The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-21
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Enter the ShopIifter.

.
in tellin' that. Mind, | dom 10 aaln
happened in this store. bni :.
| shows the kind of schemes go =.
/ store is constantly havin' put ~
! on it." Put over
| Not long ago, it seems, a eertsi.
store became aware thar !, ~ ~
losing good deal of valuable r,.- s
chandise to an extremely &C.
young woman She was attrso,;SsII
and fashionably dressed. ana Se. ~,
ways made favorable impressio1
upon the sales force. Representa-
herself to be the possesgor Of
! charge account, the number =
! which she gave, she would ora.
goods sent to her supposed address
and then, at the last moment ~
! eide to take a few packages rjtL
her, because she could not Nj, =
have them sent %
The goods, later delivered IN N.
true owner of the CHARGE accom-,
were Immediately returned. 81 he.
the store was no long ignorant ~
the fact that It had been defrapSa5
The case was referred to the stors
detectives. who at once becama 4-,D
cerned with one question. boJvv Sts
the young woman know thu p,,r..
bers of other persons chars -.
counts? Undoubtedly. she INNS,
have an accomphce working in tbs
store.
How Thieves Were Canght.
n q
brought the accomplice to uRht
One day, when this lady "a
amazed to receive a number OF nm
requested packages from a seoond
store, she called, its manager N
the telephone.
Il am sorry" that gentleman re-
piled to her complaint. TT is the
first case Of the kind we have had
here, although understand il has
happened a good many times In
neighboring house. They SUSPECT
that one of their employees is in
volved. since only someone connect
ed With the store could know the
numbers of SO many different &C.
counts
Oh cried the lady, thinking
rapidly, "f'll bet it is that nice-look-
ing. friendly clerk, who wears
such artistic ties. ! gave him the
of my account at your store
by mistake the other day, and then
it to the correct number
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 supplying his attractive young
wife with names, addresses and
numbers of various charge &C
counts and directing her shoplift-
ng efforts. For six months the
scheme had worked beautifully, and
night have continued to do so. had
lie not made a fatal slip by sending
Ter to the other store. Both the
Jerk and his wife are now serving
term in Blackweli's Island
Most shoplifters. according TO the
aforementioned store detective, con
inc their thefts to feminine liz
erie and silk stockings, probably
because these articles can be
rGmpled without injury and are
asily concealed. Jewelry Of all
.inds is also highly favored by the
sisteThoOd. One woman,
pprehended during the Christmas
ush season OF last year. had nine
trings of beads concealed about
Ter person. each of which was
yorth about SIS. Another woman,
rrested for taking an expensive
Umbrella, told with great Eusto
-ow a few days before she had
almIy walked ont of a store with
n unpaid-for suit on, the pockets
f which contained a bracelet and q
liver vanity case LIFTED" from The
awelry counter
One of the most irritating things
bout the professional shopliftsr,
avs our friend the detective, is
er usually brilliant histrOniG anil
" When caught in the act OF
tealing, she is apt TO throw an
motiona} fit. tearfully appeal %
ne women shoppers about her,
lention her little children who are
ependent upon her. speak Of the
hame her arrest will cause her
ear old uncle, who is a clergyman,
nd otherwise prey upon the sympa-
lies of the crowd until 1t looks
pom the lone male detective as
eally the guilty party and the shop
fter as his innocent victim.
1T takes nerve to stand yoar
round in such d situation he de-
Jared, but then if you didn't have
arye Won wouldn't be a detective.