The Republican journal., 1872-11-14
Capture of an ingenious Burglar.

II tHiHk AN cured.
Capture of an ingenious Burglar.
On Wednesday Detective Tilley. of the
New York Detective Force, arrested Gus
tave +. kindt, alias Captain G. Marshall,
at West Hackensack, n j., on the COM
plant of Mr.. Erust Thomas, of the Hack
ensack ,jewelry Mandatory, who charged
him with opening safe in his office and
stealing theretrom iewelry and money
amounting in the aggregate to $4,000.
Kindt il Holander by birth, but since
he was a lad has seen but little of his ma
tive country he having learned several
mechanical trades in Belgium. In 1860 he
emigrated to this country, and after drift
ING about put his knowledge of watch
making and the manufacture of precious
metals, which he had acquired during
two years residence in Geneva, Switzer-
land, to account by accepting a situation
in the watch-case factory of Wheeler
Parsons & Co. in Franklin Square Like
the higher class of thieves kindt was a
sober man. kindt settled himself COM
tortably in his position, cultivated the
friendship Of those he came in contact
with, and laid plans tor the realization OF
his dreams of wealth by pertecting his
knowledge of safes and lock combinations
In February, 1867 the safe in the office
of the firm was found apparently locked
and secure, but on opening it the contents
which had been carefully arranged in it
the previous evening, and which consist
ed of watch eases, gold bars and money
valued at $4,000 were missing. De-
tectives We're called in, the entire estah-
lishment was placed under surveillance,
but in spite Of every effort, no clue was
found to the robber kindt was not sus-
pected in the slightest degree. His bear
ing was that OF m honest man; he ap-
peared panied beyond measure at the loss
his patrons had sustained and volunteer
ed to devote his leisure hours to aiding
his employers and the police in clearing
up the mystery. 50 well did he play
his part that in the fall and winter of
the same year, when a new factory was
opened at Nos. 40 and ~ State street,
Brooklyn, he was appointed to better
position than the one he held in the New
York establishment, and in it displayed the
same zeal that had won him previous ad-
vancement. In the office of the State
street factory was Il new safe, with COM
bination lock. IN which all valuabes were
placed at night. The secret of the COM
bination was known only to Mr. Wheel
er, who was so Jealous of it that he even
kept il from Il young man named Henri
Jeanette. who occupied the position of
confidential clerk, was trusted with prop
erty of immense value, and who every
night assisted in placing goods in the
safe which ut times contained $50, 900
worth. 1t will not be wondered at under
these circumstances that Mr.. Wheeler
was alarmed and mystified on the morn
ing Of New Years day, 1869, when on
opening the safe which appeared all right,
he found it completely empty. every arti-
Gle of value having been removed at a
loss to the firm OF over $4,000. The
most rigid surveillance failed TO discover
anything wrong in regard to the employees.
Supposed clues We're followed up to end
in smoke, and finally. when at the point
OF giving up the matter rs q bad job and
while snspecting every one around them.
even to members of their own families,
the firm paid a visit TO Superintendent
John A. Kennedy, of the New York po-
lice, who detailed Detective Tilley to
work up the case. There was not a
scratch on the outside of the safe. and the
lock on being taken off showed no evil
dence of having been tampered with
Only one man knew the combination, and
he was the head Of the firm No sus-
piclon could be legitmately attached to
any clerk or workman, and the watchman
on duty whose footsteps had been dog
ged, was pronounced an honest man. The
work had to be gone over again. The
Indicator revolved on a screw pivot, which
fo 10 nf tha
screw was found to be considerably worn.
On being replaced the Indicator did not
fit solidly on the pivot, and there was
every sign that the screw had been taken
ont frequently A course of action was
soon determined on. The officer appear
ed disheartened and about to give up the
puzzle, while in secret he advised Messrs.
Wheeler 4 Parsons to let the matter drop
and appear resigned to their losses. In
few weeks the excitement had so far abat-
ed that a proposition emanated from the
firm to increase the force of workmen, and
to adopt additional precautions for securi-
ty. ndue course a clownish-looking ap-
prentice and an assistant watchman were
introduced, and in few weeks had cult
waited Kindts acquaintance. The new
comers were selected by New York pri-
vate detective agency. Kindt took Won
derfully to the new watchman talked to
him about the late robbery, and recon-
mended extra vigilance. The spurious
guardian, coached by Tilley, improved the
acquaintance Of the suspected man, worm
ed himself into his confidence little by lit
tie, bv dint of gradually expressing his
ideas on the subject of honesty to be rather
lax, and finally had him so completely in
his tolls that Kindt. after a long TRADE on
the labor question and the injustice ofcap-
italists, made him proposition to rob the
safe which he represented as containing
fortune of 800, 900, enough to divide be-
tween two The new watchman cleverly
hesitated but finally consented, and learn
ed that Kindts plan was to master the
combination of the safe-lock and rob the
factory, as before described. After weeks
of patient labor, which proved useless, a
new combination lock of peculiar con-
struction having been attached to the
safe since the 1869 robbery. Kindt sug
gested to the firm that the stairs leading
past the office in which the safe was
should be boarded up, alleging that trag-
ments Of gold and gold dust were lost in
considerable quantities by the staircase
in question being left open. His sugges-
ton was of course adopted, it being the
object of the firm and the detectives to
catch Kindt red-handed. AS soon as the
partition was erected Tilley and a man he
had engaged to assist him in watching
slowed themselves away on floor above
that on which the safe stood, so as to
command both view of the safe and the
stairs though auger-holes which they bor-
ed in the floor From their place of con-
cealment every time that Mr., Wheeler
went to the safe they saw Kindt produce
a species of opera glass, constructed by
himself, and watch intently his masters
movements in manipulating the combina-
ton, noting them down on piece OF pa
per. As soon as the coast was clear Kindt