The New York herald., 1868-11-07
A SCIENTIFIC AND pHllosopHc BURGLAR.
Notorious Cracksr,nn Makes a Cwxlsus
Revelation.
from the Hartford Times. Nov. 81

from the Hartford Times Nov. 81
The elder Of the two burglars who arc lying In
Hartford ia for tue 81 900 robbery in silks at Brown
Thomson & Co.'s IL evidently one OF the most ex
perienced and ACCOMPLISHED professional burglars IN
frank in talking about his operations, though he
refuses TO let 1t be known who he ls His pretended
name of "Jm Wsonn is undoubtedly not his real
name. To show what manner or man he Il, we will
relate conversation which lie had this nlornin g
with one OF the proprctos OF the store he had robbed
IL was found that he needed some underclohng, and
he was therefore taken from the jail to Brown, TIom
son Co. 's to-day 10 purchaser che required goods.
After making tine purchases, he was invited by hr.
Brown to cit down and answer question or two as
to how he succeeded in getting into the store on the
this ia the substance OF hts reyciations:--
/ had been In Hartford for some weeks; had
Looked In 6 In my way sr AL Of the lsaaiag Sry goods
value OF their stocks their mode OF business habits
Of propretors and clerks and great many other
things in my llne after looking at all / selected
yours as having as valuable stock as any, perhaps
the most so. and because, moreover. could '.work
II up'' certainly and safely.
Q. How did you know the value OF the stock and
where the silks werep Oh, the newspapers, | zee,
70 right to the silks. Nonsense. No mystery al all
can go straight to the silks In any large establish
ment here or In New York, for they always keep
II the store has an extension OF only one story on
purpose for skylight, always know that there are
the silks, no matter what city the store is In.
@. But how did you get ina A. We squeezed IN
through the little hole between the sign on your
show window and the head Of the grating below it,
q. ehould hardly have thought II possible to get
through that place. / remember the door, though ft
was locked, had been little sprung In getting in
and out boxes OF goods. How did you get Il open ?
A. oh, easy, easy; 1t had been cast iron door NO
should have gone in, for we had the tools TO do it
with; we know you, Mr.. Brown, aud your habits-
what time you go home-how many clerks, porters
ead cse Sys You when hpo ~ sa
opening anl thero was O crowd OF porters clerks
ana cash boys waiting to get In; knew you wcre al
ways full Of customers, and knew that no store
would keep 30 many cash boys vnless II was dong
large business; ! knew what time you shut mp et
evening, ana knew that your habit Ia not to como
back TO the store again; some Of these other mer-
chants como back from home, after closing, and so
about town, aud now and then take look ct the
store, to sec II all is right; you don't; when you 90
home you stay there.
o. But don't you think II rather rough on two
young men, who have only been in business two
years, starting with small capital and cannot afford
loss to break into their store and rob them OF eight
or ten thousand dollars when there are other stores
that would scarcely feel the loss2 A. Yes, by !
aud IL had known that we would never hayo
touched your shop You may SMILE and not believe
me- but l tell you, honestly that there Is as much
honor and respect for fair play among our folks, as
there is with anybody.
II tappears that tnis cool burglar, whoever he H.
has broken out OF TWO Jalls aud state Prison, II
he can be believed. Iio nald IN the above convcrsa
ton, "rhcy would never have given me chance TO
get ball here In your Hartford Police Court IL they
had known who wasn (Ine two had Just been
committed this morning in default OF $s, 500 each)
wilson, or whoever no Ia, has lost about half OF
one foot, % ne says from Ireezing, and has to walk
with cane. Hc IL q tall man, with high, inteli
gent forehead piercing black eye which no i5 In
one with whom he talks and jet black hair and
whiskers, no inustache. lie pleads hard for his
companion VINO ne says ~ green at the business and
was led into ~ wholly by himself lie says he will
take the punishment OF both himself II they will let
OF his friend.