, 1885-07-17
lloHr ON 4 DARK suaIgeT.
Tho Busy burglar and His Tosis-I Hts I'M
genious Methods Of Work,

genioua Methods of Work
Chicago Herald 2
eve we're talking of Patsey Cody, the
notorious safe blower, said the police
lieutenant, "He was one of tie most
powerful crooks in the country. The
Pinkertons had him in court once 20 ex-
plain his methods. and there Patsey pro-
duccd a brace with which he pulled off
the combination knob, smashed the com-
bination itself, broke the safe door han
die aud forced the door oil its hinges.
breaking the latter-all in three minutes.
But then, Patscy was an expert, and in
those days there was not a bank vault
in the country that he couldn't tackle
successfully after he once got to it,
Then the lieutenant launched forth
into Il highly interesting essay on burg
lar tools, calculating his deductions
with Off-hand drawings of the more
prominent tools made, on the leaves of
the reporters notebook. These draw
ings were made in the same manner a
an freshman plays the fiddle-by main
strength, but they filled the bill.
Complete kits OF burglars tools are a
curiosity nowadays, at least as far as
Chicago crooks are concerned. There
are no housobreakers at present who
are proficient in all branches Of the
'profesh. The modern principle of
the division of labor applies TO burglars
as well as to other workers. The finest
tools still come from England Shelf
field, Birmingham and Wolverhampton
being noted in this line. Simpler APP
pliancos, such as skeleton keys, are fro-
quently made by the burglar himself,
but the heavier tools require exquisite
workmanship and first-cIass material.
The ordinary kit means a 'darkey,"
a small dark lantern; silent matches,
wax tapers, a ''meddy, or slung shot,
falsely called n life-preserver, because
more lives are taken with it than pre-
served a strong pruning knife for the
cutting away of wood in door panels. a
thin and plant palette knife for the n
clasping of window catches, a jimmy,
skeleton keys, ends of wire to lift lock
tumblers, brace and bits, and nippers
for the turning Of keys that hayo been
left in the locks. The outfit Is only or
the ordinary work. The ingenuity with
which the professional burglar meets al
most any eontriyance provided by in
vention for the safety Of valuables fur
nishes him with novel tools.
First of all there is the improved
jimmy. The largest size, up'to tive feet,
and provided with fulcrum and lever, is
only used on great occasions, such as
the forcing OF n vault door or a safe.
London burglars call this formidable
appliance the Lord Mayor" From this
size down to the pocket jimmy all di-
mansions are encountered. The larger
81 es are usually of the extension pat
tern-that is, they are divided into two
or three lengths, which are screwed to-
gether when required for use. Some
are solid and some of tubular steel, the
latter requiring the finest workmanship.
The brace and bit is the completest
tool in the burglars outfit. Made of
the finest steel. the bit p%enetrates the
heaviest safe door if necessary. but usu-
ally the holes are drilled only deep
enough around the combination to re-
ceive the charges of giant powder or
nitro glycerine, by mean of which tho
combination is blown to atoms. After
that the jimmy finishes the breaking
open Of the doors. The explosive is
nicely distributed through the mechan-
ism of the combination by means of a
small funnel made from tin, through
which the operator blows. If explosion
is too dangerous on account of the noise
the combination knob is knocked off by
a few blows of a mailet upon a 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 a steel
punch. The outer door can then DO
opened by simply turning the handle.
The 'nippers Is another very elegant
tnnl mead in mana xukaro .anHla ho1f,ro
themselves sufficiently protected by
leaving the key in the lock. Nippers,
formed somewhat like a bullet-mold,
with sharpened prongs and q receptacle
under the cutters, are used by pick
pockets to clip off diamonds, or other
gems. The cutters clip the Jewel oil
close to the pin, which remains in the
shirt or scarf, while the stone drops
into the pocket of the nippers. Win
dow fasteners are unclasped and spring
locks opened by the palette knife, which
is formed somewhat like an apotheca-
ry's spatula 1t is of plant steel so
thin that it is easily showed through the
smallest crack. .e.ret no.
Besides these tools there is a variety
Of saws, mostly made from watch
springs, ends Of wire, ohisels. hammers,
anu anger ullS n OutnJ depends on
the fact whether tho crooks Jumps a
crib" /. G., enters through a window;
breaks a cribs" that is, forces the
door; " CRATES a crib" lots himself
in through the cellar grating, or gar
rets a crib, which means that he enters
the building through the scuttle in the
roof. The '%'scuttle worker is always
provided with a rope ladder Of
MANILA hemp, the rungs being
of stout iron slaves. Strong steel
hooks arc 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 latter taut
and at the same time hold it off from
the wall. NerandAh climbers keep a
knotted rope, with n steel hook, to
faston the latter by a dextrous throw to
a window frame, shutter or other suit
able hold. II is by no means a strange
occurrence that scuttle workers climb
from roof to roof in a row of houses, thus
evading the risk of being seen or met by
the officer who natrnla his haot halouy