The St. Johns herald., 1893-10-05
BRAINS NEEDED IN BURGLARY.
Much Time and Labor Expended When the Prospective Booty Is Worth While.

Much Time and Labor Expended When
 the Prospective Booty Is Worth While.
 Few people have an idea of the i'm mense amount of labor, forethought and scientific skill brought to bear on a big burglary, says a writer in the New York Recorder. The first thing necessary is to find Q house containing sufficient valuables to repay the trouble and risk, and this first step alone may take many weeks. Let it be understood that only the highest class of expert burglars are meant; men with comfortable banking ac- counts and houses of their own, and who, after reducing the risk to mini mum by elaborate plans, acquire enough in one night to keep them in afauence and eminent responsibility for more than a year, although having but third share, as these burglaries are invariably worked by three.
 To illustrate the wonderful resource and leisurely way of proceeding adopt ed by burglars take case related by prominent detective. The principal of the burglars in this instance hay ing fixed on a certain house, was una ble to acquire sufficient information concerning it and the owners. This man then went to the local butcher supplying the house and applied for situation as driver of one of his carts which delivered meat at customers residences. After producing unques- tionable references (how obtained no one ever knew) the man was engaged on the round, which included the house fixed upon. Incredible as it may ap- pear, he stayed with his employer for over seven months, and gave the ut most satisfaction; his only failing be- ing 8 weakness for chatting with the servants. Five days after his resigna- tion a gigantic burglary was effected at the house selected, and property valued at over S20, ,000 was stolen. The thieves had smoked several cigars and drank bottle of port, so that they were in no hurry, and, to crown all, the booty was conveyed to it's destination in the owners pony phaeton, which was duly returned the same night; but no real clew was afforded, and the bur glars were never captured.
 On another occasion a chambermaid was escorted out, with view to matri- mony (and burglary), for two months before the event came off. A convey ance is always at hand, and generally of stylish appearance; in fact, on one occasion brougham was used, which she passers-by, and even the policeman on the beat, imagined was the proper ty of one of the residents close by. As regards tools, very few are necessary, owing to the skill and ingenuity of the operator. With a jimmy, spreader, drill, few pieces of strong bent wire and a little gunpowder, the expert bur glar can make his way anywhere. To these are sometimes added a set of ''stumblers." These are lengths of fine steel wire, with pointed stakes about foot long attached to each end, and half a dozen of these make but little bulk. These stumblers are fixed on the lawn or paths about the house in such way that the wires are raised about six inches from the ground, and prove such a success in case of pursuit that the burglars are compelled to hang pieces of white paper from the wires in order to escape their own traps, as they always run over them.