Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-11
Burglary a Science,
AN INSIGHT INTO ITS IMPLEMENTS AND PEEL
IIARITIES

LIARITIES.
The appliances of the irst-claSs burglars are
changed TO meet almost all the changes in pre-
yentlye inventions. The hydraulic lack to
force in safe locks, the cylinders of compressed
oxygen and hydrogen to burn through steel
appliances used by the big operators show this,
The first and simplest tool in burglars outfit
IS window knife This is thin, very flexible,
knife than anything else. With it. i'm two sec
0nds the clumSieSt burglar can turn back the
simple catch SO generally used throughout the
easily twisted up between the two saSheS, and
and light pressure throws the catch to one
side or the other, and leaves the window free
TO open. his is as useful as it is simple, and
the wonder is that that style of fastening Is so
generally used. Lately, however new brass
eaten; which works up and down, and is fast
ened by pin, has been invented, and is proof
THE ART OF WINDOW OPENING,
however, makes necessary i'm some cases
diamond to cut the glass. This brings into re-
QUESTION a " Sucker"-a disk of wet leather
with string tied to it, such as boys use as a
plaything. This is first fastened to the upper
pane ana the cutter run around it in circle.
when the glass is severed it clings to the
leather and the piece is removed to the out
side without noise or fracture of the cOntigu-
Gus glass. Another and simple method i'm
avoiding noise, utilized in breaking into stores
with thln glass windows, is to paste large
sheet OF stout paper over the glass till it ad-
heres hrmly In every part, and then break the
glass: The pieces cling to Ihe paper and no
window can be neatly taken out i'm frag-
ments. The next article in the outfit is a
s skeleton Of key n These are as old as the in
ton it needed little skill or practice, by aid of
a crooked wire, notched knifeblade or any
thing else that came handy, to pick the sim
R PIE locks s. oi Inc new invention, however,
simply the simplest shape of key. The shank
Is filed Down thin so as to enter any lock east
ly, and the ward of the key is the same size as
that of any key, but consists only of small
II" shaped piece of steel or brass, as the case
may be. This is the simplest variety, and will
suit the largest number of locks. There are
some, however, in which the wards are a trifie
more complex, which suit different brands of
locks. No respectable thief, however, is with
out two or three kinds. The next implement
Which are used TheS po IS aD
ed and left in the lock:
q asp the end of the key. The clutchng por
ton is SO small as to easily enter lock, and
when closed the end appears like a hollow
piece OF steel no thicker than key shank.
The ends are notched, however, Just as a pair
OF plncers are roughened, so as not to slip
when the end of the key is grasped, and as
most keys are pointed at the end, the opera
nality is displayed by thieves in getting UP
these. and some years ago the work of a burg
lar named Winter, since killed in a fight, was
used. Instead of having little notches all
around the end, he had only four, equally dis
tant from each other, and the marks on the
always detected. The "nips" are largely
used, and are very effective, the only pre-
vention against them being something that
ventives the best is thick bent wire in the
shape of hairpin that hangs down from the
shaft shat OF the door-knob and passes through the
instrument ire
manifold 1t is a bar of steel, one end of which
is curved at right angle. Sometimes one end
is sharpened to point and sometimes both,
or one is fiattened out and sharpened like
croWbar. They are OF various lengths and
weights, and a well TODD burglar generally
has several THY dry s%bserys all the Of
at all to force open wooden door, breaking
the lock or twisting it out of place by main
force IL rs Is also s very successful tool In pry
being used in the latter case when a partial
entrance has been made.
BULLS-EYE LANTERNS,
SO loved by dime novel writers, have passed
out OF date, small candles being used. This
calls to mind the fact that the work of Root
ana Sehacht, the champions, was always
spotted by the red candle grease which they
le1t Denlnd them, their custom being to use
the small Christmas tree candles. Masks are
rarely used, and II worn are usually of the
simplest construction, piece of black cloth
purposes of disguise and terror, in case a
startled Individual awakes at night to find a
ghost with candle, black mask and revol-
yer bending over him. With regard to Skele-
tons one ingenious style, the invention of a
Sydney thief, has strangely fallen into disuse
There were number of wards to il which
could be fitted to the shank, one after the
other, small screw in the end of the shank
holding them in place. The possessor could
try one after the other, and eventually unlock
any door fastened by an ordinary key. sim
pie bolt is the best protection for a door, that
being, in police parlance, 1.-The only thing
Ope ming the door is to bore through and saw
around it,an operation involving much time
and trouble.