The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-01-21
How Burglars Work.


peaceful citizen, they have actually
"gone through" the terrible police ser
gcant. To anyone acquainted with the
skill and audacity of the class of men
who take to house breaking for a living
it is matter of surprise, not that so
many burglaries are committed, but that
many more are not attempted. In our
out.districts the houses seem to be actu-
ally built with the intention of aiding to
the utmost the efforts of any person de-
slrous of cf1ccting an entrance. Veran.
das that serve no earthly use run along
the fronts of hundreds of our houses, and
1t is quite easy, having gained the veran.
da, to lift up window sash and thus
effect an entrance. The locks on the
majority of those doors are of the poorest
description, and offer little or no resist
ance to the burglar. Many people, when
they lock their door at night. have hab.
it of leaving the key in the lock, under
the impression that it will prevent any
person from using a pick or skeleton-key
to open the door, and so it will, But in
this case the thief uses neither of those
instruments. He introduces into the kew
hole very strong though light forceps,
and seizlng the extremity of the kew
opens the door with single turn of his
wrist. Then, if you leave kew in the
lock, let it be one that does not open the
door.
There is but little difference between
the tools of first-class burglar and those
of an honest locksmith, for the latter is
often called on to pick locks and to open
safes when keys are lost and time is
pressing. There are some instruments,
OF course, such as dark lantern and re-
voiver pistol, not required by the honest
tradesman in his business, that are all
important to the professional burglar.
A first-class outfit comprises a dark
lantern, silentmatches, wax taper, re-
volver, large pruning knife, useful for
cutting out door-panels, palette knife,
thin and plant, for opening windows (by
insertion between the sashes, so as to
push back the spring fastening), Jimmy
or small crOwbar about foot in length.
and splayed or crow-footed at one end !:
skeleton-keys with wards at each end,
called double.e nders;" wires to lift
lock-tumblers and q ccnter-bit, This ia
complete set of ordinary tools and
may he carried with ease in q small Car.
pet-bag.
Hall-door locks are large, massive. and
usually take very large and apparently
complex warded key; but the burglar is
we'll aware that many of these wards are
superfiuous. If he wants a key for
such lock he cuts out a blank KEY in
tin, one side of which he covers with wax.
Wards being simple Instructions fixed in
the locks he has only to carefully insert
the blank and turn it gently to receive
an impression of them on the wax. From
this impression key is easily forged
out of strong iron wire. OF course it is
much simpler than the original. Ssme-
times doors are opened with pick-luck,
which acts by working outside the wards,
reaching the bolt that way; but it re-.
quires more dexterity than the other.
and is successful only in the hands of a
practical thief.
The success of the burglar when oper-
ating on warded locks caused them at
length to be discarded from banks and
money-houses, in favor of the lever or
tumbler lock, and the thief's skeleton
keys found themselves bent to NO effect
in endeavoring to open them. So the
lOcksmith had to be circumvented by
fresh means, and the jack the box was
invented. Its object was to force the
lock off or rend the case SO that the bolts
might be drawn back. This was &C.
complished by inserting T-shaped bolt
OF iron in the lock, and then by means
of the jack ian adaptation of the princi-
pie of the lever and screw rending open
the lock. This plan was prevented by
introducing very small keys and placing
the tumblers, ETC., above the key-hole.
Having been defeated for q long while
at the safe-lock, they at length discov-
cred a new plan, which was to attack the
hinges, pressing them off by means of
powerful levers. In this manner the safe
of large firm in London was opened
and an immense quantity of valuables
stolen. The firm brought an action
against the safe-makers, who had sold
them the safe as thief-proof, to recover
damages, and for the defense the burglar.
who had been captured and sentenced,
was placed on the stand, and deposed
that there was no safe made that could
resist an attack properly made on its
hinges. After this trial the safe-makers
counter-sunk their hinges, and at the
present time we may safely say that the
thief has the worst of the battle.
After the lock has been overcome the
burglar has often to remove door-bolts.
To do this it is sometimes necessary to
be enected by means of fine saw. Now
an instrument called q panel.cutter is
used. A strong stem with gimlet point
is thrust into the center Of the panel.
Through this stem slides cross bar. car
rying ut one extremity sharp.cuttine
tool which can be adjusted to move al
any required radius. At the head Of tho
stem is . double-armed lever which
works the whole machine. This instr,,.
ment will make hole ina few minutes
large enough to admit the burglars arm
or the body of q small bow. and the dor
is quickly unfastened. The only safe.
guards are to have the door lined will,
sheet-iron or studded with nails irreun.
larry disposed.
Everybody knows that the thief seldom
it ever breaks into house on the par.
ticulars concerning which he is not well
posted. He knows how many people
live in the house, and the rooms thew
sleep in, and the hours they retire to
rest. Women and children watch during
the day and the house-breaker himself
BY night, and this watch will be kent mn
for days and nights until all necessary
information has been obtained.
The burglars, who generally 20 in
threes, select the time when the police
officer has just passed on his weary
round to commence operations. If YOU
have Watchdog, it is drugged: If YOU
have corrupt servant, he has been. Der
haps, bribed. A mold has been taken of
your house-key; panel is removed. or
perhaps entrance is effected through the
windows opening on your veranda. The
burglar, who has pulled on thick stock
ings over his boots, moves rapidly and
without noise. Plate and money are his
two great desires, but he will take al
most anything rather than go empty
handed. 50 cleverly managed 10 the
whole affair that the police officer NAV
pass by door out Of which . panel M
been cut and notice nothing, for the
panel has been replaced with : sheet Of