VANITY’S PENALTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3363, 1 November 1911, Page 8

VANITY’S PENALTY.

SHOPGIRLS MASQUERADE AT THE SEASIDE AS WOMEN OF MEANS.

The desire to ’’look smart” at the seaside placed two shop girls in the dock at the London Sessions, charged with obtaining goods worth £55 from Messrs Peter Robinson, Regent street, by false pretences. The girls—Alice Skauffha.ni, twentythree, and Beatrice Crosswell, twentyone —pleaded guilty and wept bitterly. They were employed as assistants at the prosecutors’ premises during tlr'o summer sale, and afterwards, it was stated, while holiday-making at Yarmouth, they telegraphed in the names of two ladies whom they knew to be credit customers, asking for a number of costumes to be sent to the Yarmouth Station cloak-room on approval. This was done, and they selected gowns worth £55. and returned others valued at £llO. Restitution in money, added counsel, had been made. The defendants were given excellent characters. Counsel who defended Skaufi’ham said that, as shop girls, the accused knew that some ladies in fashionable circles ordered costumes on approval, and, after wearing one at a. reception or other function, sent them back as unsuitable. The girls did practically the same thing, their object being to dress in different gowns and look smart. It was a foolish escapade, but it was not until they had worn the costumes several times that they realised the seriousness of their position. When arrested they immediately offered to pay, as they had proviouly made up their minds to do so. Counsol for Crosswell urged that it was vanity that led the two to the dock. They wore hound over.