The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-08-31
BRAINS NEEDED in BURGLARY.
Much Time and Labor Expended
When the Prospective Booty Is
WOrth WHILE - ~

Much Time ana LNDOr lINpenueO
When the Prospective Booty IL
Worth While.
View people have an idea Of the i'm
mense amount Of labor, forethought
and scientific skill brought to bear on
Il big burglary, says a writer in the
New York Recorder. The first thing
necessary is to find a house containing
sufficient valuables to repay the trouble
take many weeks. Let it be under
stood that only the highest class of ex-
part burglars are meant; men with
comfortable banking accounts and
houses Of their own and who, after re-
ducing the risk to minimum by elabo-
rate plans, acquire enough in one night
to keep them in aff1uence and eminent
responsibility for more than a year,
although having but a third share, as
these burglaries are invariably worked
by three. To illustrate the wonderful
resource and leisurely way Of proceed
ing adopted by burglars take case re-
lated by prominent detective. The
principal sof the burglars in this in
stance, having fixed on 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 applied for a
situation as driver Of one Of his carts
which delivered meat at his customers
residences. After producing unquesuon-
able references chow 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
|fover seven months, and gave the ut
most satisfaction; his only failing being
a weakness for chatting with the serv-
ants. Five days after his resignation
a gigantic burglary was effected at the
house selected, and property valued at
| over $4,000 was stolen. The thieves
| had smoked several cigars and drank
| bottle Of port, 50 that they were in no
hurry, and to crown all, the booty was
! conveyed to it's destination in the own
! ers pony phaeton, which was duly re-
| turned the same night, but no real
clue was afforded, and the burglars
| were never captured.
| On another occasion a chambeEmaid
was eSCOrCeu OUT, VIII a. view W MdtiA-
mony land burglary, for two months
before the event came off. A convey
ance is always at hand, and generally
of stylish appearances; in fact, on one
occasion a brougham was used, which
the passers-by, and even the policeman
on the beat, imagined was the property
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 a
foot long attached to each end, and a
half dozen of these make but little
bulk. These st lnblers 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, AZ
they always run over them.