BRALORNE STORES LIMITED

FOR GROCERIES, MEATS, HARDWARE, DRYGOODS, MEN’S WEAR, BOOTS AND SHOES

BRALORNE PHARMACY LIMITED

For Drugs and Prescriptions, Soda Fountain, Tobacco, Candy, Stationery, Etc.

BRALORNE

*

BRITISH COLUMBIA

trespass’, provides protection in that it allows the detective to escort previously arrested offenders off the prem‘ses when ever he comes across them in the store.

Culprits usually consent to sign this form, thinking, often erroneously, that by doing so they will avoid prosecution, The signed form is witnessed and provides some measure of protection to the company from a suit for damages if the accused is subse- quently acquitted in court.

Should the culprit be a second offender, he is taken to the city gaol, when an in formation is laid against him and he is Often after serving a sentence the booster returns to the store and repeats the offence. These “re-

prosecuted in the usual way.

A. M. WICKWIRE

Builders’ Supplies

Lumber - Roofing - Wallboards Glass, Etc.

Resawing, Cabinet Making Sash and Doors

oa Agents for Bridge River Sawmills Ltd.

LILLOOET, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Lillooet Cartage Co. Ltd.

General Transportation

Lillooet Garage Lillooet-Lytton Stages ¥

LILLOOET, B.C.

JIM BROTHERS

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

Groceries, Hardware, Clothing, Boots and Shoes, Etc.

Local Agents for “ROBIN HOOD" Flour

LILLOOET, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Page Ninety-two

peaters” are generally of two types: habitual who spree, and drug addicts who boost to sup- port the habit.

drunks steal to raise money for a

A person arrested for the first time in a particular store may fall into one of various classifications, and for that reason should He may belong to a new gang of boosters, or he may be

be questioned rigorously.

someone to whom a conviction would be the first step to worse crimes. On the other hand he may be one who, though a booster for years, has evaded arrest, and a search of his home may uncover hundreds of dollars’ worth of stolen merchandise; needless to say such a “first” offender is prosecuted.

When boosters are arrested they are fre- quently asked: “What is the value, roughly speaking, of the goods you have stolen since you commenced activities in store?”

your this

The answers are sometimes astonishing. Some culprits volunteer the doubtful state- ment that their total plunder is worth an incredible amount, often in the hope that they may be permitted to make restitution and thereby avoid prosecution, This indi- cates that boosting is not confined to any particular strata of society. Even the “wealthy”—those who can pay if they are caught—indulge.

Perhaps a word may be said about that overworked word “kleptomania”. It is quite true there are kleptomaniacs and they apparently suffer from some form of mental sickness. They become well known to the retail stores as their actions cannot be long confused with the average booster’s; for one thing they usually appear astoundingly artless or their efforts at stealth are so obvious as to arouse immediate suspicion. Genuine cases of kleptomania are greatly to be pitied for they are a great trial to those near and dear to them.

F. C. PARKS & CO.

Groceries, Meats, Hardware, Drygoods, Saddlery, Farm Produce

Wholesale and Retail Sherwin-Williams Paints, Pierre Paris Shoes Orient Hosiery, Five Roses Flour, Headlight Overalls

LILLOOET, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Young boys guilty of shoplifting present a serious problem. Their parents, in many cases honest people, may be good customers, Usually after the young miscreant signs the confess‘on form he is taken home by the arresting officer who explains the situation to the parents with the result that their son is forbidden to enter the store unaccom- panied. Even if he is caught a second time the store hesitates to prosecute and have him convicted; for in gaol the young offender will probably meet professional boosters who are ready to teach him all the tricks of the trade. Upon being released the boy repeats the crime, feeling that, be: cause he really knows how, he will be able to avoid detection. Before long he becomes acquainted with other boosters, ‘‘ex-cons”, prostitutes and drug addicts—all bad asso- ciates for an adolescent.

Boosters sell much of their loot to second: hand dealers. Whether aware of it or not, they thus create an avenue through which the stuff can be traced, as the law provides that second-hand dealers must enter in their books all particulars such as the date and exact time of purchase, the price paid, a description of the goods and a description of the seller. This daily record is submitted to the police, and the goods are held for seven (in some cities fourteen) days before being put up for sale. Merchants take ad’ vantage of this precaution and send one of their operatives regularly to ascertain how much merchandise is being stolen from their store. Very often descriptions given by the — dealers enable the operatives to identify the

ARRASTRA CAFE

SPECIALIZING IN FAMILY DINNERS SODA FOUNTAIN LUNCHES DINNERS

Open 24 Hours Per Day

Operated by G. L. GILLETTE

Theatre Hall Bralorne, B. C.

THE SHOULDER STRAP