SHOP-LIFTERS.

NZ Truth, Issue 151, 9 May 1908, Page 5

SHOP-LIFTERS.

A Thieving Expedition.

For a long time the various soft goods establishments of Wellington have suffered depredations from persons unknown, and all ' efforts to locate the thief or thieves have proved abortive. On account of this failure to discover the perpetrators of many petty thefts, it was thought that the employees of some of the establishments were systematically robbing their employers with the result that there were "many misgivings op the part of honest employees, who felt that they were under suspicion. A different aspect was placed on the depredations m Wellington Magistrate's Court, when two well • dressed ' rnarriecL women. Margaret Russell and Mary Richards, were lugged before the Bench on several charges of shop-lift ing. Detective Broberg, who had charge of the case, had submitted a surprising report of what the two defendants had accomplished, and it was, of course, a foregone conclusion that they would plead guilty as a means of preventing any thing like the extent of their crimes be coming generally known. It appears that Russell and Richards were caught m the act of annexing some men's braces at Messrs Warnock and Adkin's establishment and were handed over to 'Tec. Broberg by Mr Peter Warnock. The two women had each signed statements admitting that they took seven pillow slips from Mr Winder's shop, ancl then proceeded to Mr Feilder's establishment m Mannersstreet, where they stole some tray-cloths. From Feilder's shop THE BUCCANNEERING PAIR sailed on to Mr Hood's, m Lambton Quay, where they annexed an underskirt. At Warnock and Adkin's. which was vthc next place visited, the "lydies ' stole a- table-cloth, two blouses and two pillow-slips. With this booty m hand the marauders went away, but were not satisfied with their haul. On the other hand, like a dog returning to his vomit,