The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-04-02
Gas I said, GIT to writing poetry

Through my verses met and became
engaged to the daughter of man that
afterward became Vice-President of
the United States Don't ask me her
name. l still have enough honor to
protect her from the disgrace of seeing
her name coupled with that of
burglar. Whisky destroyed my hopes
Il shipped as pantryman to Liverpool
and l visited many European cities.
Returning to America : became a
burglar simply because it offered great
err inducements than any thing l was
able to turn my hand to.
but enough of that The irst
burglary | remember of committing
was when my father lifted me over the
fence into a neighbor's yard to steal
flowers. suppose he didn't think how
bad it really was, but the memory of
that first theft has clung to me always
Subsequently when l took a notion to
steal something more than flower
namely, TO gut a jewelry store-I forti-
fed myself with a good bracer of
whisky, worked the house without
blush and blamed my father for teach
ing me 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"
''To the way the house is built.
People have learned to protect their
basement windows, as a rule, with
bars, but still this is not always the
case. One would think that man with
his millions, perhaps, in the bank,
with his house loaded with costly art
pieces, and fortune alone, may be, in
diamonds and silverwaHe, would take
every precaution 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 had who didn't t
want his life insured because he had
never died.
whenever took notion to work
a house I didn't stop to go and look up
the police record and see if the place
had been worked before. / immedi-
ately began laying my plans. A man
with good nerve and a clear head who
works alone ought to be successful. ]
balways worked alone except once. Then
was caught and my pal escaped.
was on the outside and he doing the
job. / took my sentence like a man and
never 'peached on him, Had l been
operating alone L don't think I would
have been caught.
about making houses burglar-proo1
I should first recommend that people
put locks on their doors that can't be
picked with-well, with button-hool1
A burglar depends largely on q skele
ton key to gain access. Men of means
however, now have the latch-lock OF
their doors, and these can not be picked
that is, not readily. To guard agains
entrance by the doors they should bt
heavy, should fit tight to prevent worl
with jimmy, should be double locked
with a chain-lock on the inside ant
bolted securely at top and bottom. Tha
will generally battle sneak-thief, who
does not deserve to be called burglar
However, when he finds the door effect
!, ually bars him he can go to the rear
climb on a shed, portico, or even skin
up water-pipe or ightning-rod to
second-story window. Such a window
is said to be the easiest place of all t
l enter house. That is why there ar
SO many :second-story workers, as the.
are called, but l never tried it my
self. To prevent these fellows all e2
4 posed windows-I mean those openin
} on a porch or shed-should be wei
barred. A 'second-story worker doesn'
carry tools as rule. He is a sneab
l thief"
4 The man spoke these words as if tn
7 | profession looked on sneak-thieve
$ as Objectionable characters who shoul
S be excluded from the society of homes
:, cracksmen.
''But for iron bars and steel doors,
S he continued, ''an expert burglar ha
: little dread Give him time and he wi
t go through any thing. 1t requires
. genius to circumvert him, and eve
: genius is not equal to it. And for thi
reason: A burglar or safe-blower ha
d a greater incentive for surnounting til
difficulties in the way Of access to
4 treasure than has the inventor fo
q creating them. The one receives h
b reward in the shape of salary; the othe
a in working for fortune, perhaps, ths
e lies just beyond the barrier which he
/ endeavoring to overcome. The burglf
gains fortune for few hours labo
u the inventor labors for a year, and {
a the end of that time gets barely til
s worth of his work. 1t is a natural la
y that where there is the greatest il
y centive there will be found the create
e results of labor. So it is you will fin
l burglars as smart and evea smartt
n than inventors.
II For my part 1 fail to see how yc
y could make house absolutely burgla
4 proof You might make it so dificu
q Of access that the burglar win find a
Ie other to suit his purposes as well. On
+ thing is certain, however: A rich ma
is fool not to have bars on his wi