FEMALE THIEVES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume L, Issue 5459, 21 August 1878, Page 3

FEMALE THIEVES.

| Hie New York correspondent of the Boston 'Herald thus writes of accomplished female thieves in. that; city.:—A;few days ago a woman was found dead in a house which contained a vast vafiatyof stolen articles,' She was by no means, poor; but, Jphe. preferred to live alone'and indulge' without' restraint'her mania for pilfering.- A' large number of flowerpotsj. containing dead , plants; were among the plunder; / ap'd ;it;,was evident that' she had.a special pleasnyp in thefteof a floral character.' A !miscellaneous goods was nlso n f6itnd;’ : aha\lsd rf number, of pictures,', ;.It was .learned for: .thefirst time that this woman had a rare gift, at [this cfaft, for she had escaped aU thejcphsequences of a prime which was. her : "daily- practice. Less fo'rtunate ia the gifted: Minnie Watson; who has just been • sentenced to four years, at Sing Sing.., She, however, c. instead of taking the petty rple- ; of,, shoplifter, had gone in fer bountiful hams of cpsh. ’Her method was to obtain a situation ip some hotel or wealthy family, on which a levy would be made as soon as possible, and ;her disappearance might be the first-thing to occasion suspicion. Minnie was.tho:- most successful thief of her years. From '.one family.she t00k.2500d01a., and .soon.. afters wards, .while working at an hotel, she carriedoff 8000 dole.; - Among her -thefts; was. a , ip?, commendation of ohafaeleiV heiouguig to. another servant, and. this gave her great assistance. Last year her hotel- nitferiagsr [ were nearly 400#dols., but they will be suspended jfor awhile by ber. rcsidenoo at Sing Sing. I mention this becausc New York.has tho most eloquent, accomplished,.and refined- thieves of any city 1 iii the world. Gentlemen of cxqnisite-dress-and the uiostcourtly mair-~ hers operate in jewellery .stores and similar places, while women of aristocratic - manners and splendid appearance; ."-patronise the fashionable shops. Both of these classes do what they can : in both stages and [railway cars. This city, never [befpro contained so many interesting and' beautiful thieves as at the present, day.. These, classes have a secret knowledge of each other’s work. They meet occasionally in a festive manner, and sometimes hold balls in which each one must wear some article' of 1 pliihderi They are also on good terms with, tho-pplice, who never would have arrested Minnie Watson had she been able,to pay her qpota of blackmail: ...Every-; body is. now compelled to exorcise close Vigilance, and hotels; boarding-houses, and; stores are continually robbed, it-is supposed" that notwitbstandihg^heearo s taken''at the ppening of “ the Women’s Hotel,” a number of the thieves entered ,bj means: of. forged tickets, and madp epme handsome hauls.