The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-23
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BIG BURGLARIES.
y Takes Brains to Plan and Execute
Them.

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Them.
Very few people have an idea of tho
Immense amount of labor. forcthought
and scientific skill brought to bear on
q big burglary.
The first thing necessary is to find a
house containing sufficient valuables
10 repay the trouble and risk, and this
first step alone may take many weeks
Let it be understood that the high
est class of expert burglars are meant;
men with comfortable banking ac-
counts and houses of their own, and
who. after reducing risk to minimum
by elaborate plans, acquire enough in
one night to keep them in affluence and
eminent responsibility for more than
year, although having but third
share, as these burglaries are invaria-
bly, worked ny three.
To illustrate the wonderful resource
and leisurely way Of proceeding
adopted by burglars, take a case re-
lated by prominent detective. The
principal of the burglars in this in
stance having fixed on a certain house,
was unable to acquire sufficient infor-
nation concerning it and the owners.
This man then went to the local
butcher supplying the house, and APP
piled for a situation as driver of one of
his carts which delivered meat at GUS
toners residences. After producing
unquestionable references chow OBJ
tanned no one ever knew the man was
engage on the round, which included
the house fixed upon
Incredible as it may appear he
stayed with his employer for over seven
months, and gave the utmost satisfac-
ton: his only failing being a weakness
for chatting with the servants.
Five days after his resignation gil
gantic burglarywase Effected at the house
selected. and property valued at over
twenty thousand dollars was stolen.
The thieves had smoked several cigars
End drunk bottle of port, so that
1hey were in no hurry, and to crown
eli the booty was conveyed to its desti-
nation in the owners pony phaeton,
which was duly returned the same
night, but no real clue was afforded,
and the burglars were never captured.
On another occasion a cham bermaid
was escorted out, with a view to rlatri-
mony land burglary, for two months
before the event came off. A convey
snce is always at hand, and generally
Of stylish appearance; in fact, on one
occasion a brougham was used, which
che passersby and even the policeman
On the beat imagined was the property
of one OF the residents close by.
AS regards tools, very few are ncces-
gary, owing to the skill and ingenuity
of the operator. With jimmy, spread
er, drill, a few pieces of strong bent
wire and little gunpowder the expert
burglar can make his way anywhere.
To these are sometimes added a set of
''stum blers." These are lengths of fine
steel wire, with pointed stakes bout d
foot long attached to each end, and
half dozen of these make but little
bulk. These stumblers are fixed on the
lawn or paths about the house in such
q 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 that they may escape their own
traps, as they always run over them
N. Y. Recorder.