Connecticut western news., 1885-08-19
A REMARKABLE BURGLAR
The Career of a Talented Safe
 Opener in America.
Picking the Lock of Every Cell in the
 Prison Where He was Confined.

sr asked:
 "Do you think that expert mechan- les in the safe trade are ever in league with criminals ?"
 "There are black sheep in every business" was the reply, "but if there are any they are very few indeed. h our business it pays skilled locksmith better to keep honest than to go astray, taking the risk which he necessarily runs into consideration. The pay is not only good but the chance of re- ward for giving a job away is consid- erable. I believe that men who be- come professional criminals take to that mode of life from choice rather than from the necessity. I think 1t is largely in the blood. Of all trades none pay better wages to skilled labor than ours. Competition is keen and brains command good figure"
 "How much will a combination Iocksmith earn?"
 "Al the ways from $25 to $40 week, not to speak of certain fees which they have the opportunity of receiving. In my experience of men In this business find that the majori- ty of those whom we consider shady are almost invariably foreigners. The case of August Kindt, the Belgian bank burglar, offers the most conspic- tous illustration. That man is gen jus; thoroughly we'll educated, speaks several languages and might, had he been so disposed, have accumulated a fortune. But crime seems to have an irresistible fascination"
 Detective Jackson of Sing Sing told the writer the following particulars in regard to Kindt:
 Do I know him? I should say I do, as well as any burglar in this coun- try, and far better than many. Kindt came from Belgium some seven years ago, and obtained employment in watch case factory in Jersey City. While there he invented sever. al improvements in tools, and was rapidly promoted in the shop. Three or four weeks after his arrival several bars of silver were missing from the managers safe. The door was found locked, and there was only two men who had the combination, the princi- pal and the manager, neither of whom suspected Kindt. A close watch was set, and one day it was discovered that Kindt on coming to the shop had some silver filling on his clothes. The workmen were in the habit of chang ing their clothing both on coming to and departing from work. The above aroused suspicion, and strict watch was set on Kindt's house. More bars were stolen, not twithstanding the com bination was changed, and it was f.
  A close search was made, but nothing was discovered, until one of the detec- tives in leaping on window-sill missed his footing, and in trying to save himself from falling grabbed hold of the sill, the top of which gave way. The space below was almost filled up with silver in various shapes, watch cases, bars and nuggets.
 ''Kindt was arrested, but subse- quently succeeded in escaping to Mon- treal. There he disguised himself, changed his name and went to work in machine shop, and might have done well. In few months, however, he was concerned in burglary on Notre Dame street. Part of the booty was found at his house, and he was arrested, tried and sentenced to i'm prisonment in the St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary.
 "He sets his wits to work and soon attracted the attention of the prison officials by his remarkable indication of talent One day he requested all interview with the Warden. He ob- tained it.
 "'Warden,' he said, this prison is unsafe ----
 "I guess it'll hold you securely enough replied that official, grimly.
 'If you'll give me chance" retort- ed Kindt, Pll show you that I car pick every lock in the building, safe cells and alL'
 "The Warden had heard and seen much of his prisoner, but for this rev, elation he was totally unprepared
 "In give you chance A time was agreed upon, and sure enough Kindt picked every cell lock as easily as though it had been made of paper The authorities were startled ana alarmed. Kindt kept cool and asked for the use of some paper and pencil
 "'What for?' replied the warden.
 "'To draw plan of lock that Is tt be the best lock ever fitted into pris on door The paper and pencil wer, furnished him, and the result wal that he produced plan by which through the working of series O levers from central action, all tn, cells on single tier could be opened or closed simultaneously. His plar was adopted, and in short time h. made an improvement on 1t by whicl any one lock could be operated at will without affecting the essential feature of the invention.
 "At the close of his term Kindt wa