Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-08-07
A TALK ON THIEVES
What a City Police Inspector
Knows about Them.
No Bolder than other Men, but Helped
BY Timid Peoples Pears

Many people have an idea, SAID IN
spector Steers recently, ''that burglars,
md other lawbreakers, whose line of busl
less is attended with personal danger,
are built OH different pattern from the
average human being. They are supposed |
to be without fear and to carry in their
natures a large amount Of terrifying mate |
rial, ready to be set off at moments no.
tice. Thcv 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 ordinary citizen.
They don't like to work, are lazy and
their organ Of acqulsitiveness is not regu-
lated by cultivated conscience. 1t is
difficult to understand why a man with a
wife and family, who moves in good So
siety, has an income large enough to live
m comparative luxury, and is respected
ly everyone, becomes a thief. He has
everything to make his life happy, and
yet will give it all up to have a little
more money. 1t looks good deal like
disease which comes over a man, and he
cannot help giving up to its influence.
Prisons are frll of just such people.
Thieves when committing crime al
ways have in mind a way to escape if de
tected. They do not want to be caught or
, killed. They will take desperate chan
ces to get away. If life stands in their
way of escape, they will take it, not as a
matter of hatred or pleasure, but as a
part of their education and trade. But
this in every case is only last resort,
and no thief will add murder to his crime
unless certain he can get away. AS a
rule they are not to be feared. A show
Of nerve will always unbalancc them.
This applies particularly to the police
man. Even though they know that they
have an advantage over a man who wakes
up suddenly in the night and finds
stranger prowling around they will re-
spect and fear him, if he doesn't show
any sign of fright. Scared people help
along their business. But a policeman is
on an equal footing with thief in re-
gard to being awake and armed. If he
is possessed of the real genuine nerve, the
case is soon settled, and the thief will u.s.
ually surrender without trouble Bluff
will not do. A thief can sec 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 every day affair,
is what takes the starch out of the bold
est rascals.
policemen frequently get into tight
places When they get out of them
alive, and think what they have gone
through, | have seen the most stout
hearted of them shake 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 flash. Hunt
ing for thief in a 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 | we'll remember a
lively burglar went after many years
ago. An alarm had been given, and |
had him located in the second story Of a
high building. He was calmly picking
odt the most valuable articles TO take
away when surprised him. He was q
tall sincwy and slippery fellow, and al
the first sound made he made q leap az
if shot from a cannon. Up the stairs he
flew like a streak, and | went after him
He evidently knew the building; did
not, and hit every obstruction | could
find lie gained the roof when I wa;
halfway up the stairs leading to III,
scuttle, and when got there | could just
see his figure in the darkness going like
tation and when he got to the side Of tn
house he stood a second and then jumped
was going so fast that / went right Of
shc house without knowing whore
would land II seemed in the confusion
as II | went down fifty feet, before
struck anything. sThcn | landed squar
Oh my feet with force that nearly SHOOK
my teeth out l thought for a Inomen
that had fallen between tDo houses.
was right on the ,hiel's heels and bcfor
he could take 4 step, | caught him.
was sore from that fall aai did not III
tender grip on the fellow. lie did 10
struggle and took him in quietly I'll
next day went around 10 lock Al ih
houses, ard found that | had jumpee
from one roof TO another, a distance .
: from fifteen to twenty feet. | never e
over %ra Sirrl from that .Fy-rr NJ