The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-22
Burglary as One Of the Fine Arts.

IF thing be done stupidlv, no matter how
beneficial in its results, OF now meIitorious in
the motives which prompted IT, che critical
pubic will not be thrown into such a rapture OF
applause as is ELECTED by a well-planned aud
deliberately executed infringement upon the
rights of ones person or property. This Is
feature of the "old Adam" which still sways
our humanity. And yet this feeling of adm-
ration for perverted skill very properly inau-
ences a court OF justice in netting out the pun
ishment incurred by violation of the law. If
a burglar bursts open door with a bludgeOn,
or hacks a money dra wer to splinters with
meat axe he has some show for mercy. Being
considered fool as well as knave, the element
of pity enters into his case and mitIgates Ihis
punishment in measure. But when the house
breaker goes about his business at dead of
night, and by the aid of skeleton keys, jimmles,
and other scientific accOmpaniments, performs
his work in neat and skltul manner, we do
not hesitate to consign him to long years of
imprisonment The very skill OF the offender
renders him all the more dangerous to the com.
munity, if he be permitted to remain ut large.
We are led into this train of thought by the
examination of an assortment of burglarious
tools which have recently come into the possess
blOu vi DOllCG dutuOIlIlcSs lucy were cap
tured in New York by Detectives GEORGE Fl.
SMITH and TAGGART, at the time that the noto
rious ROBERTS and MASON were taken into Gus
tody in that city. The history Of these desperate
men is not without romantic interest. Ro8ERTS
is an American, who was we'll known to the
police Of this city fifteen years ago. About that
time he tOrsook this country for England where
he prosecuted his calling with success for a time,
but finally fell into the hands OF tbe authorities,
and was transported to Van Diemen's Land.
obtaining ticket Of leave, he returned to Eng
land, where he oreanized a gang of kindred
spirits for opera ions in his native land. One
of them, THOMAS BASKERVILLE by name, IS now
serving out term in the Penitentiary tor the
robbery of shoe store at Eighth and Filbert
streets; another is still at large, and has thus
far eludeG the utmost vigilance OF the police;
while the other, JOHN MASON, is keeping COM
pany with ROBERTS in Moyamensng Prison. But
little is known about the previous history of
these Englshmen, except that one of them be-
longed to the Manchester, and another to the
London mob. That the whole gang comprised
the most skilful and energetic burglars who
have ever cursed the United States with their
presence is abundantly proved by the success
which attended their operations up to the time
Of their capture.
When ROBERTS and his colleagues crossed tho
ocean, they brought with them the most perfect
set of tools that our detectives have ever encoun-
tered. But at the very outset OF their cis-
Atlantic career they came to grief. In an
attempt to torce an entrance into the safe of
country bank they lost the most valuable por
tion of their outfit. Being likewise short Of
IL tO ri IN hn
petty burglaries of March and April last In
these they were entirely successful and with
the funds thus secured they proceeded to
replenish their stock of instruments, and were
about entering upon some gigantic enterprise
which would have astonshed the country, and
amply repaid them for all previous disappoint-
ments, when Messrs. SMITH and TAGGART sud
denly pounced down upon and put an end to
the scheme.
In their possession were found the tools with
which they had intended to operate. Among
them were some fifty or sixty skeleton keys of
the most varied and intricate construction.
They were likewise provided with little cakes OF
white wax, on which they took the impression
of keys of which duplicates were required.
| Pincers, jimmies, taps and bits without number
were also in store. Some of these bear the trade.
! mark OF -. BUCK, London" and are probably a
| portion of their original stock. But the most
formidable and ingenious piece of mechanism
which they possessed, and the construction o
which showed that they were consummat'
masters of their art, was an instrument TO
| opening safe in a quiet way. The instrumen
which they imported from England, AID lost Il
their first essay at it's use, weighed about on
hundred pounds. In the construction of tn
new one they made some improvements
besides reducing its weight TO fifty
six pounds. This machine, the like o
which was never before seen in America
consists simply of bar OF iron, one inch i
thickness, three inches in width, and three o
four feet long. By means of wooden trestle
placed at either end and secured to the hoo
with screws, this bar is held in place before tn
safe. Midway in the length of the iron ba
there is threaded hole, through which tn
drill is worked by means Of crank. The dri
itself is very ingenious, and has all the nece
sary appliances for keeping the bit pressed har
against the safe door. When the outer coatin
of the safe is once perforated, the bit is replace
by tap, by which threads are formed aroun
the aperture. At this point the drill is lai
aside and threaded bolt inserted in its plac,
Blocks of wood are then placed against tt
trestles to prevent them from beng drawn
, against the safe and everything is ready for th
final operation. This is not as easily understoo
as the preliminaries but its result is the gradu
!, forcing outward of the exterior surface Of I'll
, safe door. Taken altogether, the whole Oper
Q nop is one of the most ingenious ever d