Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-08
HIGH ART.
TIE MUSEUM WHICH MAY BE STARTED AT
POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
A Disposition to Make a Systematic Collection Of the
Assortment Of Tools and Deadly Weapons
Captured BY the Officers.

Ihere Is every proDaDlllty tnat IN the
near future the police headq uarters rooms,
at the City Hall, will be adorned not only
with a well-kept and prosperous Rogues'
Gallery, but as well with a nice case in
which will be neatly arranged the large
and varied assortment of burglars tools,
and other contraband articles which haze
from time to time been conliscated by the
officers. Such a collection should have
been started years ago. Ever since the
present police system has been in vogue the
officers have been gathering in all sorts of
stuff of a more or less interesting nature,
but no particular care has been taken Of it,
and the result has been that a very large
proportion of the whole has been lost,
mislaid, or carried off for one res
son or another. There ought to be abouta
barrel of revolvers, and several bushels Of
other odds and ends ON file" a. it
were, but there isn't, and this is not the
fault of the police department, either.
Council never thought the matter worth
attending to, and with no one in particular
to be responsible for the relics, they have,
in good part, disappeared. Captain Smith,
however, has slowed away a large lot Of
tuff falling into his hands during his ad-
ministration, and there is enough to make
u very respectable showing.
At Monday evenings session Of the
Police and Fire Board the matter Was
mentioned, and it is probable the Commits
sioners will secure a proper case and have
the stuff arranged.
Last evening q reporter looked over the
tools and weapons, aud found n great deal
to interest. There are three lots of bur
glars tools, embracing jimmies, braces,
drills, nippers, screw drivers, fuse, powder,
wedges, chlsels, etc, several chisels, used
by burglars at divers times in prying of
shutters. doors and windows, Included in
the lot being the two found in the alley the
night Officer Glenn was shot. Then there
is a collection of weapons OF various sorts,
among them beings sand bag, which looks
like one Of the sort We read about as being
welded by London and Paris murderers
and highway men, several "billies" of va
rious sorts, two daggers, one a double
edged, wicked looking weapon, i'll a leather
case, aud the other a stilletto made from a
file, and taken from an Italian some time
ago. There are knucklers without end,
from the crude affairs, manufactured by
some ambitious tough from a lead plate,
holes being bored for the insertion of the
fingers, on up through the several grades
to the finely finished article sold by the
dealer in sporting goods. The collection
Of revolvers is large and comprehensive,
gums Of all sorts being represented.
A very nice collection could be made
with the stock on hand, and once started
the museum would be added TO constantly
until it would be well worth seeing. But
the main advantage would be, that there
would be no longer the remotest POSSIBLE
ity that the articles used by the cracks
man or the thug would ever find their way
into improper hands. Once gobbled up
by the police, they would go into the
collection" and would thereafter do no
harm. Hang up the jimmy and the drill.