St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1883-03-10
THE BURGLAR AND HIS
METHODS.

The methods of the American
thief are very comprehensive and
skillful; more SO than are those OF
the profession. for such has thiev-
ing become, of other countries. It
is commonly acknowledged among
the first police officers in the world
that, for fine job, the American
thief is far ahead of the other ma
tions. Why should they be? That
is somewhat of mystery, unless to
the training he has received under
the tutelage of the best English
thieves, he adds the peculiar daring,
GOODNESS, cunning and skill that
seem to be inherent in the fully de-
veloped American; but no matter
for what reason. the fact remains
unchallenged that he stands at the
head of the craft. A consideration
of his ways, gentle and otherwise,
will be interesting to read. He is
divided into many families, but first
and foremost among thieves is the
bank burglar, or "high tobyman."
He is the ''king-bee" in the crimi-
nal hive, and affects to be gentle
man, when not engaged on clay"
The history of nearly every largo
and wealthy city abounds in. in
stances of the bank robbers daring
roguery. He comes and leaves mys-
teriousiy, and his presence would
not have been felt had he not left a
"kit" of beautiful tools beside a
wrecked safe or bank vault, and
taken in exchange greenbacks and
bonds that may be thousands, but
more often is millions. This, in his
peculiarly sportive moments, lie
might term fair exchange. and
does; but no amount of sportive wit
can persuade the bank officers into
thus regarding the visit.
Bank burglars are not in the
habit of working alone. They gen.
orally travel in gangs and have at
their beck and call crowd of con-
federates - capitalists, layers-out
and go-betweens. The frst-named
''stake" the cracksman when he is
broke, furnish the funds for his ex-
pediticns. and when he is in trouble
look generally to his interests. The
layer-out Is the brsins of the gang,
plans its expeditions, often furnish
es the funds, and after a success,
shares the spoils. The go-between
is he who acts as agent for the re-
turn of non-eligible bonds or Sc
curities of any kind, for. although |
these papers have no real value to |
the burglars, the bank people are |
pinched by the same wise, aud be-
tween the two inconvenience both
are willing to sacrifice something
in the interest o! harmony and the
iest. Bank burglars tools are gen.
orally of a very superior order,
gathered with care and by piece
meal until the kit is made up. A
full kit of the best order is worth
$4,000. This may all go in the
event of a failure of a job by dis.
turbance, and generally does go
when a successful piece of work is
accomplished, as the booty is heavy
to carry away in itself, SO
the tools are left behind. Mechan-
les Of superior class exist in the
larger cities, who make speciality
of fashioning burglars tools. In
the absence of such o mechanic the
tools are collected in parts, but this
is q risky way of obtaining them,
and is avoided If possible.
Kits of the tobymar's tools are
kept on hand for hire, and a good
can be obtained in the
centers of the business for from
500 to 5000. These tool-renters
are generally tool-makers also, but
often the "fence" has them on
hand, and it is part of the business
Of the old cracksman to keep them.
Fifty per cent. of the noted bur-
glars are practical smiths, and they
thoroughly understand the temper
and capacity of their own tools.
Sometimes a gang. each owning i'm
plements of different kinds, pool
their possessions. and thus make up
q full exit" The tool-makers have
their speciaities. Some are famous
for chisels. others for punches and
iimmies. and one maker has made
a national reputation for sls6r.
of lead and copper that has 80
ly superseded that .forPp
noiseless, blow il x
The lat
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