Women Detectives

An admirable female detective system is in vogue in anumberof the leading dry goods honses of this city. it Jias been provod beyond a doubt that the female thief catcher is more effective in the nuveiling of shoplifters than the most sagacious sleuth in the secret service department of the city of Boston. Thief catchers like tho veteran Joe Knox, for instauce, cannot ply their vocatiou with any clegree of success for my length of timo in a largo and flourishiiif dry goods houso. This is because of tho tact that their identities becoine known to the dry goode thief after a rime, and it goes without sayiug t hut the shoplifter will not begin operations until all danger of discovery froni tbat quarter has passed away. The professional shoplifter is as familiar with the figure oí the inspector as she is with her owii likeness. For this reason unassuming and unsophisticated maidens are put on the qui vivo to ferret out wily shoplifters and bring thein to speedy retribution. Thu girls assigned to prosecute detective labor are well adapted for the work mapped out for them. The suporiutnndent or chief floor walker is protty cortain to select a girl with accomplishments befitting the detective. If she is lacking in acuteness and fails to perform her work satisfaotorily, another is substituted in her stead and the beuighted one is given a positiou in the .store. Nor does tho competent detective depend entirely upon hor wits in determining who is a shopliftor and who is not. She is generally a reader of eharactor and is very apt to ascertain by a study of a face whether its owner is a desiguing person ornot. The shoplifter of ten excites the suspicion of the spotter the moment she enters the store. There are certain airs of uneasiness in her deportment that catch the practiced eye of the yonng sleuth at once. omen who invade dry goods houses for the purpose of larceny have not the fullest confidence in their dexterity to purloin an article from the counter without oxciting snspiciou. The "pro fessional" liever attempts a theft without lirst feoling certain that she is not watohed, yet it frequently happens that when sho is convinced that there is no dangcr of detection the eyes of the f emale spotter aro upou her, and she is trapped in the act. Miss Fannie Leahey and Miss Kittie McNamee are the young detectives who aio employed to keep a vigilant lookout for ovildoers at a big concern in Peinbernon square, aud very watchful and cnn.scientious detectives they are, as their i -fli.-iont services distiuctly show. Miss McNameo is a modest little girl of 1? years, with jet blaok liair and cheeks like a blush rose, and is cousidered the most prepossessing girl in the bnsiuess. Her partner, Miss Leahey, is an attractive blond, wlth a natty figure. Each has her own district to patrol daily, but sometimes both can be seen in deep conversation in the little office on the Peiuberton square aide. The most cautious shoplifter wonld fail to detect in the demeanor of the twain the nature of their calling, aud thus it is they are able to expose inore wrongdoing in the store than any of the inspectors at polico headquarters. Wheu a shoplifter is caught dead to rigbts, she is asked if she will nofc "pay for the articlea" stolen. This interrogatory is merely made in order to elicit an admission of guilt from the tbief. She is then taken to the office to await the arrival of an inspector from pólice headquarters. If she has the appearance ot a wonian of means, sho can easily procure bail and thus escape the pain and dejeetion of a night in prison. In speaking of ber experienco, Miss MoNamee says that a large percentage of shoplifters are wennen of good families and comparatively well off in worldly goods. "We have to watch pretty carefully to catch the professional shoplifter, " eho began. "You see, they are up to all sorts of clucanery and can easily hoodwink the salesgirl, who may be busy with lialf a dozen custoniers at the same time. You would never believe, to see those woinen on the street in all thuir finery, that they would steal Some of the shoplifters aio bom thieves. They haunt the dry goorls houses and steal every time they get a chance. You uwy uot believe it, but 1 'can teil at ffrst glance the woinan who comes her1: (o stoal deliberately "Her ovos aro a suro index to bei thoughts, and when you seo a womau glaucing searchiugly abont her you can depend upon u that she means to steal. Womun with an QUtroubled conscience do uot act in thi way " There are three detectives m one store, and still the pilfering ol the h'rm's property goes on from day to day. There is i.he wonian who catries off articles in a closerl umbrella, aud there is the woman who managea to convey property to a neatly arranged roceptacle in her uuderdresa linmg. ' To be on to these tricks the fnale detective must be ever on the alert and nip the thief on the fly There aro a thousandj and one devices perlormed by shoplift-1 ers, but not one is unknown to the j niug spotter. Then, again, tbo female detective officiales as a sort of forewoman over the employees. They are certainly looked upon as superiors by the girls, yet it is not kuown that they ever reported any inattention on the part of employees to customers. It lias been always their policy to prefer charges only I when the evidence is very strong, for i f . their claim is not snstained trouble follows. It is olaimed that it has never occnrred that the detectives were in fanlt