The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-12

:
usually bursts the lock, to the great delight
of burglars, and occasionally IL brings police
man to the scene, which is not so pleasant for
the "Peter-puners." All safes are called
s'peters.u and those who explode them with
gunpowder are called "Peter-puters."
Bank burglars are the elite of the profession
and do not associate to any great extent with
ordinary housebreakers and rough workers.
! They are lithe active men, taking pride in
their profession, and sparing no pains TO secure
a successful issue to their enterprises. A
gang of them will keep together for years,
! operating wherever good opportunity offers
frequently travelling thousands Of miles to
'craok crib" that promises WELL They set
little value on time, but having once resolved
to rob certain place, they will watch it for
menths, II necessary until the proper moment
arrives for the blow to be struck. They are
exceedingly wary and fertile in invention.
When the ordinary means of executing their
burglarious designs fall they resort to strategy.
gang OF these burglars desiring to reach
the vaults of bank in this city and their
Keys having failed to give them access to it,
they rented the adjoining premises and set up
clothing store, receiving their stock in trade
as a temporary loan from a receiver of stolen
goods For three months they carried on an
apparently legitimate business. AT the
end of that time it was discovered one
morning that the bank had been robbed to the
amount of several hundred thousand dollars.
An investigation revealed the fact that the ap-
parently innocent clothing dealers had run a
tunnel underneath the intervening walls from
their premises to the basement of the bank
building, and by this means had reach ed the
vault. The locks to this had then been blown
open with gunpowder, the valuables secured,
and retreat effected by way of the tunnel.
The goods had also been removed from the
clothing store, and the willy dealers had fled
leaving no trace behind save the tunnel they
had eXcavated, and which they could not
carry with them conveniently.
Burglars who succeed in effecting these ex-
tensive robberies run but little risk of being
prosecuted even if they are found out, for the
SIMPLE reason that the pecuniary loss which
their conviction would entail upon their vic
Tins would be too great A compromise is
therefore, usually effected, by which, for a
good, round bonus, the burglars surrender
such valuable papers or securities as they
cannot readily dispose of in any other man
ner. This is cOmpounding felony, certainly,
an otiense for which the condoner might be
imprisoned. But who is there among us will
ing to sacrifice his fortune for the sake of
sending thief to the State prison? This class
OF burglars, when caught in the act of COM
mitting their depredations, do not hesitate to
use, with deadly intent, the weapons with
which they are always provided. When once
scruple at murder to insure success. Yet the
most trivial circumstance-the barking of a
dog, or an unexpected light displayed at a
window-wiH deter them for the time from
commencing their enterprise.
Housebreakers are a distinct class of depre-
dators, differing essentially from bank burglars
They are mostly young Irishmen, rough and
uneducated, too lazy to earn an honest living,
and possess brutal instincts and vagabond
habits. These trough workers." as they are
termed, spend but little time in preparing for
their nefarious transactions, but will dash
haphazard at store or dwelling, breaking
and smashing as circumstances Tequire. They
possess little of that skill and delicacy which
characterize the bank burglars. Sometimes a
gang take the trouble to make arrangements
for the robbery of store that promises to pay
well, but usually they depend upon the
observations they have made while lettering
about the streets. Beyond ascertaining the
best mode of getting in and out they pay
little attention to the premises they propose
to despoil, trusting to luck for all the rest If
it be store upon which their coVetous eyes
have fallen, one of their number will
watch it for a day or two to learn the habits
of the occupants. Then at night the gang
will proceed to the place and open door
with skeleton keys, or with short crowbar,
called Jimmy" pry open a shutter and
thus obtain an entrance. Once inside, to fill
bag with rich silks, laces, or other goods, occu-
pies but a few moments. Confederates watch
outside to give the alarm if danger threatens.
When the desired plunder has been secured,
word is passed to those outside to that effect,
wagon dashes out of a side street, the
''swag" is thrown in, the wagon drives off.
and the burglars depart in different direc-
tions.
Burglars always, if possible, avoid carry
ing their plunder through the streets at night
Policemen are naturally suspicious, and in
clined to be inquisitive. Many professor of
the 'jimmy school," on being halted by an
officer, has preferred to drop his "swag," " and
run away, to answering the officials inperti-
nent questions. In this city, where it is
required of every policeman while walking his
beat at night to try every door on his post at
least twice, to examine carefully each house,
to peer into Easements and to explore back
yards and alleyways, it requires considerable
strategy and fineSSe to commit an extensive
burglary. To break into place is easy
enough; to get out again, and carry off a large
amount of property belonging to somebody
else, without being caught at it, is a feat more
difficult of accomplishment. Policemen who
have proper regard for their $1,000 a year are
to be vigilant. Should a burglary
be committed upon the post, for the safety of
which any one of them is responsible the off
Ger is forthwith arraigned for trial before the
Police Commissioners, charged with neglect of
duty in not knowing something about the
and his position and salary are at
on ce placed in jeopardy.
II has transpired in several instances at
these trials of policemen that a spy, acting
with a gang of burglars, had followed him