Clever Tricks Of Thieves In Big Stores

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 359, 21 May 1928, Page 7

Clever Tricks Of Thieves In Big Stores

Exchanging Hand-bags And Valuable Coats WELL- DRESSED SWINDLERS “Daring and original thefts are replacing common shoplifting in London’s big stores,” declared an ex- | detective inspector, now chief detecI live in one of the biggest West End ' shops, to the “Sunday News.” ! “We have a most resourceful class i of criminal to deal with now,” lie i added. And he proceeded to make j some startling revelations, j “We are continually having com plaints from wealthy customers who lose their handbags,” he said. “They put them temporarily on a. table while trying on gowns or hats, and they are stolen in a very clever manner. I will ! give you a case in point. “Only recently a lady left her hand bag on a table while examining sonic goods. While she was discussing a proposed purchase another obvfou.-Iy wealthy person attended by a maid arrived. She also put her bag on the : table. I “The second lady made a purchase i of a trifling nature, and requested the j maid to get her handbag. That very ! attentive young person brought the i first lady’s bag. The purchase was j paid for, and mistress and maid leit ' the store £IOO better off than when j they entered it. The Same Gang "Had they been questioned they hal

a reasonable excuse, for both bags and contents were exactly similar, even to the powder and lipstick. Only one contained a great amount of 1 money and the other very little. “There is no doubt the gang at work has a master mind at the head o L affairs. “We have been experiencing a great deal of trouble lately simply because the criminals at work keep employing different methods. “Here, only a few weeks ago, we had a woman arrive in an expensive limousine, closely attended by a fully dressed nurse carrying a baby in long clothes. A page-boy was also in attendance. The lady examined many expensive furs. Then the page-boy was sent down to bring her fur coa from the car, that the assistant miglr see exactly what was wanted. • “After some time the trio left, and ; later it was discovered that two very ' valuable fur coats were missing. "We had our doubts about the nursehaving had a real baby in the long * clothes, and we are not certain whether the page-boy did not tak ■ two fur coats instead of one when leaving.” The detective told the ".Sund** , News” that crooks known to the police did not shop-lift. “As a matter of fact.” he said, “we number among our good customer: : many well-known crooks, and the. I never think of touching anything here. “The people who come here to ro!» are a few specialists, and they vis - all the stores at intervals. But if only the public would not lay their valu--1 ables down and leave them we should be saved a great deal of res pons ‘ bility.”