The Daily Express

Pick-pockets Find
Xmas Shoppers
Easy Pickings

BY JIMMIE N. JONES

Petty thieves and pickpockets had a field day with Christmas shoppers in the downtown shopping district Tuesday as more than a dozen housewives reported their purses stolen while they were shopping for their Yule gifts. According to the police blotter, more than $400 was taken either from purses left on counters, or snatched from hands.

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Pick-Pockets
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under the arms, or off the shoulders of women parading through the crowded stores.
Several well known shop-lifters were spotted in the big stores by both police and store detectives.
Captain Paul C. Geralds told the Daily Express. "it is the same story in each of the thefts". Careless shoppers don't realize when they lay their purses down on the counters to look at merchandise, these petty thieves are on their toes and take their change purses from under their noses, and watch for those who let their "strap-hanging purses swing loosely from their shoulders which is one of the pet jobs for these well trained 'snatchers.'
Wednesday, December 13, 1950
"We have assigned a detail of detectives in the shopping areas and have instructed them to pick up all known shop-lifters and pick-pockets seen in the stores. However, the shoppers must protect themselves by watching their purses and not letting them lay around on counters."