Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-20
ABOUT THIEVES.


SOFSA6X 4010 O&x4SB AG0s
! MANY people have an idea" said
, Inspector Steers recently, ''that bur
glars, thieves and other law-breakers,
; whose line of business is attended with
personal danger, are built on q differ
emit pattern from the average human
, being. They are supposed to be with.
out fear and to carry in their natures q
large amount of terrifying material.
ready to be set off at moments no
tice. They are supposed to be rough,
gruf and careless of human life. This
is true in some instances, but in the
great majority of cases thieves differ
little in these respects from the ordi.
nary citizen. They don't like to work.
are lazy, and their organ of acquisi.
tiyeness is not regulated by cult.
waited conscience. 1t is difficult to un.
derstand why man with a wife and
family, who moves in good society,
has an income large enough to live in
comparative luxury, and is respected
by everyone, becomes q thief. He has
every thing to make life happy, and
yet will give it all up to have little
more money. 1t looks a good de@ like
a disease which comes over q man.
and he can not help giving up to its
influence. Prisons are full of just such
people.
Thieves when committing crime
always have in mind way to escape
if detected. They do not want to be
caught or killed. They will take des-
perate chances to get away. II life
stands in their way of escape, they
will take it, not as a matter Of hatred
or pleasure, but as part of their edu-
cation and trade. But this in eyerv
case is only last resort. and no thief
will add murder to his crime unless Ger.
tain he can get away. As a rule they
are not to be feared. A show of nerve
will always unbalance them. This ap.
plies particularly to the policeman.
Even though they know that they have
an advantage over a man who wakes |
up suddenly in the night and finds a |
stranger providing around, they will |
respect and fear him, if he doesn't |
show any sign of fright. Scared peo- |
pie. help along their business. But a |
policeman is on an equal footing with
a thief in regard to being awake and
armed. If he is possessed of the real |
genuine nerve, the case is soon settled,
and the thief will usually surrender
without trouble. Bluff will not do. A
thief can see lurking sense of fear
IN an officers heart, and will make
things lively if he finds it. A quiet
determination on the officers part,
that indicates supreme confidence in
his own ability to take his man or men
into custody, as if it was an everyday
affair, is what takes the starch out Of
the boldest rascals.
Policemen frequently get into tight
places. When they get out of them
alive, and think what they have gone
through, l have seen the most stout
hearted of them shake a little. A
good man will never know his danger
until it is over. If he should stop to
think when there are many chances
against him, he would be likely to lose
his grit. He must think and act like
a fash. Hunting for thief in dark
house is what will try a man. The
recollection of places / have been in
at times during my long experience as
an officer will bring on a chill Of
fright. ] well remember lively bur-
glar l went after many years ago. An
alarm had been given and had him
located in the second story of high
He was calmly picking out
the most valuable articles to take away
when I surprised him. He was a tall,
sinewy and slippery fellow, and at the
first sound made he made leap as
if shot from a cannon. Up the stairs
he flew like q streak, and / went after
him. He evidently knew the building;
did not, and hit every obstruction /
could find. He gained the roof when
was halfway up the stairs leading to
The seuttle, and when l got there l :
could just see his figure in the dark
ness going like the wind l followed
him without hesitation and when he
got to the side of the house he stood a
second and then jumped. was going
10 fast that went right off the house
without knowing where would land.
t seemed in the confusion as if went
Town fifty feet, before l struck any =
hing. Then I landed square on my
eet with force that nearly shook nv
eeth out. l thought for a moment
hat had fallen between two houses.
was right on the thief's heels and be-
ore he could take step, caught
lin. l was sore from that fall and
lid not put tender grip on the fell d
ow. He did not struggle and ! took
i'm in quietly. The next day went
round to look at the houses, and
ound that l had jumped from one roof
o another, distance from fifteen to
wenty feet. l never got over the
hook from that jump. My ankle was
everely sprained, and though many
ears have since passed. the ankle is
till Observation-Disclosures an APP
reaching storm and is exceedingly
ainful at times in damp weather. -
Y Tribune.