Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-12-21
THE ETHICS OF BURGLARY.
A Polite Young Man walks into n
Chicago Mansion and Takes what
He Wants.


A Polite Young Man walks into a
Chicago Mansion and Takes what
He Wants.
From the Chicago HerAId-l
1t is appropriate that thieves who visit
the aristocrstic mansions on Prairie avenue
In search of the wealth of their occupants
should be polite and employ only geuteel
methods In their work. A young man who,
Thursday afternoon, called at the residence
of Mrs. William Armour, and when be de-
parted walked off with that lady's gold
watch and her magnificent diamond rings,
said to be worth together s.. 900 or possi-
bly, $S,o00, answered the requirements.
Although he went there ostensibly on
business errand, he demonstrated the fact
that true politeness is not incompatible
with strict attention to business.
Mrs. Armour lives In a massive stone
house at 2,017 Prairie avenue. Her father,
Silas B. Bobb shares the mansion with her
shS has been preparing to spend the win
ter at New Orleans and Thursday afternoon
the hallway of the stately house was filled
with boxes containing those articles which
Mrs. Armour proposed taking with her to
her winter resting place. An express
van was backed up to the curb late In the
afternoon and three brswny men were en-
gagged In transferring the boxes to the wa
gon to take them to the depot. While this
was going on, the two street doors leading
respectively into the vestibule and hall,
were for convenience kept wide open. This
impaired to the great granite structure an
air of hospitality. Mrs. Armour Was out
making final preparations for her journey
and her father had not returned from the
city. Besides the three men handling the
boxes the only persons In the house were
servants, three or four in number.
About five o'clock In the afternoon a
well-dressed young man wearing a neat lit
tie black moustsche adjoining his lip came
blithely down the avenue. With brisk,
business like tread he aseended the broad
stone steps at 2,0l7 and went into the open
hallway. In his left hand he carried
small blank book and IN his right be held |
lead pencil. The men moving the boxes
glanced up from their work momentsrily |
and noticed that the young man was good |
looking and of gentlemsnly appearance. |
They thought no more sbout him. The |
irst person the visitor met WAS a house |
maid, who was experimenting the opera
tions in the hall. With smile and half |
apologetic air he began to explain his bust |
ness.
''I was sent here by the gas company" |
he Eaid, "to see that the fixtures are IN |
proper condition throughout the house. |
The company heard that Mrs. Armour was |
going away and wanted to be sure there |
will be no gas escaping while the house is |
closed up"
AS young men from the gas company |
had periodically visited the house to take |
down the registration of the meter, the |
housemaid saw no reason for doubling the |
story. She did notice at the time that the |
book this young man held in his hand was |
smaller than the books usually carried by
meter inspectors, although, after he had |
left the house, that fact impressed itself |
on her mind. She suggested, after hear
ing the explanation of his business, that
the gas fixtures we're all in good order, and |
that they did not nsed any repairs.
"Well," replied the young man, chat
makes no difference. It is customary, |
when q person Is going away like this, to |
make an examination of the gas meter and
pipes TO be sure that everything is all right. |
OF course we don't and any fault, but the |
lady should have given us at least two |
weeks notice that she was going. That is |
required by the company you know, and /
when q person gets away without giving |
the notice he has to forfeit the $50 that he |
has deposited with the gas company"
ALI this he said susvely. but with evident |
earnestness, and the young woman was |
content to let him 90 about his work. She |
showed him through the house to the eel |
lar staircase in the rear part, as he ex-
pressed wish to first see the meter. She
was about TO descend into the cellar with
him to point cut the meter but he politely
declined further escort.
fIts all right miss," he said: "ycu
needn't come down here; know where
the meter Is"
And he went down into the neither re-
giou alone. he remained In the cellar q
few minutee-as long as 1t would take an
inspector to make note of the registration
and then returned upstsirs. He proceed
ed to sound the pipes and exsmine the
chandeliers and gas jets, passing from
room to room IN his careful search for de-
fsots. He lighted matches to search for
leaks and tried joints to see that they were
solid. Altogether, he scted like a young
man with duty to perform and anxious
to perform 1t, and none of his proceedings
excited the suspicions of the servants.
Having satisfied himself as to the lower
portion of the house he went to the foor
above and began tinkeriny over the FIX
lures in the various rooms there as be had
done on the first floor. There were two or
three servants engsged in this part of the
house and he occasionally spoke a quiet
and pleasant word to one of them. At
last he found himself In Mrs Armour's
room.
"Ah," be remarked to a maid who was
bustling about the room in the perfor-
nance of her duties, there is leak in these
Axtures need a scre Rdriver to fx this.
VIII you please see If you can And me
onef
The young woman went OF to search for
q screUdriver. WhsE she returned the
young man was not IN the room. He had
quietly walked down stairs and into the
street.. AS he went out of the front gate
Mr.. Cobb, who wss just coming home, met
him. Neither of the men spoke. Mr.. Cobb
supposed he was . csuvssser. He thought
nothing of the incident.
Mrs. Armour, about eight o'clock in the
evening, went to her dressing csse to wind
her watch which abe had left there In its
case. 1t had disappeared. A glanes into
her Jewel box revealed the fact that two
diamond rings were also missing. Then 1t
was that the servants we're called together.
They recalled the actions of the nice young
man and his conversation, snd 1t dawned
upon them that the gas inspector Was q
thief and that he had gone off with Mrs.
Armour's watch and ornaments.
The watch was q very valuable one and
to 1t was attached massive chain of cold