The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-03-20

Things have come 70 q pretty pass
when an oz-convict in sheer disgust
feels called upon 10 instruct American
archit Ct how % make houses burglar
proof, says the Chicago News. but
such is the state OF afTairs, as the fol-
lowing Interesting communication viii
attest:
10 TTIE EITroE- = E.l VIII c-1slae- . fcg
words i-lm enc wI0 las been q brrel.r and
hcuscb-ca4y-. / VIII say something aprOpo- q,
the LlnoolOI- robbery ~ this rl-y few days
sIuce.
The FIRST thing that stril.es an opcrato-'
from abroad upon his entrance into American
cities s the utter absence OF auy thing ike p--
lection FOR your houses. Ngu- architects seen
20 have lived al their Ives IN some retired
pastoral village where every ono a. honest.
They do lot seem 20 u-.leG4-auL that oug chic.
part Of their work should be build burglar
proof hcus-s-a thing which can be done 50
easily that they ought 10 be ashamed OF tleir
ignorance.
suppose Mr. sncH has provided his house
with L-ht. ha-1soIae oIcHwCrl- IroE-or bet
ter, stcel-d0ors and windows, LLsteLcd with
strong chain locss. o. bIr. L.ldblon had pro
tected h-s Windows with !roEwork DO you sup
pose any thief would ever have entered theInf
These 'glliies' q, they are called a,e common
al Oscr the old country when was doing
tine IA a. English prison remember how
prisoner USED 20 dilate uJJa the vCrda2cy Cf
the Ar4ericansi j. not Ing the same.
L
that the DuiIcers would put IA these guards so
that every thing could be opened 10 the fresh
cir 81 night. DU1 above al they ought TO re-
move the temptation Cf exposed valuablcs
from Us weak rlCrLals. EX-CoSgIC-.
Please excuse bad writing from = md Grip
Vle3 - pistol -.et in -. Louis zen. a-s AGO.
This indictment ot American pcilaers
for not constructing homes oL lie burg
lar-r-o1t plan is a matter demaaaiue
some attention. Therefore II has been
thought q good idea 70 obtain an inter
view with 4 burglar and see how the
profession would look upon the ez-
convict's reform notions.
Eut-first TO catch the burglar.
There stands at 23s Uonore street sn
old, two-story, drab frame house, the
front door Of which opens on level
with the ground. II is one Of \ row ~
six tenemcnts. like many other l5;-rrsloll-
like buildings that were hastily thrown
together Immediately after the great
fire. II is here that a Home OF Indus
try. q refuge for discharged convicts. Is
located. Il was established about six
years ago by the reformed burglar,
Mike" Dunn, and it is presided over by
Rev. 4. c. Dodds as superintendent In
the rear of the home Is n broom factory
where the ex- cOnVictS arc put TO work.
The home has room only for those who
desire not TO return TO their former
guilty occupations.
a jerk given TO the old-fashioned bell
knob brings to the door a stout woman.
who scans the caller critically from her
deep-set brown eyes: 'Corac In, climb
those stairs and 90 back 10 the open
door At the end Of the hall
Rev. Mr.. Dodds Is found in his narrow
Office, seated by window overlooking
the convict workshop. He has thirty
ex-convicts at work. several OF whom
have been well known TO The police as
bad criminals. He turns 70 his book q
record and finds that he has several
burglars IN the shop. but he does rot
like the idea of having them inter
viewed.
ANY one Of them. no doubt. could
relate interesting stories. but | don't
fancy they are at all anxious 20 do So. -
reasoned Mr.. Dodds.
However. he finally whistled down r
tube and commanded the foreman TO
send up Gail Ross from the cutoff
bench.
''AFhat name for burglar mused
the reporter, and before he could form
any idea Of person 60 IT the litcrir--
cognomcn a shadow darlzened the glass
door and short man fostv-tyyo wears
old, the very image Of Editha's burglar.
entered, bowling.
Mr.. Dodds explained the reporters
mission and the man signifcd his will
ingness to talk. lie spoke with the hint
of Z Scotch accent and his laurur ve a
college professor could not have dis
counted
'-Of course Gail Ross is an assumed
name. is il not?" asked the reporter.
''Of course it IS not, 3" quickly retorted
the burglar. why should have an
assumed name? That name was wort n
much to me at one time. II is worth
more now, for it is about all I have
left except n bad cough and an en-
feebled constitution.
NO doubt II seems strange to vou
that burglar should sail under such a
literary name. bat why should IL? was
not always burglar, and for that mat
ter l don't consider myself ilretrievablv
one now. When / grew up my name
seemed 20 look so wen whenever ]
wrote it that il inspired me with an
ambition 70 see il IN print ! thought
how l could best set about getting my
name before the public. and began
writing verse. Ny rhymes were printed
IN New York publication, and some
OF them even broke through the quar-
antine and got in the magazines.
imagined was surely on the road to
fame when / got that far, but-whisSv.
you know.
All this has little to do with burg
iar-proof houses, but even a burglar has
not necessarily lost his self-respect com
pletely, and be likes 10 find AN excuse