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Show WOMEN DETECTIVES. IT IS SAID THEY SURPASS MEN KN CATCHING SHOPLIFTERS. Css Apt to Ba Kccognized by Those Wh Visit the Biff Stores to Steal A Sjstei Much In T"avor With tho Big Bostojr Business Houses. An admirable female detectifo s-temis s-temis in vogne in a number of the leading lead-ing dry goods houses of this city. It has been proved beyond a doubt that the female thief catcher is mora effective in the unveiling of shoplifters than the most sagacious Blouth in the tecrot service department of tho city ol Boston. Thief catchers like the veteran Joe Knos, for instance, cannot ply their vocation with any degree of suo-cess suo-cess for any length of timo in a large and flourishing dry goods house. Thur la because of the fact that theu' identi ties become known to the dry goods thief after a time, and it goes without saying that the shoplifter will not begin operations until all danger of discovery from that quarter has passed away. Tha professional shoplifter is as familiar with tho figure of the inspector as she is with her own likeness. For this reasoa unassuming and unsophisticated maid-ens maid-ens are put on tho qui vive to ferret ol wily shoplifters ana bring them to speedy rotribution. The girls assigned to prosecute detootivo labor are well adapted for the work mapped out for them. Tho superintendent or chief floor walker is pretty certain to select a girl with accomplishments befitting tho detective. de-tective. If she is laoking in aoutenesa and fails to perform her work satisfao iorily, another is substituted in her stead and the benighted one is given a posi tion in the stora Nor does tho competent detective depend de-pend entirely upon her wits in determining deter-mining who is a shoplifter and who 1b not She is generally a reader of character char-acter and ia very apt to ascertain by a study of a face whether its owner is designing person or not. Tho shoplifter often excites tho suspicion of the spo? ter tho moment she enters the stora There are certain airs of uneasiness in her deportment that catch tho practiced prac-ticed eye of the young sleuth at once. Womon who invado dry tjoods houses for tho mimosa of larcenv have not the fullest confidence in their dexterity to pnrloin an article from tho counter without exciting suspicion. Tho "professional" "pro-fessional" novor attempts a theft without with-out first feeling certain that she is not watched, yet it frequently happens that when she is convinced that there is n6 danger of detection tho eyes of tho female fe-male spotter are upon her, and she is trapped in the act. Miss Fannie Leahoy and Miss Kittle McNamee aro tho young detectives who are employed to keep a vigilant lookout for evildoers at a big concern in Peic-berton Peic-berton square, and very watchful and conscientious detectives they are, as their efficient services distinctly show. Misa McNamee is a modest little girl of 17 years, with jet black hair and cheok9 like a blush rose, and is considered the most prepossessing girl in tho business. Her partner, Miss Leahey, is an attractive attract-ive blond, with a natty figura Each has her own district to patrol daily, but 6ometimes both can bo seen in deep conversation con-versation in the little offlco on tho Pern-berton Pern-berton square side. Tho most cautious shoplifter would fail to detect in the demeanor of tho twain tho nature rf their calling, and thus it is they ave able to exposo more wrongdoing in the store than any of the inspectors at police po-lice headquarters. When a shoplifter is caught dead to rights, she is asked if she will not "pay for the articles" stolen. This interrogatory interroga-tory is merely made in order to elicit an admission of guilt from the thief. She is then taken to the office to await the arrival of an inspector from police headquarters. If she has the appearanco of a woman of means, she can easily procure bail and thus escape the pain and dejection of a night in prison. In speaking of her experience, Miss McNamee says that a large percentage of shoplifters are women of good families fam-ilies and comparatively well off io worldly goods. "We have to watch pretty carefully to catch the professional shoplifter, " she began. "You see, they aro up to all sorts of chicanery and can easily hoodwink hood-wink the salesgirl, who may be busj with half a dozen customers at the sams tima You -ould nev9r believe, to see those women on the street in all their finory, that they would steaL Somo of the shoplifters aro born thieves. They haunt the dry goods houses and steal er-ery er-ery time thoy get a ohanca You may not believo it, but I can tell at first glance the woman who comes hero to steal deliberately. "Her eyes aro a Bure index to her thoughts, and when you see a woman glancing searchingly about her you can depend upon it that she means to steal. Women with an untroubled conscience do not act in this way. " There are three detectives in one fitoro, and still the pilfering of the firm's property goes on from day to day. There is the woman who carriea off articles in a closed umbrella, and there is tho woman who manages to convey property to a neatly arranged receptacle re-ceptacle in her underdress lining. To be on to these tricks tho female detective must be ever on the alert and nip the thief on the fly. There are a thousand and one dovices performed by shoplift' ors, but not one is unknown to the cunning cun-ning spotter. Then, again, the female dotectivo officiates as a sort of forewoman over tho employees. Thoy are certainly looked upon as superiors by the girls, yet it is not known that they ever reported re-ported any inattention on the part of employees to customers. It has been always al-ways their policy to prefer charges only when the evidence is very strong, for if their claim is not sustained trouble follows. fol-lows. It is claimed that it has never occurred oc-curred that tho detectives wore in fault In accusing a person of theft. Boston Travel lor. |