seems, q certain
store became aware that it was losing
a good deal of valuable merchandise to
an extremely clever young woman. Sne
was attractive and fashionably dressed,
and always made favorable impression
upon the sales force. Representing
herself to be the possessor of charge
account, the number of which she gave,
she would order goods sent to her sup
posed address and then, at the last mo-
ment, decide to take few packages
| with her, because she could not wait
to have them sent.
! The goods, later delivered to the true
owner Of the charge account, were i'm
mediately returned, SO that the store
was not long ignorant Of the fact that
/ it had been defrauded. The case was
referred to the store detectives, who
at once became concerned with one
question:: How did the young woman
know the numbers of other persons
charge accounts? Undoubtedly, she
must have an accomplice working in the
store.
How Thieves We're Caught
It was q customer who finally
brought the accomplice to light. One
day, when this lady was amazed to re-
ceive a number of unrequested pack
ages from a second store. she called
its manager on the telephone.
II am sorry" that gentleman replied
to her complaint 1T is the first case
of the kind we have had here although
I understand it has happened a good
many times in a neighboring house.
They suspect that one of their en-
ployes is involved, since only someone
connected viz the store could know
the numbers of so many different ac-
counts.
"Oh," cried the lady, thinking rapidly,
I'm bet it is that nice-looking, friendly
clerk, who wears such artistic ties.
gave him the number of my account at
your store by mistake the other day,
and then changed it to correct the num-
ber at his store, explaining my mis-
take"
An investigation proved that the lady
was correct in her suspicion. The
young man in question had been sup
plying his attractive young wife with
names, addresses and numbers of
various charge accounts and directing
her shoplifting efforts. For six months
the scheme had worked beautifully, and
might have continued to do so, had he
not made a fatal slip by sending her
to the other store. Both the clerk and
his wife are now serving q term in
Blackwell's Island
Most shoplifters, according to the
aforementioned store detective, confine
their thefts to feminine lingerie and
silk stockings, probably because these
articles can be crumpled without injury
and are easily concealed. Jewelry of
all kinds is also highly favored by the
shoplifting Sisterhood One woman, ap-
pretended during the Christmas rush
season of last year, had nine strings of
beads concealed about her person, each
of which was worth about S15. An
other woman, arrested for taking an
expensive umbrella, told with great
gusto how a few days before she had
calmly walked out of store with an
unpaid for suit on, the pockets of
which contained bracelet and silver
vanity case lifted" from the jewelry
coutner.
One of the most irritating things
about the professional shoplifter. says
our friend the detective, is her usually
bfiHIdul HistF!oHlc anlllty. " men caught
in the act Of stealing she is apt to
throw an emotional fit tearfully ap-
peal to the women shoppers about her,
mention her little children who are
dependent upon her speak Of the shame
her arrest will cause her dear old
uncle, who is clergyman. and other
wise prey upon the sympathies of the
crowd until it looks upon the lone male
detective as really the guilty party and
the shoplifter as his innocent victim.
1T takes nerve to stand your ground
in such situation he declared, "but
then, if you didn't have nerve you
wouldn't be detective"