Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-04-18
A BURGLARS CHAT.
Morals and Methods oe an EntorpriS.
ing Hou5ebreaker.
The Sentimental Side or the Subject
.--SOmr Queer Experiences
in the Dark
Art.
TRoston Herald.


"Ncver Kill a man SlVs i'll self defense; get
caught rather than dropa man. was the
prudent mott, of a celebrated brakeman.
al; is only TIE tyro or the hunSler who flour
ishes revolvers AMI quickly appeals to the
bu'gcon.'
"Wha is the prime quality in your bust
nesst'
"Nerve-nothin, else
"What is the b.'St nethod:'
"B,l inesS Many Il job have l done right
before thu eyes Of people; done it just as
Though il was the regular thing, AMI was
Just where | ought to br. have had my pal
taking things ont of house when n couple of
cops were walking bv, AMI | stood with
pencil in my hand keeping tally of tho things.
They thought it WAS all right, as locke |
right at them. tel you person wants to
Keep perfectly cool, AMI know what he is
doing, AMI what lie is going to do, every
timr
"Thc ri,h kind OF mon are somehow lack
in-. hey an, either too timid or too rough.
Ii wants n fine man, a real Damascus bla -,
t. do II feat job. There are plenty of oppor-
tunites, il th,re were only the men to fill
them But was speaking 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, bat III the nj sht, with the bugbear and
the r.aiity of burglar in the house-anl
| they have spent all the years of their lives in
working up "A dreadful fellow in their mag
nations in such Il plight, mans house is
like Il foreign land 10 him, ami he is n perfect
stranger 10 the situation in his own home"
"rhen y" trust most to b.wilderment and
fear!"
"No. we don't. A good job means getting
in and out again without stirring things up. Ii
| it comes To the worst, then the drea and fear
and confusion which we cause all help US,
AMI sometimes tho more fuss there is the
easier we can get off"
How do you feel when you are alone in a
house at midnight running such terrible
risks!'
There, now, you have got az much non
sense into that question a. they usually do.
In the first place, midnight is not the usual
| hour when house il worked. Things are
not SO quiet generally as they arc two hours
later And then, if it were midnight,
what of III Midnight, except t. towards,
is not different from any other hour, only
as it is a great deal safer for those like
us. Alone in a housed 1t is little
shaky at times, but generally safe
enough; bit that isn't the way house is gen
orally worked. There shout be two, and
three are better. Terrible risksi We don't
think Of it in that light. There is something
always fascinating in the risk. and 1t isn't
considered objectionable. w a. do We think
How do we feeli Now, look here, there isn't
much time nor occasion for thinking and
feeling outside the job To b, done. Your sen
timental chaps don't want to be providing
about nights ON any Of these delicate race
cts The man who Is going to stop in bed
room Of a strange house n; , o'clock at night
to consult his feelings had ,tter keep out Of
that bedroom. The man who propc Sun to en-.
ter this profession waits to run slow on the
thinking AMI feeling line, especially when on
duty"
| "How does an operator fe,t wheI he Is con
frontcd by some inmatei'
"In the first place, he feels that something
must be done pretty ID quick Dhge 'em
if You can, but no foolins. anyhow. Do any
thing short Of kiIlin., il necessary. The
| women are the hardest to manage, except a
man who can wake up COO. and has his
weapons handy. That is the time that tries a
man and puts him on his mettie II it comes
to that, it's really despera. for sonebo ly,
but man has no business t., run such risk
unless there's a big stake The funniest ex-
perience ever had was when l went into a
bedroom one night where thsre WAS one
man asleep. was at the bureau drawers,
and, looking iuto the glass, l saw
him sit bold upright and look at ine.
turned pretty quick, yon may believe, but he
never stirred nor spoke didn't move after
turning rouni, but looked at him ami he at
me. very soon saw that he was not awake.
gath red up the swag and walked around
the bel to the door, but his eyes were on ne
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 til, wome1P
They are curious. Spms OF them will
bury themselve, under the belciothes, while
Others will spring at you ike a she tiger A
good many will gladly let You take anything
you want il you will only keep away from
them. The fainting kini are tho best; they
are soon laid out Tho 'screechers' make
the ruInpus; they are no ways reasona bic.
There is only one thing to do-g,t out of it
the easiest way possible"