SHOPLIFTING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5079, 24 January 1927, Page 3

SHOPLIFTING.

ON A BIG SCALE IN SYDNEY. A STRANGE STORY. Police say that a man charged with stealing goods from • city shops had three women working for, him who made up stolen material, which was sold to country stores (says a Sydney paper). Robberies were caiwied out wholesale, it is alleged, and hundreds of pounds’ worth of goods were taken from big stores. When the arrested man’s home and a neighbour’s house were searched a miscellaneous collection of property was recovered. It is. said that the articles were stolen during the last few months. A fortnight ago a shop inspector employed by a Sydney drapery firm attended the Central Court and saw a man who had been convicted and fined for shop lifting. Later he saw the man walk into the shop carrying an attache case, and carefully watched hipa. The man walked into the dressgoods department, and, going straight ovei; to a counter, picked up a 50yard roll: of crepe de chine, which, it is alleged, he placed in his case. The inspector told a shop-walker what she had seen, and the man ran after the “customer,” who, seeing he was pursued made for the door. The shop-walker caught up to him just before he reached the street, and with a football tackle brought the man down. He was held at the shop until the arrival of Sergeants Blay and Small, of Regent Street. Asked where he. lived, the man gave three different addresses, but the police found his real address when he sent a message for bail, and they searched a house in one of the suburbs. . ASSORTMENT OF GOODS. In one o'f the rooms they found a tig quantity of stock, including 17 dozen tobacco pouches, voile, silks, crepe de chine, gaberdine, twill, shoes, frocks, flannelette, and other materials. Later a neighbour’s house was searched, and more property was recovered. Inevstigatiops by the police , showed that the arrested man had three women working for him, and, it is alleged, they made dresses 'from stolen materials and altered “made” frocks so that they could not be identified. These were sold at cheap prices to country shops. It is said that in °ne case 70 yards of valuable material were taken from a leading drapery store, and 60 yards from another shop. OTHER ARRESTS. Within an hour Detectives Keeble and Cumes arrested three women, who were charged with stealing from shops while about seven other captures were made during the day. f ■ Plainclothes Constable Hardy, who was called to arrest a woman in Buckingham’s drapery store, Oxford Street, chased .the suspect 300 yards before he caught her. The woman showed surprising agility in dodging through the crowds in the street, and for a time outpaced the policeman.