Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-07-17
LIGHT ON a DARK SUBJECT.
Tho Busy Burglar and His Tools is In
genious Methods Of Work

notorious safe-blower" said the police
lieutenant. He was one OF the most
powerful crooks in the country. The
Pinkertons had him in court once 10 OK
plain his methods. and there Patsey pro-
duced brace with which he pulled off
the combination knob, smashed the coni-
bination itself, broke the safe door han
die aud forced the door off its hinges.
breaking the latter--all in three minutes.
But then, Patsey was an expert, and in
those days there was not bank vault
in the country that he couldn't tackle
successfully after he once got to il"
Then the lieutenant launched forth
into'a highly interesting essay on burg
lars 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 as
an lrishman plays the fiddle-by main
strength, but they filed the bill
Complete kits Of blrglars' tools are
curiosity nowadays, at least as Tar as
Chicago crooks are concerned. There
! are no housebreakers at present who
arr. 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
pliances, such as skeleton keys, are fire.
quently made by the burglar himself,
but the heavier tools require exquisite
Workmanship and first-class material.
The ordinary "kit' means 'darkey,"
small dark lantern; silent matches,
wax tapers, ''meddy," or slung-shot,
falsely called 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 un-
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 have been
left in the locks. The outfit is only for
the ordinary work. The ingenuity with
which the professional burglar meets al.
most any continuance 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 five feet,
and provided with fulcrum and lever, is
only used on great occasions, such as
the forcing of vault door or safe
London burglars call this formidable
/ appliance the Lord Mayor. " From this
| size down to the pocket jimmy all di.
D mansions are encountered. The larger
sizes 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.
+ Tie 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 usu-
s ally the holes are drilled only deer
Q enough around the combination to re-
Q ceive the charges of giant powder OF
4 nitro glycerine, by means of which the
2 combination is blown to atoms. After
: that the jimmy finishes the breaking
: open of the doors. The explosive is
4 nicely distributed through the mechan-
Q ism of the combination by means of q
Q small funnel made from tin, through
d which the operator blows. If explosion
Y is too dangerous on account Of the noise
the combination knob is knocked off by
o few blows of mallet upon fine
n cold -chisel A hole is bored by means
! of bit and brace, and through the hole
J, the combination which holds the bolt:
:, is driven back by means of stee
Q punch. The outer door can then b.
Q opened by simply turning the handle.
# The nippers is another very elegan
Il tool, used in cases where people believe
Q themselves sufficiently protected b,
l. leaving the key in the lock. Nippers
# formed somewhat like a bullet mold
k with sharpened prongs and receptacle
@ under the cutters, are used by pick
!, pockets to clip off diamonds or othe
}. gems. The cutters clip the jewel OF
# close to the pin, which remains in tn,
shirt or scarf, while the stone drop
Il into the pocket of the nippers. Win
st dow fasteners are unelasped and sprin
% locks opened by the palette knife, whc
IS is formed somewhat like an apouheca
u rvs spatula. 1t is Of plant steel S
a thin that it is easily showed through tn
IS smallest crack. q
T. Besides these tools there is variet
ir of saws, mostly made from waite
IL springs, ends of wire, chisels, hammers
IL and anger bits The outfit depends o.
IL the fact whether the crooks Jumps
lie crib, !. e., enters through a window
IS 'breaks cribs" that is, forces tn
IS door; CRATES q crib" lets himsel
e. in through the cellar grating, or "gal
A refs crib, " which means thathe enter
10 the building through the scuttle in tn
IS roof. The ~seuttle worker" is Away
provided with a rope ladder {
n MANILA hemp, the rungs ben
Of of stout iron slaves. Strong stet
n hooks are provided for fastening the to
in of the ladder to window stills or tn
caves of the roof, and sand bags al
bs fastened below to keep the latter tai
he and at the same time hold it off frol
to the wall. Verandah climbers keep
10 knotted rope, with steel hook,
d, fasten the latter by dextrous throw
cd window frame shutter or other sui
to able hold. 1t is by no means stranl
In occurrence that scuttle workers elm
to frem roof to roof in row of houses, thu
IS evading the risk of being seen or met