New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-03
INSPECTOR BYRNESs BOOK.
CRIMINALS AND THEIR WAYS OF WORKING.

EXTRACTS FROM TUE WORE
Every class OF society feels ntes estmore less
morbd-tn the strange phnscs Of criminal life which
unfold themselve, In great city like New-York-
While this interest Is capable of being exploited tor
selfish ends by tho writer Of sensational tales 10 offers
legitimate field for the author who seeks to interest
his readers while be puts them their guard against
the methods of the criminal classes that flourish
every hand. Thomas Byrnes, Inspector of Police and
Chief OF Detectives has had this object In view in the
preparation of his work, Professional Criminals OF
America" Inspector Byrnes has attempted to de-
SCRIBE for public information, the various classes of
criminals and how they work. This is supplemented
by short sketches of the most notorious criminals IN
each group. To the eye OF experienced police OH
cia the work of a clever forger safe burglar s as
characteristic the style of weknown author to
competent critic Hence Inspector Byrness book will
be to the police what literary dictionary Is 10 the
student But one of the chief aims of the work Is to
protect the public This object is admirably accom-
pshed by the introduction of helotype reproductions
of the features OF the most notorious criminals they
appear in the Rogues' Gallery at Police Headquart
ers The value OF these portraits the public may
be judged by the CONSERVATION which their publica
ton spreads among the criminal class notorious
thief who had returned to the country after sojourn
OF several years abroad said to the Inspector the
other day;
al hear that you are going to publish book, In
spectorr
Yes it win be out soon.7
@Will you have all the mugs in IL n
o Every mans"
sBlankety blank, is that sol Well, man. had
better get all the money he wants before that book
out. Afterwsrd he'll be too well known"
The Inspectors style is simple and direct, while
many Of the facts of which he has been obliged to
make record read like a romance of Emile GabOriau.
Twenty -three years experience in the Police Depart
ment Of NewYork furnishes material Of more startling
interest than all the tights OF imagination OF the writer
OF fiction.
The book will soon be issued from the press of Cas-
sell & Co., of New-York. The introduction has been
written by Recorder Smyth who says he has doubt
that the work will prove important medium in
the prevention and detection OF crime"
HOW BANK SAFES ARE BROKEN OPEN.
Some extracts from Mr.. Byrpess book will show
how he the various classes OF crime and OF Grim
mails Bank burglars, for instance, those adepts with
the acllscrew and the drag" treated Of in
special chapter Here are some OF the Inspectors
| comments uTOn their methods
Some burglars make their own outfit, but almost any
blacksmith will ms Ike any tool he called upon ,or
ts construction is within his capacity without asking
any questions about the to which is to he put
provided he gets his price for it, 1t 49, of course more
than probable that he guesses the use Tor which 1t IS
intended, but that, be thinks is not his business
The making of such implements IL, ~ rule cOnfncd
to those mechanics who are actually IN lea2ne with
the criminals who expect TO use them lie heaVy
and unwiedv tools Of years ago have been abandoned
hv tho mode o bank robber with his inventions.
While bank thieves use the spirit lamp and
blow-pipo to soften the hardened metals and take the
temper Of the steel vault doors cases. others use
only small diamond pointed drill Then again
Others who do not care 10 spend time manipulating
the intricate combnation, use simple sort OF mechan,
les, technically called the drag ana lackscreW
The former simple az It looks is extremely powerful
and uuiet BY OF a bit hole is bored through
a safe door a nut is set inside the point OF the
screw asses through the nut which rests inside the
surface that has been bored then the screw s
turned by a long handle which two men can operate.
Az the turns, the nut Is forced forward further
and further. 1t ia power that hardly any construc-
ton of safe can resist Either the back or the front
must give way.
will nolseessy force into the crack OF safe door
succession of steel wedges fret. ono rs thin as
knife b ade soon one as thick a. your hand and
they increase In size until the hinges give way.
Where the size the location OF the safe or vault to
be forced precludes the nse OF these machines, and
| exnlosion becomes necessary. dynamite and nitro
glycerine used with the greatest skill and with such
art in the deadeuing OF sound that sometimes an
explosion which reuds asrndcr huge safe cannot be
heard twenty yards away from the room in which It
takes place
The patient safe robber is of severa ingenious
ways of picking combination locks. In following
their nearious calling these men attain delcacy OF
feeling by which they are able 10 determine to
nicely the exact distance necessary TO raise each
umbcr OF the lock. The burglar masters c0mbina-
ton with almost mathematical accuracy, and manipu-
ates It's complex machinery with the same dexterty
and precision that music-teacher touches the KEYS
Of piano He Is trained to detect one false note IN
swelling chorus produced by the click Of reverb erat
ing ratchets within the lock. and marks the period
aud duration Of the drops. When they come across
some Lew kind Of lock they will manage TO get posses
sion Of one whatever its cost and whatever round
about means NAV necessary hold OF H. and,
taking it apart will study its construction until they
know is strong and weak points and how 10 master
it, Just we'll as it, inventor or maker could They
always the alert 70 utilize tor their purposes
every new appliance of power.
A WARNING TO CASHIERS AND TELLERs.
The Inspectors chapter on bank sneak thieves will
probably have mournful interest to the cashier
the paving teller Of many county, bank and there
are some bank employees the cities who will profit
by careful perusal of the methods Of these slippery
gentry. This is what Mr. frnes says about them
For many years bank sneak thieving hourished to
an alarming extent In Nsw-fork City and unaef tAe
old detective systems IL seems impossible TO put stop
10 that form of robbery. . . While il may have
been true that the detectives in rot
as visilant as they might have been, subsequent
developments have demonstrated that the financial
quarter OF the city in the past but poorly pro-
tcctcd. Well-knOwn thieves no longer haunt inat
prescribed locality and since the establishment OF
sub-letective bureau in Walst. years ago. not
dollar has been stolen from any OF the wealthy con-
Germs in the great money centre by professional crm
nails. The Inauguration also OF patrol service by
experienced detectives during business hours and the
connecting by telephone of all the banking nsttu-
tons nave been the means OF putting stop 10 the
peatons of that particular class oil rogues known as
bank sneak thieves. Sul in the other cities OF the
country, where these precautions which have proved
such a great preventive against the preparation OF
crime have not been adopted these thieves succeed
in carrying on their depredations and reap rich
rewards bank sneak thieves are all men OF educa,
ton. pleasing address good personal appearance ana
futess in their attire. With astonishing GOODNESS
these determined fellows commit the most daring
thofts. The handful OF successful rogues who have
attained such exalted rank IN the criminal profession
despsc the thousands OF other robbers who live by
commission of small crimes.
la robbing country banks, where the clerks are
few, and generally during the dinner hour the cashier
paying teller is the only left in the INSTITUTION
sneaks have a simple and easy scheme for plundering