The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-04-02
ADVICE BY A BURGLAR.
On How to Make Houses Secure
Against Thieves.
=, Rx-Burglar, Writing in the Light ol
experience, Gives Some Ideas Whicn
Architects Might Adopt with Profit
Opinions Of Gail Ross.

rrhings have come to pretty pass
,vben an ex-convict in sheer disgust
feels called upon to instruct American
architects how to make houses burglar
proof, says the Chicago News. But
such IS the state of affairs, as the fol-
lowing interesting communication will
attest:
40 THE EDITOR: If you will consider a few
-orlS from one who has been a burglar and
hcasehreaker, will say something apropos of
the Llndblom robbery in this city few days
since.
,lThe first thing that strikes an operator
from abroad upon his entrance into American
si,ies s the utter absence of any thing like pro-
lection for your houses. Your architects seem
ID have lived oil their lives in some retired
nastoral village where every one is honest.
They do not seem to understand that one chief
mart Of their work should be to build burglar
ra9df houses-a thing which can be done so
easily that they ought to be ashamed Of their
ignorance.
psuppose Mr.. Smell had provided his house
with light handsome openwork iron-or bet
Ter steel-doors and windows fastened with
strong chain locks, or Mr. Lindblom had pro
teoted his windows with ironwork do you sup
nose any thief would ever have entered themf
These glllies,' as they are called, are common
ali over the old country. When l was doing
time in an English prison l remember how a
prisoner used to dilate upon the verdancy of
the Americans in not using the same.
las a health measure one would suppose
that the builders would put in these guards so
that every thing could be opened to the fresh
afr at night But above all they ought to re-
move the temptation Of exposed valuables
from US weak mortals EX-CoNVICT.
please excuse pad writing from hand Grip
pied by pistol shot in st. Louis ten years ago.
This Indictment of American builders
for not constructing houses on the burg
larproof plan is matter demanding
some attention. Therefore it has been
thought good idea to obtain an inter
view with burglar and see how the
profession" would look upon the ex-
convicts reform notions
But first to catch the burglar.
There stands at 234 Honore street an
old, two-story, drab frame house, the
front door of which opens on Level
with the ground. 1t is one of row Oh
six tenements, like many other barracll
like buildings that were hastily thrown
together Immediately after the great
fire. 1t is here that Home of Indus
try, refuge for discharged convicts, is
located. 1t was established about SIX
years ago by the reformed burglar
Mike" Dunn, and it is presided over by
Rev. A. c. Dodds as superintendent. II
the rear of the home is broom factory
where the ex- convicts are put to work
The home has room only for those who
desire not to return to their former
guilty occupations.
jerk given to the old-fashioned bell
knob brings to the door stout woman
who scans the caller critically from hel
deep-set brown eyes: Come in, climl
those stairs and go back to the ope1
door at the end of the hall"
Rev. Mr. Dodds is found in his marrow
Office, seated by window overlooking
the convict workshop. He has thirt,
ex-eonvicts at work, several of whom
have been well known to the police a
bad criminals. He turns to his book O
record and finds that he has severa
burglars in the shop, but he does no
like the idea of having them inter
viewed.
ANY one of them, no doubt, coul,
relate interesting stories, but 1 don
fancy they are at all anxious to do so,
reasoned Mr. Dodds.
However, he finally whistled down
tnee and commanded the foreman t.
send up Gail Ross from the cut-ot
bench
What name for burglar!' muse,
me reporter, and before he could forr
any idea of a person to fit the literar
eognomen shadow darkened the glas
door and short man forty-two year
oid, the very image of Editha's burglar
entered, bowling.
Mr.. Dodds explained the reporter
mission and the man signified his will
lngness to talk. He spoke with the hin
OF Scotch accent and his language
college professor could not have dis
counted.
VI course Gail Ross is an assume
name, is it not?" asked the reporter.
VI course it is not, - quickly retorte
she burglar. ''Why should l have a
assumed name? That name was wort
much to me at one time. It is wort
more now, for it is about all / hav
lele except bad cough and an Ell
Ieebied constitution.
NO doubt it seems strange to yo
slat burglar should sail under such
literary name, but why should it? Wa
noe always burglar, and for that ma
ser don't consider myself irretrievabl
one now. When I grew up my nam
sesned to look so well whenever
wrote it that it inspired me with a
snl0ltion to see it in print. / though
now | could best set about getting N
name before the public, and bega
mrielng. verse. My rhymes were printe
y . New York publication, and son
y them even broke through the qua
anune and got in the magazines.
imagined was surely on the road /
1ame when got that far, but-whisk
You know.
All this has little to de with bur
ar-proof houses, but even a burglar h;
loe necessarily lost his self-respect cor
aetely, and he likes to find an excu.
1VF being what he is. I lust want