West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-06-26
BURGLARY.
Tho oyio That Prevails In tho CITY oi
milwaukee,.

milwaukee,.
"Litcratulc," said Mr.. Howclls in
an article that raised a hubbub i'm En-.
gland, "has become finer art i'm our
day than il was with Dickens and
Thackcray.' Tho Same may bo said
of burglary IL Is TO bc regretted that
the good name of the profession of
houscbrcaking has suffered considerably
in the estimation of all persons whose
opinion is worth having because of Ger
tain accompanying acts that appeared
to border ON violence Rightly or
wrongly, kind of odium attached IL
self to that arduous calling to such an
extent that thoughtful parents hcsitatod
about advising their sons 10 enter on an
undertaking that has been looked upon
aS tolorably lucrative. Thorc l. no
other profession that offer such ad-
vantagcs in the way of coll ,cting val
uable bric-a-brac and articles of un.
doubted usefulness rs the profession OF
burglary. This of itself would make
the business one congcnial TO the cult
waited mind; yet, strange as il may APP
pear, II Is stated on good authority that
burglars are not admitted iuto the best
society In Boston or New J ork unless
they come i'm 10y the usual business en-
trance of an unlocked door or pricd-
open window.
Thus many of our hes, young mon
are deferred from entering \ profession
which affords tremendous advantages
20 the skilliul and ingoniou'. simply bo-
cause of the social drawbacks that such
choice of occupation involves. IL may
he said that the night-work nccessitatod
and the personal danger attendant on
diligcnt prosecution of this industry
has much TO do with its nogloct 10 Is
held, Tor instance, that the law affords
equal and somewhat similar oppor-
tunitics, aud that the law is profess or
that can b. followed by daylight, and
that the risk of cncountcring stray par
ticles OF lead Is not so grcnt rs i'm the
kindred pursuit of burglary. Still.
lawyers are under no social ban, and
30. until recently, law has been pre-
icrrod to burglary.
The reason for the ill-odOr of burg
larry l. not far to seek Burglars have
boon too lax in the observance of those
little acts OF politonoss and courtesy
that so largely tend to soften human
intercourse. Tho new school of burg
larry will do much to change this order
OF things. At present this improved
method is being tried with great sue
cess in Milwaukee. Tho case of MIR.
Ray has already been referred TO in
these columns, and since then the telo-
graph brings the account of another
burglary in the same city whore the
burglar maintained dCmeanor of tho
utmost politencss towards lis client.
lie went on Che principle thaL I'm sman
affairs like these The expression, II you
please, a particularly gentlemanly tone
implantS, and no doubt so thought
the sisters and the cousins and the
aunts OF the Milwaukee man whose
house was being invcntoried at the time.
Instead OF putting the muzzlo Of a pistol
to mans ear, and flashing dark
lantern under his nose, the burglar of
the future will gently wake the man of
the house and say 10 him:
Excuse me, sir, for troubling you,
but the fact Is that / am looking for
some little things here and am rather
unacquaintod with the lay OF the house. 4"
Tie man being suddenly awakened
may so far forget himself ~ TO make
remarks that in cooler moments he
would regret, but these the polished
burglar w il take no notice Of
Excuse my seeming inquisitivc-
ness" he will remark, blandly, but
would you be so kind a. 10 inform mo
where you keep your cashP'
Thus the necessary business pertain
ing TO visit of this kind can be trans
acted with dccorum and pleasure TO
both parties.
IL is not too much TO hope that i'm the
near future the occupation Of burglary
may bo so systomatlzcd that every burg
lar will have certain number Of clients
and that the pol test burglar will have
tho greatest number BY strict atten-
ton TO business and by respectful treat
mcnt burglar may amass large
amount Of wealth As he rolls past in
hi carriage admiring friends will say:
There goes De Winton. who has the
burglary monopoly on somc Of the
finest houses on Woodward avenue. 4"
The system may be extended so that
one burglar will have the profo siOnal
etiquette not TO encrOach on another s
territory. II by mistake he enters "a
house out Of his bailiwck, the prOpric-
tor will merely say: "Bcg your pardon.
but De WintOn does all INV BURGLARY I"
and the intruder, with prOfusc apollo
gicS, VIII at once withdraw
The effect Of the ncW school Of burg
larry ON the professional i'm general
ought to be very great and it is muck
10 the credit Of q small Western town
like Milwaukee that the ethics of that
important branch Of industry should
have been first put into practice there.
- IJolyo5y Elygo U.l..