Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-08-06

pleasant slgnt, anu LOT tne most par
have not even notoriety to recommend
them. One of them, however, big
heavy head. ticketed as that of "John
Platts''-executed in 1S47 for the muir.
der of one George Coils. of Chesterfield
acquires Fictitious interest from the
fact that the identical rope which
hanged the original is looped over the
gas pendant in the center of the room.
The halters connected with the other
casts are also preserved in the museum,
but this one chances to have the place
of honor The curator calls our atten.
ton to the thinness of the rope-aboui
five eighths of an inch Only-in compar'
ison with that at present used, which is
nearly or quite an inch in diameter.
He further points out that the rope is
much shorter than that now in use.
Under the old regime it was an even
chance whether the criminal died by
strangiing or by d,slocation of the neck
whereas. by the present more merciful
''long drop the neck is invariably dis
located, and death is practically inStan-
taneous. Together with the halter are
seen the cords Snow replaced by a
leather strap--for p.nioning the arms
OF the condemned man, and the cap
tall conical affair like large cotton
night-cap. but of double material-for
drawing over his heal at the supreme
moment. These tire items, the halter.
the pinioning gear and til. cap. c,nsti-
tute the complete "hangmau's kit.
Sergeant Bradshaw informs Us. not with
out a touch of regret. that Mr.. Mar
wood. on paving his last visit to the
Museum, promised to present to it the
ropes with which the murderers of Lord
Frederick Cavendish and Mr.. Burke
were executed, bot died without having
redeemed his promise.
From the appliances of the hangman.
we pass by an easy transition TO the
last relics of the late Mr.. Charles Peace.
which rank among the chief lions of the
collection. Sergeant Bradshaw shows
us. handling them ''tenderly, as if he
loved them the working tools of the
venerable miscreant; the neat little
nicIlocks and skeleton-keys; the gimlet,
muflied in an India-rubbcr casing; the
handy little Jenny" the crucble for
melting down his spols; and last, but
not least. his ladder" a simple wood
en- contrivance. folding into so small, a
compass as to go into an ordinary
handbag. and yet. when extended. af-
fording ample foothold for the cat-like
prince OF burglars" as he is called, to
climb up to a first-floor window. So
original is the contrivance that until
pnono bincolf rayo,la1 ;fs oh;aot fbo
police were quite at a loss to imagine
its use. Here. too, are the inventors
blue spectacles and his artificial arm
a leather stump with hook in it
worn for the purpose of Disguise, the
real arm lying snugly within the coat.
The secret of Peace having so long kept
out of the hands of the police is that
he had no accOmplices, but worked en-
tirely alone. Under cover of his dis
guise he collected the necessary infor-
nation for his exploits; and after some
daring burglary, wherein the activity of
apracticed gymnast had been displayed,
the last person to be suspected was the
little One-armed old man with the blue
spectacles. Wonderful are the ways of
hero worShipers. Some eccentric
relic-hunter has actually cut piece out
OF the artificial arm, and in some OBJ
scure corner of the universe doubtless
dazzles his kinsfolk and acquaintance
by the exhib on of a veritable bit of
leather formerly belonging to a deceased
burglar and murderer. The reader may
that Peace. after having es-
capped the consequences of many pre-
vious crimes. was convicted of attempt
ing the life of policeman, and of the
actual murder of a Mr. Dyson, at Ban
near Sheffield. and after a de-
termned attempt to escape by jumping
from a railway train. was executed at
Leeds on the 18th of February. 1879. A
carte de cisile of Peace, taken by the
Stereoscopic Company. is preserved in
the catalogue, and should be valuable
example to the student of phys.ognomy:
the high forehead. deep-set eyes and
bulldog lower jaw indicating singular
combinatiOn-fully verified in the life
of the man-of strong intellectual pow
er and force of will. unbalanced by cor
moral qualities.
From the Peace collection we pass to
the StOck-n-trad of less notorious burg
lars. Here is miniature dark lantern.
by some ingenious
scoundrel out of one of BRYANT &
Mays three-penny tin match-boxes.
40 such base uses NAV we
come at LAST The bulls eve is a
mere bit of window glass. oval
in shape, and so small that the opera
tor can. when necessary. mask it with
his thumb. no slide being used. The
light giving power of such lantern
must naturally be small. but it is prob
ably quite sufficient to enable the burg
lar to avoid stumbling over tables and
chairs or to illuminate a key-hole
Here are the working tools of Wright
and Wheatley. the Howton burglars.
now undergoing penal servitude. Wright
being condemned for life. Wheatley for
twenty years. Each carried revolver;
that belonged to Wright. with which he
shot at and wounded two of the police.
being stamped British Constabulary.
4 queer illustration of the irony of fate.
and of the proverb;al engineer no st
with his own petard." Each of these
practitioners carried his tools in q sort
haversack slung at his side. A later
expert. captured in the act of an at
tempted burglary at the British Mu-
scum in 1884. took holder course, ana
carried his implements-also here pre-
'erved-in an ordinary carpenters tool
basket, over his shoulder. This gen
leman affected the early morning for
lis explo Is, and unless caught in the
'ery act. would naturally be taken for
! harmless British workman going
lbOut his lawful vocation.
As might perhaps be anticipated. we
ind here an ample collection of crow
bars or ''jemmies' of various deScrip- |
ions. These formidable appliances are |