Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-03
THE MODUS OPERANDI.
EEOSN Jobs are ssPut Up, and How the
SyEag is shared.

SW0S IS SAsafe0s
From the Detroit Free Press
suppose, asked a reporter of a well known
ex-detective, that had six thousand dollars
worth OF diamonds and other jewelry stolen
from my house, how much would have to pay
the thieves or their midde-men to get the prop
erty back?'
well, there are many things connected with
the business which might suggest many different
answers"
what business?'
"The business of thieving for it is a business
and has several grades. For instance: The men
who robbed Alex Lewis and David Whitney
were not the men who did the Rolshoven work
The perpetrators of that job consider them
selves several degrees above 'porch-climbers'
who rob dwelling-hOuses. and would not even
recognize them on the streets Or elsewhere"
How do you know all this?''
IL DO not absolutely know the facts in the in
stances cited. but L form my conclusion on my
knowledge of thieves Of all classes and their
code Oh ethics safe-bTeIher is an aristocrat
when he meets porch-climber and in fact they
strive to avoid meeting or assOciatng with per-
sons any lower in thierlom than themselves
NOW TO return to the question of returning
stolen property for reward and no questions
aShe1i-what do you know OF the methods"
IN the hfst place. nine out of ten of the safe
blowMe job are put up by persons living in
the town where the work is done. They size
up the enterprise and send for some one to do
the trek who is particularly good at that kind
OF work. That some one Comes from abroad
generally. Thus it follows that there are four
persons or gangs ofpersons who know just who
does job as quickly as the news comes that it
has been done'
And who are the persons thus infOrmed?'
First. the person or persons who put up the
job; second. the fence who receives the prop
thieves
fourth. the associates of the thieves who live in
| the town they hail from, and who know that
they have left home to do work. Now. then,
all of these parties watch the papers and use
every means to keep posted in relation to each
job. and the minute any reward Is offered or any
settlement made. they clanOr for their 'whack'
and generally get it,
But suppose IA thief leaves Chicago Toledo
OF Cleveland to do a job in Detroit how do his
associates know where he has gone or what he
dOeS?"
Because they know the thief is out oftown.
and they know the kind of work he does and
his methods of working"
II see. Now how much would thief Get on
S. 600 worth of plunder?"
From forty to fifty per cent of the total
valuation. You see it's this way: The party
who puts up the job steers the thief to a
fence Well say the fence whacks up half
and-haf with the thief Then the person who
puts W the job calls on the fence for dizzy of
ID or 70 per cent of his 50 per cent, and on the
thief for like share of his half"
The statement being trife complicated the
detective prepared the following table illustrat-
ing the point:
Share received by ''feacc". ................2 $50
Snare received by Thief ...-................2 ,.J0
commission paid by .fcnce'. 500
Commission paid by thief. Observation-Disclosures. 500
job Observation-Disclosures. 1000
Profit realized by ''fcnce'' Observation-Disclosures. 1900
Profit realized by thief 1000
'Then. to satisfy the thief provided | wanted
to recover my property by paying a reward, l
should be obliged to give him the So, 600 he'd
realize on $1,000 hau:''
ION dear. no. You would be obliged to pay
fees to all the parties have mentioned. They
are all in the job and must have their 'whack'
just the same whether they restore the property
to you for reward or whether they dispose of
it to fence There would be this difference:
Considering the safety that would follow all
concerned 10y restoring the property to you and
no questions asked the 'putter up of the JOB,
the thief and the fence would consent to
smaller profits. Accordingly, on 5000 worth
of property stolen, you would be obliged to pay
81 COO to $4,000 to get it back"
but. hold on, you've left out the whack
clamored for by the associates of the thieves at
his own home"
That the thief is obliged to settle for after
he returns to his home and if he fails or refuses
TO do the square thing. then someone 'squeas'
to our police, an officer picks up the squeale
and sometimes works out the kick to conylcr
ton. But there is sometimes trouble there. TO-
a man who will blow on partner will 'settl
with that partner on the shortest notice. leavine
the officer entirely at sea and without witnesseg
or evidence &
ats sort Of dog-eat-dog occupation which
thieves engage in. isn't it?'
1T certainly is, and in the long run every dog
becomes food for some other dog"
For Love Of A Child.
A Cincinnati paper says: In pottery factory
here there is workman who had one small in
valid child at home. He wrought at his trade
with exemplary fidelity being always in the
shop with the opening of the day. He managed,
however, tObear each evening to the bedside of his
wee lad" as he called him, flower a bit of
ribbon, or fragment of crimson glass-indeed.
anything that would lie out on the white coun-
terpane and give color to the room. He was
quiet, unsentimental man. but never went
home at night without something that would
make the wan face light up with joy at his re-
turn. He never said to living soul that he
loved that boy so much Still he went on pa
tiently loving him, and by and by he moved that
whole shop into positively real but unconscious
fellowship with him. The wOrkmen made curl
Gus little jars and cups upon their wheels, and
painted dnnutive pictures down their sides
before they stuck them in the corners Of the
kiln at burning time. One brought some
fruit in the bulge OF his apron. and another en-
cravings in a rude scrap-book. Not one Of
them whispered a word, for this solemn thing
was not to be talked about. They put them in
the old mans hat. where he found them; he I'M
derstood all about it. and, believe it or not.
cyncs, as you Will, but it is a fact that the en-
tire pottery full of men Ofrather coarse fiber by
nature, grew quiet as the months drifted. be-
coming gentle and kind, and some dropped
swearing as the weary look on the patient fell
lOwwOrker's face told them beyond mistake
that the inevitable shadow was drawing nearer
Every day now some one did piece of work
for him and put it on the sanded plank to dry
so that he could come later and 90 earlier. So,
when the bell tOlled and the little coffin came
out of the lOwly door, right around the corner
out of sight there stood 100 stalwart working
men from the pottery with their clean clothes
on. most OF whom gave a half days time for
the privilege of taking part in the simple pro-
cessiOn and following to the grave that small
burden of a CHILD which probably not one had
ever seen
Come Near.
Come near to me. need Thy UlOriOuS DrpSapca