The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-07-29
BURGLARS, KITS.
Improved Fine Tools Which no House,
breaker should be Without.

The finest tools still come from England
Sheffield, Birmingham, and wolverhamp.
ton being noted in this line Simpler appli.
ances, such as skeleton keys, are made by
the burglar himself, but the heavier tools
require exquisite workmanship and first
class material.
The ordinary kit means small dark lam
tern, silent matches, wax tapers, q slung-
shot, falsely called life-preseryer, because
more lives are taken with it than preserved !;
q strong pruning knife for cutting away OF
wood in door panels, thin and plant
palette knife for the unclasping of window
catches, jimmy, skeleton keys, ends OF
wire to lift lock tumblers, brace and bits,
and nippers for the turning of keys that
have been left in the locks.
This outfit is only for the ordinary work
The ingenuity with which the professional
burglar meets almost any contrivance pro-
yided by invention for the safety of valua-
bles furnishes him with novel tools.
First of all there is the improved jimmy.
The largest size, up to five feet, and proyid-
ed with fulcrum and lever, is only used on
great occasions, such rs the forcing of a
yanlt door or safe. London burglars call
this formidable appliance the Lord May.
or" From this size down to the pocket
jimmy all dimensions are encountered. The
larger sizes are usually of the extension pat
tern-that is, they are divided into two OF
three lengths, which are screwed solid and
some are of tubular steel, the latter requir-
ing the finest workmanship.
The brace and bit is the completest tool
in the burglars outfit. Made of the finest
steel, the bit penetrates the heaviest safe
door If necessary, but usually the holes are
drilled only deep enough around the COM
bination to receive the charges of giant pow
der or nitroglycerine, by means of which
bhe combination is blown to atoms After
hat the jimmy finishes the breaking open
of the doors. The explosive is nicely dis
tributed through the mechanism of the COM
bination by means of small funnel made
from tin, through which the operator blows
If the explosion is too dangerous on account
of the noise, the combination knob is
knocked of by a few blows of mallet upon
q fine cold chisel. A hole is bored by means
of bit and brace, and through the hole the
combination which holds the bolts is driven
back by means of steel punch. The outer
door can then be opened by turning the
handle.
The panel cutter resembles an ordinary
.arpe nter's auger, but the bit is of the ex.
tension kind, from two to four inches wide.
This makes hole of from four to eight
inches near the lock. The arm is put
through, and lock and bolt are then easily
maninulnted.
The nippers is another very elegant tool,
used in cases where people believe them
selves sufficiently protected by leaving the
key in the lock. Nippers, formed some
what like n bullet mould, with sharpened
prongs and receptacle under the cutters, are
used by pickpockets to clip off diamonds or
other gems. The cutters clip the jewel of
close to the pin, which remains in the shirt
Or scarf, while the stone drops into the peck
at of the nippers.
Window fasteners are unclasped an6
spring locks opened by the palette knife,
which is formed somewhat like an apothe.
cary's spatula. 1t is Of plant steel, so thin
that it is easily showed through the smallest
crack.
Besides these tools, there is variety Of
saws, mostly made from watch springs, ends
of wire, chisels, hammers, and auger bits.
The outfit depends on the fact whether a
crook Jumps crib" I, e., enters through
window; +" breaks crib that is, forces
the door; "grates crib" or lets himself
in through celler grating, or g garrets a
crib" which means that he enters the build
ing through the scuttle in the roof. The
scuttle worker is always provided with a
rope ladder Of manila hemp, the rungs be-
ing OF stout iron slaves Strong steel hooks
are provided for fastening the top of the
ladder to window stills or the caves of the
roof, and sand bags are fastened below to
keep the ladder taut, and at the same
time hold it off from the wall. Veranda
climbers keep knotted rope, with a steel
hook, to fasten the latter by q dextrous
throw to o window frame, shutter, or oths 7
suitable hold. 1t is by no means a strange
occurrence that scuttle workers climb from
roof to roof in row Of houses thus eyad-
ing the risk of being seen or met by the
officer who patrols his beat below. - Chicago
Herald