The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-18
THIEVES IN CLOVER.
They Go Through a House in
Broad Daylight.
r,.E POLICE HAVE NO rERRoRs.
9teP Yrederick's House Robbed Of
: A Secret Leaks Out.

me lnemClency Oh the pOiiCe uos CouSeA
tie burglars to do away with the cloak OF
Gs4~kness to hide their movements. and
Trey now operate in broad daylight in
tae best residence portion OF the town.
Thursday afternoon, between and
o'clock. the residence of Peter Frederick,
A. 1920 Columbia street. was entered. ram
essked from top 70 bottom, and jewels
ord medals valued at $500 secured. No
case was in the house at the time the deed
tas done, and beyond . clue as to the ap-
rearance of q man who was seen in the
locality at the time, the police are in the
t.srk.
Mrs. Frederick, on returning from a
zap down town, found that window
Trading to the parlor from the veranda had
ksen opened, and on investigating soon
s,nnd that some one had been in the
house. The operator was evidently per-
son who knew his business. and wanted
t.nIv the choicest and most costly things
sa the house. He had gone to Mrs.
srederick's room. opened her jewel case
snd extracted therefrom five diamond
tings and a gold watch. The bureau
drawers had been pulled out and the
!isings scattered all over the room, but
nothing Of bulky nature was taken.
order and the thief. with propensity for
Jewels, went through everything until he
found collection of badges that the pos
SCISSOR had won in athletic contests. Two
we're gold and two silver. The former
we're especially valuable to the owner, as
s!sey were won at games in which Ed Ben
fstt, one OF the fastest sprinters ever
IL the state, took part. Before leaving
rae thief took Fred Frederick's coat and
departed.
The case was Immediately reported to
tae police and Detective Roberts was sent
g. look over the premises with view to
obtaining a clue from the character of the
york. Whether he did is doubtful, but no
Arrests have been made. The clue that
doubtless has some bearing on the case
a,mes from one of the neighbors, who en-
counted rough looking man apparently
81 search OF work or food. He was de-
ecribed as rather tall. slender, and wore a
t~own slonch hat.
/. Reports from different parts of the city
h,dicate that that class of thieves known
is 'house-workers'' arc operating when
ever the opportunity offers itself. The
k,ethods employed are various and in each
Ease the possible contingencies are SO we'll
brought out that the thieves go from house
tp house with impunity, looking over the
ground, operating when the chance offers
and planning how to make chances. In
.4me cases they will 90 to a house and ask
s,sr food and often do little work to get
saance to look over the premises and cal
':alate on the best modes of effecting an
entrance. They do not do things so much
Ivy chance as people imagine. A good
..sneak thief plans his work rs much as
food general. The man who begs at the
hack door in the afternoon is far different
man when found in his headquarters at
might. Ii his possessions were laid open
TO the public a surprise would be
in store. He usually has a little book
containing stray and almost uninteIligible
:aotes. A name hero and little below 1t
IA number. In some cases directions to
reach certain place are put down. All
this to q casual reader would mean Moth
. ing. but to the man who is looking for
burglars and studying their traits and
: methods IL would mean a great deal.
Those meaningless notes and figures, with
i. the connecting links in the mind Of the
: owner. when translated give residences Of
: prominent people, the way to reach the
. houses, the number of people in the house.
when the men are away and when there is
: a probability of the house being deserted.
; These. with many other suggestions. are
:. underneath the figures in the thieves note
book.
A method Of operation was tried a few
DAYS ago that, while unsuccessful, laid the
train for action in the future. Three
young men who had the look of the opium
fend and the sneak thief went to the back
door of a residence in the vicinity of Main
and Eleventh streets and asked the lady
of the house ii they could use the tele-
phone. The lady replied that there was
no telephone in the house and referred
them t, the next house. where there was
one. As she went to shut the door, one of
the young fellows asked for a drink OF
water. something apparently foreign to his
craving, to the most casual observer The
lady of course complied with his request.
and thus all three got into the house and
looked over the ground to . considerable
extent. Then, with thanks given In a
tone that would draw tears from a stone.
the three young fellows departed and
went 20 the next house. They were
accorded the use of the telephone.
! but out of pofiteness two of them
STAYED at the door The third
wen, 10 the phone and called M several
numbers. bat got no answer. Suddenly it
struck the lady of the house that II would
be good plan 10 keep an eye on the young
men, and she asked a person " no was in
the dining room 10 step in the hall and see
what was going on. Sure enough one OF
the fellows VINO had stood az che door was
fifteen feet inside the hall and indus.ri.
ously engaged IN adjusting his necktle
before the hat and cloak rack. There was
not any proof thar he wanted the coats on
the rack or the gold headed umbrella, but
such thing was possible. The people OF
the house felt better when the young men
went away. and in the future the telephone
Will he strictly private.
The robbery of Peter Frederick's resi-
dcnce became pubic through an incident
Yesterday morning that caused n great
hubhub IN the police station and afforded
certain reporter intense satisfaction. In
fact. IL was enough ~ repav him for n
dozen scoops" As the story runs. the
police station recording clerk had s,epred
out for few moments and the reporter
had stepped in. Casually he went behind
the desk and WAS looking over the arres.
register. when Mr.. Frederick came III and
addressed the reporter.
..Have YOU heard anything about those
goods that were stolen from my house
Yesterday" he said.
The reporters ears fairly tiusled with
satisfaction at the mistake that made him
master Of the situation. and without delay
he commenced 10 gather In the facts.
While he Was thus engaged Capt. Sims
came on, Of the inspectors office and took
ha ~