The Wichita daily eagle., 1892-10-14
THE BUM-BAIIIFF.
The Difficulties He Labors Under
in London.
Desperate Strategy to Collect Debts-Il
He Gets Into Ones House Ho stays
Until the Money Is Rsid-Triehs
Of the Trade.
lcopYR1oH. 1sa1


According to the English statute re-
lating to distraint for debt, landlord
or, as is usually the case, his agent, IA
the shape Of bailif or BROKERS man,
may, when access has been once OBJ
tanned to premises, legally break open
any door which debars or impedes fur
ther progress, but under ne censidera-
ton must the outer door be forced.
Therefore IT follows that reeeurse must
necessarily, in some mstaneesA> st least,
be had to strategy.
For the benefit of the unihltAted 1t
may be mentioned that .'aaakers
man" can only enter into possession Se-
tween the hours of sunrise and sunset,
so that if careful watch be maSq-
tanned, the approach Of the sheris
officer can always be noted before the
customary demand for admission Is
made.
Ia certain localities where the
''breker's man. is of frequent occur
renee, their faces become perfectly well
known to the inha bitants, SO it is not
surprising to learn that they find it an
extremely difficult task to perform their
mission. On the other hand, when their
visitation is not altogether expected,
their object is often attained without
any difficulty whatever. A couple ct
seeay-looking individuals may be OBJ
served hanging about street, and
presently one knocks at a deer, which
is opened without suspicion. He CEN
cocts some plausible excuse to gain ad.
Hissien, and having done so gives the
Office" to his coworker, and the thing
is done. No fuss, bother or pabicity
about the matter.
The whele business is, IN fact, con-
dueted SO quietly that none of the
neighbers probably are aware Of the
little drama which has beea enaated ia
their midst.
The case. however. assumes a vastly
different aspect when the inmates of
house against which operations are to
be directed ere alive to what is likely
to occur.
In this case the customary knock at
the door results, it is true, in it's being
opened; only, however, to the extent
of few inches, the chain being kept up
all the time, and glance having served
to reveal the nature of the visit, it is
hurriedly closed again, and the bailif
is for the time being baf1ed, but by NO
means defeated.
The subsequent tactics he employs
vary according to the particular parties
he has to deal with. If they are, in his
opinion, more or less inexperienced his
favorite device is to mail registered
letter-contents Of no value-and hav-
ing ascertained beforehand exactly at
what hour the letter will be delivered.
he stations himself as near as possible
to the doorway and awaits events.
Presently the postman comes in sight,
and IN due course gives the double
knock. with an extra one to denote that
he has something to deliver personally.
People ia difficulties do not. es rule,
receive many registered packages. and
in all proba bility the person who opens
the door is not provided with pencil
to sign the receipt-a contingency
which the .sbroker's man" has.
While gone to remedy the omission,
the entrance is temporarily left un-
guarded. and the unwelooule visitor OBJ |
tains admission before the return.
If the registered letter trick fails, the
reply-paid telegram dodge is often re-
sorted to; and in the majority of in
stances it serves its purpose extremely |
well, being more apt to disarm sus- |
picion. Even in these days of univer-
sal telerraphic communication, the re-
ceips of 'rePly-paid'' message in
variably gives rise to a certain amount |
of curiosity and excitement, and in the
anxiety TO know the contents Of the |