Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-19

The EnterprisinY HOusebrcakeF and
His Victims-Side Lights on n Dark
Arr.

From the Boston Herald. December 10th.
Never kill q man save in self-defense: get
caught rather than drop o man." was the pru-
dent motto of celebrated cracksman ''It
is only the tyro of the bunger who flourshes
revolvers aud quickly appeals to the bludgeon."
what is the prime quality in your business?"
"Nerve-nothng else"
"What is the best method?"
"BOldness. Many job have done right be-
fore the eyes of people; done it just as though
1t was the regular thing and was just where
ought to be. have had my pal taking things
out of house when a couple of cops were
walking by. and | stood with pencil In my
hand keeping tally Of the things. They thought
it was all right. as looked right at them. I
tell you fellow wants to keep perfectly cool
and know what he is doing and what he is
going to do every time.
The right kind of men are somehow lacking.
They are either too timid or too rough. 1t wants
a fine man, real Damascus blade to do neat
job. There are plenty of opportunities, if there
were only the men to fill them. But was speak
ing of chances. The people are asleep; you are
awake. They are timid; you are perfectly cool.
You know just what to do. You know just what
they will do if they wake up They don't know
how many are in the house, nor where you are.
Most people are towards in the night. Without
any odds you could get the best of them: but in
the night with the bugbear and the reality OF
burglar in the house-and they have spent all
the years of their lives in working up dreadful
fellow in their magnatiOns-in such plight
mans house is like a foreign land to him. and he
Is perfect stranger to the situation in his own
home"
Then you trust most to bewilderment and
fcar:''
NO. we don't. A good job means getting in
and out again without stirring things up. fit
comes to the worst. then the dread and fear and
confusion which we cause all help us, and some
times the more fuss there is the easier we can
get off,
How do you feel when you are alone in
house at midnight running such terrible
risks"
There, now, you have got as much nonsense
into that question as they usually do. In the
first place. midnight is not the usual hour when
house is worked. Things are not SO quiet
generally as they are two hours later. And
then. If it were midnight, what Of it? Mid
night except to cOwards is no different from
any other hour, only as it is a great deal safer
for those like us. Alone in q house? 1t Is
little shaky at times, but generally safe enough;
hnt that isn't the way a house is generally
worked. There should be two and three are
better Terrible risks? We don't think of it in
that light. There Is something always fasCi-
mating in the risk, and it isn't considered obiec-
tionable. What do we think? How do we feel?
Now. look here, there isn't much time nor occa-
sion for thinking and feeling outside the job to
be done. Your sentimental chaps don't want
to be prowling about nights on any of these
delicate 'rackets The man who is going to
stop in a bedroom Of strange house at o'clock
at night to consult his feelings had better keep
out of that bedroom. The man who proposes
to enter this profession wants to run slow on
the thinking and feeling lines, especially when
Oh duty"
How does an operator feel when he is con-
frOnted by some inmate?"
I'm the first place, he feels that something
must be done pretty ID quick Dodge 'em
If you can. but no fooling, anyhow. Do any
thing short OF killing, if necessary. The women
are the hardest to manage, except man who
can wake up cool and has his weapons handy
That is the time that tries man and puts him
on his mettle. If it comes to that it's really
desperate for somebody, but a man has no bust
ness to run such a risk unless there's big
stake. The funniest experience | ever had was
when went into a bedroom one night where
there was one man asleep. Twas at the bureau
drawers and. looking into the glass. saw him
sit bolt upright and look at me. turned pretty
quick, you may believe, but he never stirred nor
spoke. ] didn't move after turning round. but
looked at him ard he at me. | very soon saw
that he was not awake | gathered up the
swag and walked round the bed to the door
but his eyes were on me all the while. got
out of the room safely. and he never spoke nor
afterward made any disturbance. l didn't stay
much longer in that house.
How is it about the wOmen?"
They are curious. Some of them will bury
themselves under the bed-clothes. while Others
will spring at you like she tiger. A good
many will gladly let you take anything you
want II you VIII only keep away from them.
The falnting kind are the best: they are soon
laid out. The 'screechers' make the rumpus;
they are no ways reasonable. There is only one
thing to do-get out of it the easiest way pos
s;hle -