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Show I EPIDEMIC OF SHOPLIFTING ! X0W OX IN SALT LAKE Salt Luke merchants have suffered heavily from the depredations of pickpockets, pick-pockets, sneak thieves and female shop-llftftrs shop-llftftrs within the last two weeks. Tho heaviest losers are the Z. C. ST. I.. Kelth-U'Brleji's, Kelth-U'Brleji's, Auerhayii's store and Walker Bros. A conservative estimate places tho losses to these concerns by petty thefts at ?1000. Tho ga.n 5 said to be doing most of tho woik is composed of live members, three women and two men. and is thought to he from Dcnvor. It cams here preceding the conference, attracted by tho opportunity oppor-tunity to carry on Us work. Some of the thefts are committed by local shoplifters, it Is said. Last week a young girl connected with a theatrical company wis apprehended stealing a silk waist lrom Noith -O'Brien's, but she confessed con-fessed and restored the goods and was released. 'One of the reasons for her release, re-lease, according lo J. Walter Townsend, jloor manager of Kclth-0'Brien"s. was the, difficulty of obtaining conviction before the potty courts of the city. Mr. Townsend also reports tho theft of two line hats and several silk waists '.ast- week, while the conference was on. a The value of the tolnl number of articloH stolen from the store will aggregate a considerable sum. Mr. Townsend :nys. but the precipe amount will not be known mull the cheeking up of goods is finished. |