“JACKDAW WOMEN”

Evening Star, Issue 17927, 24 March 1922, Page 6

“JACKDAW WOMEN”

THE TEMPTATION OF THE SALES.

The crowded slate of the West End shops during the January' sales and .the greater freedom with which pretty articles are strewn about on the counters are giving the store detectives a busy time just now (says a London paper). Practically every big West End store, for its own protection, has to maintain a special staff of men and women, usually with an ex-officer of the Criminal Investigation Department at tho head, solely to prevent pilfering by women shoppers; and it is no infrequent occurrence for eight to ten delinquents to he caught in one day. Blouses and pieces of silk, which are light and easily concealed, have a peculiar fascination for women, but some of the shoppers have most catholic tastes. Two women who had purloined about £9 worth of stuff between them in one West End store had articles ran,ring from jumpers to shoes and from children’s dresses to a conjuring trick. The curious thing is that, in tho main, they are not professional thieves, but first offenders who have suddenly given way to temptation.

“Jackdaw women” is the description given to them by the manager of a big Oxford street store. “ They are like jackdaws, monkeys, and babies,” ho said yesterday. “They see some article that attracts them, and treforc they can resist the impulse they have/stretched out their hand and ‘grabbed’ it. It is a form of acquisitiveness which catches women unawares, and wo always deal sympathetically with such people.” Not one of these first offenders appears before, tho public police court, but instead there is a kind of informal court held in the superintendent’s or manager’s office, the main purpose of which is to frighten the woman so much that she. will never repeat the offence. 'Elio delinquents range from women in good social position to out-of-work girl clerks, with a sprinkling of professional thieves, who, of course, are promptly handed over to tho official police. NO REASON FOR THIEVING.

“Again and again well-to-do \\ f t>men have been unable to give me any reason why they purloined a particular article,” tho manager in question said, “ and usually 1 find the surest way to bring them to their senses is to threaten to telephone for their husbands We keep them in suspense for a time, and they do not forget tho experience.” In one instance, which happened a few years ago, tho offender was so anxious to convince the manager of her good faith that in the Christmas holidays she brought her children—two little girls—to see him, and every year since she had made -a personal call at the manager’s office, at Christinas. Most grateful letters also come as a result of tho clemency shown, proving the genuineness of the writers, for a thief by nature would make no sign. “ I think I am really honest,” wrote one lady, “ but I do so dearly love dainty perfumes, and so I was tempted. . . . And to think

that you were so merciful and spared me and ray family such bitter shame and humiliation.”

It is the policy of all up-to-date store!-; to avoid publicity for the delinquent, for such a course might so easily ruin the husband in business or break up a home. But the necessity of taking some action is evident from the number of offenders — sometimes fifty in a week at sale times—■ and in one store alone the private detective force annually recovers purloined goods to the value of lie tween .€2,000 and £3,000.

Alice: "And so Lord Addlicpato is sixty. Did you refuse him because he’s too old?” Augusta: “No; because he’s not old enough.”