The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-11-30
BRAINS NEEpEp IN BURGLARY.


| Much Time and Labor Expended WheI
the Prospective booty II Worth While.
Few people have an idea of the i'm
mense amount of labor, forethough,
and scientific skill brought to bear on
big burglary, says writer in the
New York Recorder. The first thing
necessary is to find house containing
sufficient valuables to repay the
trouble and risk, and this first ster
alone may take many weeks. Let II
be understood that only the highest
class Of expert burglars are meant;
men with comfortable banking &C.
counts and houses of their own, and
who, after reducing the risk to mini
mum by elaborate plans, acquire
enough in one night to keep them in
afiuence and eminent responsibility
for more than year, although having
but third shsSe, as these burglaries
are invariably worked by three.
To illustrate thewonderful resource
and leisurely way ofproceeding adopt
ed by burglars take . ease related by a
prominent detective. The principal
of the burglars in this instance hav-
ing fixed on a certain house, wss una
BILE to acquire sufficient inform alton
concerning 1t and the owners. This
man then went to the local butte her
supplying the house and applied for q
situation as driver of one of his carts
which delivered meat at customers
residences. After producing unques-
tionable references (how 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
over seven months. and gave the ut
most satisfaction; his only failing be-
ing weakness for chatting with the
servants. Five days after his resipna-
tion gigantic burglary was effected
at the house selected, and PROPERTY
valued at over $50, 900 was stolen. The
thieves had smoked several cigars and
drank bottle of port, SO that thew
were in no hurry, and, to crown all, the
booty was conveyed to its destination
In the owners pony phaeton, which
was duly returned the same night; but
no real clew was afforded, and the bur-
glars were never captured.
On another occasion a chambermaid
was escorted out, with view to matri-
mony- (and burglary, for two months
before the event came off. A convey
ance is always at hand, and generally
of stylish appearance: in fact, on one
occasion a brougham was used. which
the passers-by, and even the policeman
on the beat, imagined was the proper
ry of one of the residents close by. AS
regards tools, very few are necessary,
owing to the skill and ingenuity of the
operator. With jimmy, spreader,
drill, few pieces of strong bent wire
and little gunpowder, the expert bur-
ylar can make his way anywhere.
10 these are sometimes added a set
of 'stumblers." These are lengths of
inc steel wire, with pointed stakes
about foot long attached to each end,
md half a dozen of these make but
little bulk. These stumblers are fixed
IN the lawn or paths about the house
n such way that the wires are raised
lbout six inches from the ground, and
prove such success in case of pursuit
hat the burglars are compelled to
lang pieces of white paper from the |
wires in order to escape their own
raps. as they always run over them.