The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-18
VERY EASY TO BURGLE.
No Dwelling Proof Against the House
brealxer's Tools.

breakers Tools.
Interview NTH Gail Ross IN Chicago Netus
"The first burglary remember of COM
uniting was when my father lifted me over
the fence into neighbours yard to steal
flowers / suppose he didn't think how bad
it really was, but the memory Of that first
theft has chung to me always Suisse
quently, when t0ok notion to steal some
thing more than dowers-nRmely, to gut O
jewelry store--I fortified myself with a
good brac of whisky, worked the house
with blush and blamed my father for
teaching nae how to steal.
Now, across the water it is not so easy to
gain access to house as here, because of
the iron screens. In New York it is hardly
less difficult, in my opinion at least, for the
same reason. However, out west it is not
considered difficult feat to enter a house
take it where you may"
And you ascribe that to"
40 the way the house is built. People
have learned to protect their basement win
dows, as a rule, with bars, bu5 still this is
not always the case Ore would think that
man with his millions, perhaps, ia bank.
with his house loaded with costly art pieces
and fortune alone NAV be in diamonds
and silverware, would take every precau-
ton to guard against burglary, but he
doesn't. he imagineS because he never has
been robbed that he never will be. That is
about as much sense as the man who diduit
want his life insured because he had never
died
whenever took notion to work a
house didn't stop to 60 and look ND the
police record aud see il the place had been
worked before. / Immediately began lay
ing nv plans A man with good nerve and
clear mead who works alone ought to be
successful. | always worked alone except
Than /
escaped. l was on the outside and he was
doing the job. took my sentence like a
man and never 'peached' on him. Had |
been operating alone don't think would
have been caught.
"Abaut making houses burglar proof l
should first recommend that people put
locks on their doors that can't be picked
with-weli, witha button-hook. Aburglar
depends largely on a skeleton key to gain
access. Men Of means, however, now have
the latch-lock on their doors, and these can
not be picked-that is, not readily. To
guard against entrance by the doors they
should be heavy, should lt tight to prevent
work with a Jimmy" should be double
locked with chain lock on the inside aud
bolted securely at top and bottom. That
will generally battle sneak thief. who does
not deserve to be called burglar. How
ever, when be finds the door effecruelly bars
him he can go to the rear, climb on shed,
portico, or even skin up water pipe or
lightning rod to a second-story window.
Such a window is said to be the easiest place
of all to enter house.
That is why there are so many second
story workers. as they are called, but
never tried it myself. To prevent these
fellows all exposed windowsrSI mean those
-SpeliSg GA porch or shed-+shohid be well
barred A 'seeond-story worker idoesen't
carry tools as a rule. He is sneak thief .
feSsion" looked on sneak thieves as objec-
uonable characters, who should be excluded
from the society of honest cracksmen.
But for iron bars and steel doors !" he
continued, IAN expert burglar has little
dread. Give him time, and he will go
through anything. 1t requires a genius to |
circumveat him, and even genius is not |
equal 60 ii. And for this reason: A burglar |
or safe-blower has greater incentive for |
surmounting the difficulties in the way |
OF access to treasure than has the inventor !
for creating them. The one receives his |
reward in the shape of salary; the other in |
working for a fortune, perhaps, that lies |
Just beyond the barrier which he is endeav- |
oriDR to overcome. The burglar gnins a |
fortune for few hours labor; the inventor |
lahors for year. and at the end OF that |
time gets barely the worth of his work. 1t |
is natural law that where there is the |
greatest incentive there will be found the |
greatest results Of labor. Thus it is you
will find burglars as smart as, and even |
smarter, than inventors.
For my part fail to see how you could /
make house absolute burglar proof You
might make it so difficult OF access that
that the burglar will find another to suit
his purposes as we'll. One thing is certain,
however, a rich man is fool not to have
bars on hiswindows They cost little, but
they save much"