Lady Shoplifters Fined.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXIII, Issue 6079, 15 July 1897, Page 4

Lady Shoplifters Fined.

. « A Home paper says :—Alice Bridge and Louisa Stidolph, ladies highly connected in Brentford, where they reside, were, at the Richmond police-court on April 23, charged with being concerned together in stealing from Messrs. VV. H. Smith and Son's bookstall, at Richmond station, on the previous day, three book?, valued at S?s.— The prisoners W6re seen examining books on the stall by the manager, who had previously missed works by popular authors. He was called away to a customer, and it was while he was talking to him that he saw Mrs Stidolph pick up " The Bign of the Cross," and turn over several of the pages. Upon looking round the stall short'y afterwards he missed the book, and, turning to Mrs Stidolph, asked her what she bad done with it, whereupon sbe denied ever having seen it, Misi Bridge, who was standing near, then walked away, but witness followed, and. whilst taking, ber arm to escort her back, feU three books under the cape, he asked for tbjem. When a policeman wa« janfc far ?jlis3 Britrga threw dowu two of the bobks on /the stall, Mrs Stidolph in the meantime having made good her escape, inspector Dowty told the Bench root when the charge was read over at the police-station, Miss Bridge exclaimed, " Why did I take them P Do forgive me this time, and I shall never do it again. I will pay for the books if you will only let me go." Mrs Stidolph was arrested at her residence, High-street, Brentford, where she alleged that Miss Gridge,had token the books, Prisoners now pleaded " Oailty."—The Chairman said the case was a very serioufl one, and the least he could do was to fine them £5 and costs each, with the alternative of one month's imprisonment,