River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-02-07
A BURGLARS CHAT.


The Enterprising Housebreaker and
His VictIms-Side Lights on Dark
art.
From the Boston Herald.
Never XIII a man save in self defense;
Jet caught rather than drop man. was
he prudent motto ola celebrated cracks
nan. 1T is only the tyro of the bung-
er who flourishes revolyers and quickly
appeals to the bludgeon."
What is the prime quality in your
Ousiness?"
"Nerve-nothing else"
'What is the best method?'
"Boldness. Many a job have I done
right before the eyes Of the people; done
it as though it was the regular thing aEd
was Just where ought to be. l have
lad my pal takira things out of a house
when a couple G cops were walking by,
and stood with a pencil in NV hand
keeping tally ofthe things. They thought
Ii wasal right, as I looked right at them.
tell you fellow wants to keep perfect
~ cool and know what he is doing and
what he is going to do every time.
1.-The right kind of men are somehow
lacking. They are either too timid or
TOO rough. 1t wants fine man, real
Damascus blade, to doaneat job. There
are plenty Of opportunities, If there
were only the men 10 ill them. But
was speaking OF chances. The people
are asleep; you are awake. They are
tImid; you are perfectly cool. You
know inst what to do. You know Jast
what they will do il they wake up
They don't know how many are IN the
house, uor where Won are. Most people
are czwards in the night. Without any
odds you could ret the bestOi them, but
in the night, with the usbear and the
reality OF a burglar III the house-and
they have spent all the years OF theIr
lives in working up o dreadful fellow IN
their imaginati0ns-iu such plight, q
mans house is like foreign land to
rim, and he is a perfect stranger to the
situation in his own home"
''Then you trust most to beTiider-
ment and iear2'
"No, we don't. 4 good job means
getting in and out again without stirring
things up. Il it comes 10 the worst,
then the dread and fear and con 'uslOn
which we cause all help US, and some
times the more fuss there IS the easier
we can get of.
GLOW do YOU feel when you are alone
in a house at midnight running such
terrible risks?"
There, now, y0u have got as much non
sense 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 la.er. And tuen, II II
were midnight, what of I2 Midnight
expect to towards, IS no different from
any other hour, only is it is q great deal
safer for those ike us. Alone in 6
house2 II Is q little shaky at times, but
generally safe enough: but that isn't the
way q houGc IS generally worked
There should ne two, and three are
better. Terrible risas? We don't think
of il in that light. There is something
always fascina inI in tie risk, and 1t
isn't considered Objectionable. What
do we think? How Go we teef Now
look here, there isn't uuCh time nor
occasion Ger thinking and feeling outside
the Job to he done. Your sentimental
chass don't want to be proving about
nights on any of these delicate 'rackets.
The man who is going to stop II Ted
room OF q strange house at &c 0ck a
night to consult his feelings bad better
keep out OF that bedroom. The mar
who proposes to enter this profession
wants 10 run slow on the thinking and
feeling lines, especlally when on duty.
Chow does an operator feel when be
is confronted by some inmater"
"In the first place, he feels that soma
thing must be done pretty ID quick
Dodge 'em if you can, but no toollng
anyhow Do anything short of kill
ing, if necessary. The WomeI
are the hardest to manage, except maj
who can wake up cool ana has his weap
ons handy. That IS the time that triei
a man and puts him on his mettle. iii
comes to that it's really desperate TO
somebody, but man has no business t.
run the risk unless there's big stake
The funniest experience ! ever had wa
when / went into bedroom one nigh
where there was one man asleep. wa
at the bureau drawers, and, looking III
to the glass, I saw him sit bolt uprigh
and look ct me. / turned pretty quick
you may believe, but he never stirred
nor spoke. / didn't move after turning
round, but looked at him and lie at me
/ very soon saw that ne was not awak
/ gathered up the swag and walked
round the bed to the door, but his eye
were on me all the 1fhile. got out o
the room "a ely, and he never spok,
nor alterward made any disturbance.
didn't stay much longer in that house.
"How is it about the womon"
"They are curious. Some of then
will bury themselves under the bed
clothes, while others will spring at yol
like she tiger. a good many will glad
iy let you take any thing yoG want
you will only keep away ron them
The faintiDg kind are the BEST they
are soon laid out, the 'screechers' max
the ri mpus they are no WAYS reason
able. Their is ouly one thing to do
get out of it the easiest way possible