Show DISCOVER THIEVES SCHOOL feat in heart of city fitted with dummy counters and shelves six under arrest and plunder t recovered r san francisco dec 18 tho police havo found right in the heart of san francisco what they declare is a school of shoplifting jn that school women 1 it is said havo been taught with painstaking bareto go into tho big and steal claths cloths and garments steal them with such skill that a watch mans eye would not be able to detect them in the act and this is no story of fagin and his school tor pickpockets pick pockets no tale from the brain of a novelist but a hard fact in the christian city of san francisco and in the unimaginative year of this school where the police allegro crime was taught by criminals was in flat D at larkin street between turk and eddy streets that is no noisome den up a reeking alley it Is a modern nat on a modem street with cable cars continually clanging by it is not far from the great city hall where the solemn judges sit dispensing variegated varia gated justice but when the police pounced upon the place they arrested six persona there three men and three women the instructors and the pupils the women were lizzie pierce bertha alien and maria wagstaff Wag the men were S H hock J Wag aad L C the last named said to hold a position as janitor in the city hall the six are now on the detinue book while the police are looking further into their methods already goods worth 1500 have been recovered goods that the pupils of that school of crime had lifted the detectives say from the counters of lubin co bragers Pr agers the emporium and R D davis co of this city and the eastern outwitting outfitting Out fitting co of oakland Oakl aad the search goes on tor more when lizzie pierce was arrested she sparkled with diamonds worth at least 1000 slie said they had been given to her by her former husband the police are of opinion that she lifted them as she lifted valuable articles at wearing apparel the loot of the gang waa secured inside 0 two weeks eo some idea may be had 0 the industry of th pupils of that strange school tw 0 weeks ago the flat was it was at once fitted up with dummy counters and shelves on these were placed dry goods and garments tha men gave the women lessons in how to take the goods and garments from the shelves and counters while tho men stood off like watchmen in a store the women walked up and dowa taking the things and secreting them under their garments it they bungled so the men could detect them in the act they were forced to try again and again just as students are made to go over and over some task on which they have stumbled when the women acted with superior skill making it impossible to detect them at their work they were encouraged and applauded the women became so expert that they could their clothing heavy blankets and give no token to a watching eye that anything was amiss the blankets were the ultimate test when they could be secured the pupil was ready for graduation into the practices of crime the jomaa who could grab a blanket with three men oa watch without being caught in the act was turned out as a skilled shoplifter and so the school of shoplifting was conducted right in the center of the city on the street with the cable cars ana not tar from the great city hall ahara the judges sit but the trained eye of detective ryan and wolters bad boond that there was more than the isaal shoplifting in the crowded stores they soon were on a trail on wednesday night they arrested eizile pierce to all her glitter of diamonds and S H hoote then they slowly unravelled the thread of the strange story of the school of shoplifting shop lifting last evening they maido a sharp descent upon the flat at larlan street there midst tho dummy coasters and shelves they arrested bertha alien maria wagstaff J Wagstaff aai L C |