The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-05-20
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
NEW YORK. Nav l9 1874.

culc their business in the New World
-Four Of them we're arrested last week
and thought, possibly, a look al
them and their tools, might result in
something. ! found two men, Of
perhaps forty years of age, with low
foreheads, small, keen ferret-like eyes,
short squat figures, but Of wonderful
strength, both with the small broken
nose that Stems to always be token
of life os violence and dissipation.
The third was a rather handsome
young man, whose face was as clear
and honest as though he had been in
a confidential position in bank, and
the fourth was mere lad, whose
face, young as it was, was as brutal
as those OF the two older ruffians.-
The elder villains were reticent, but
the young man was very commune
cative and from him | got some items
that were, to me, at least, of interest.
why did you leave London 2" j
asked.
Because it got too warm for us,
was the reply 1--WE were wanted
for jobs we had performed in almost
every city in England, and we couldn't
keep the police off US any longer"
But, if you had done SO many
jobs YOU ought to have had money
enough to have retired on by this
time" .-.
"0n the contrary we had to borrow
money to get away on. You see,
this style of business don't make
money if you are known to the police
and obter people who live off of US.
If man who has good name should
break a bank and get 100000, and
get away with it, it would be nice
thing for him. But with one like me,
for instance, it's different. Last year
| cracked a bank ard got that sum,
al in good money. But it took FIVE
oflus to do the job-then the watch
man of the bank had to be let in
that made six-then three detectives,
who were employed to work up the
case, got their claws into US, and to
keep out of prison, we had to divy
with them, and they kept bleeding
US. So, after all, | got out of it, real
ly, about f400. And then, to keep
myself out of trouble, l had to keep
myself in hiding, and didn't do a
stroke of work for over months.
"Thc last job before that was haul
of solid silver ware, that l did all
alone, with no partners, and | got f7,
900 worth Of it, and thought | had
good thing. | couldn't keep the stuff,
and couldn't sell it as it was. The
Jew fences got hold of me, and l had
to break it up and sell it for just what
they saw fit to give me, for they
could floor me at any time. They
melted it, and gave me fG00. It's
bad business. I'd rather have a good
salary, and follow an honest life"
"Who and what are these comrades
Of yOurs?n
The two older men are regular
that is TO say they were
born to the business and know moth
ng else. They were once precisely |
ike the boy yonder He was taken
out Of an asylum by n craftsman and |
brought up to IT," ...
What use do you make of him 7"
"IIe has been trained to pick pock-
ets,-to rob halls, and that kind Of
work, when opportunity offers,
1ut we use him in other ways |
He gets into houses on all sorts of
Dretexts, and gets the run of house |
hat we have spotted to go through.
He will see more of house by |
yoing through from the back area to
he front, and with ten minutes talk
With a servant maid, than you could |
~ going through it from top TO bot
ON He knows houses, be does.
Then, if we have to cut hole through
. door, we slip him through, and he
lnlocks in jifTt Y without noise. He
an climb like q monkey and is just
bout as fearless. Jimmey is good
BOY"
do you have to use violence very
,ften?'
Very seldom-never if we can
lelp it. Amateurs do frequently-a
thoroughbred not twice in a lifetime,
We get into a house, but always leave
! way out--a clean unobstructed
way. Now if we are in a room and
he people wake up, We get out when
t becomes dangerous, and if our out
ct is not obstructed it is all right,
nd nobody is going to be hurt. But
man gets in our way when we
re going out, we dodge him if We
an-if we cannot we knock him
Iown--and if he grapples US we use
knife or whatever is the shortest
way of getting rid of him. We are
.lways prepared, and will of course
ill rather than be caught"
"You have been communicative
nd | am obliged to you"
Il had as soon talk as not for !
hall quit the profession. They can't
i've me more than five years for what
am here for, and | shall get out
nd live on the square after that.
wasn't born to it, and | don't like it
nvhow." ..
The tools taken with these fellows
1ere shown me, and they were as in-
tructiye as their owners talk. Keys
0 unlock anything-tbin wedges of
teel to go through safes with, ropes
rith which to get into second stories;
)ng, flexible bamboo rods in sections
Ike the fancy fish poles, on which
ponges saturated with chloroform
re hung. And this, by the way, is
pretty operation. The burglar
limbs by his cord to second story \
Iindow-a diamond and pitch plast-
r takes out pane OF glass without
oise-the chloroformed sponge on
be end Of the bamboo rod is held to
be nose of the sleeper, and in a few
linutes it is as safe to go into that
DOM as it would be were the occu-
ant dead. Science has thus been
ubordinated to crime as well as to
sgitimate purposes.
Their weapons Of offence and de-
ence are very ingenious. The sand
az is a simple bag filled with fine
and, with which terrible blow can
e given without making any noise.