Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-15
FOR BURGLARS USE.
GREAT CARE ~ THE MANUFACTURE
AND sale OF TOOLS.

Burglars Insfrt nents Are Seldom, n
Ever. Exposed Openly Ter Sale, bat
Thcy Are Mads just tho same. and
Clever Men Arc Engaged In the work.
Several of the ihrewest central office
detectives are dcss lied constantly 70 look
put foi burglars t0pls andthose who make
them in accortianeA with the system in
augurated by superintendent Byrnes
when he was in charge OF the detective
bures,it to prevent crime as well as to
catch thieves. Thie'tes know this and do
not 80 around, as they did years ago. with
kit If tools under their avms ready to
take advantage of every opening in their
line. Burglars tooib however, are not
scarce by any means and can be obtained
at any time when there Is a"triekr to be
done. The only thieves who need full
kit OF tools are those who make a speciality
of safe breaking, aud Is burglars always
go in gangs of from fo'ir to ten one set o:
tools will do for the gtng no matter how
pres ing the business may be.
Second story thieves and ordinary house
burglars require but few tools. The most
important are the "papr blade" which is
a very thin piece Of elastic steel used to set
baci. window fasteainUe augers to remove
locks by boring holes Ground them; dia-
mond points to remove panes of glass.
and lockpicks and jimmies to force doors
open by wedging them in cracks. 1t is
easy enough to obtain all Of these tools
with the exception of the lockpicks from
stores in a legitimate way without ques-
tion, as they are ali used In trade. These
tools can be carried In d small package
and are not kept in stock They are bought
when needed and thrown away when used
1t is not such plain sailing with the safe
breakers tools, as it Is worth five years in
State prison to be caught with these on the
person. Great caution is taken in manu-
featuring and storing burglars tools to
throw the police off the scent. but il is a
fact that there are enough tools in this
city TO fill pretty big stor,house if they
were ell gathered together.
A few years ago there were head centers
for thieves in all the down town districts,
and the bellows and anvil were kept busy
turning out burglars tools openly in Wa
ter and Cherry streets. It was in these
places that Gustave Kindt, alias French
Gus, Dutch Dan" Snyder. Marry Klein,
Mark Shrubnrn, Frank McCaIran, Charles
Bullard, alias piano Charley r"Big JIM
Burns, Pat Shevlin, Ned Lyons, John ar
aey, alias "Mollie Matches" and d host of
other crooks" received their first instruc-
tions in mechanics and bec;.me afterward
the most expert toolmakers in thievery.
1t was in on old shop on Cherry hill that
Dutch Heinrich, who had wqrlss y s;e
reputation as toolmaker, perfected an
inst rument known to thieves as the drag"
for use in breaking safes. which has done
very effective work. Superintendent Byrnes
In n Il. rs1a her.
he was placed In charge of the detective
bureau, with the intention Of landing all
the toolmakers in jail or driving them out
Of the city. and he succeeded. Most all the
work Of this kind IS now done in Newark,
y. j., in several large shops. where no
questions are asked SO long as the bills are
paid. When the tools are finished they are
brought mere and stored with furniture, in
or'ler to divert suspicion. In some place
where an apartment can be rented by the
year.
The moss expensive tools In the burglars
KIT are the drag. jaekscrew, diamond drill
ard secti nal jimmy. The best jimmies
nuw in TIE market are made in Pittsburg
All the tools that are used in safe break
ing are not stored In one place, as they cost
from s25c To 500 for full set. and 1t is
cheaper to pay rent to store them than to
Get new ones made. The sectional jimmies
are often carried in guncases when the
Eang is ON the road. and the other tools are
hidden in trunks and handbags.
The improvements im safety devices to
protect safes. soch as time locks and other
electrical appliances, nave rendered the
l.ufElkrs' kit useless on vaults, but there
is plenty II roogp 70 use them all over the
coaniry in small banlS and other places
whfre RE latest improvements have not
hsen adopted. Time locks are now at
tackled with dynapite and nitroglycerin,
szpiotiad On the outside q vault doors,
whlch eAnsss the delicate machinery TO run
1ona 444s often. ~ throws IL cut Of gear.
- - - lAeilitafe the work OF opening doors
81 Ale 1se - thu diamond drill, blowpipe
sn.i ioet plek.
Haals ~ tte best mechanics among
ttAtfes are the ktFmakers. who can make
tsFs - ft any locks These thieves keep
e fanelant waieh Il the patent Office re-
QeFfs ~ new inck4 and By carefully
- gias fae mechanism are able 10 make
tefs NJ theHa. These experts can tell
- rsanes a. : ioek iasf the right sort OF
49, - nQsn n All the good kcymakers
49, eIase'y wafrbti here that they 20
.ssslaerr 81 a. their work, usually to
sasns s.haftan toNn. uhefe there Is littls
1aaaa u astslfiaa --See York Recorder