The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-12
EXPERT THIEVING.
HOW PRIVATE HOUSES ARE WORKED
BY INGENIOUS CROOKS.

Some or the New Tricks wcll Calculated {.
Deceive the Cautious-Calling For Arti.
clcs Just Delivercd-A Cunning Game Ir
Connection With Lost Articles.
During the cold weather of the early
part of the year an eastern lady visiting
at well known house in the heart OF
the city ordered from prominent fur
rier costly wrap of Russian sable. AL
terations in the garment were necessary,
and as they would require time and the
lady was about returning east she BE-
quested her hostess to receive the wrar
and forward it to her. The long box was
delivered on the promised day, and the
sable wrap was just being packed for ex
pressage when the front door bell again
pealed sharply, and a message, purport
ing to come from the furrier. was
brought
1t was to the effect that an alteration.
particularly directed, had been over.
looked. The furrier requested the return
Of the garment and the mistake would
be rectified that same afternoon. The
huge box was about to be intrusted to the
messenger when fortuitous impulse
came to Its guardian. She returned word
to the messenger that she declined to take
the responsibility of permitting anything
so valuable to be taken away witho,.y q
written order, but would herself call at
tho furrier's the following morning.
That call confirmed suspicious. The
furrler bad authorized no one to recover
the wrap. 1t was easy to draw conclu.
sions.
Again, and yet more recently, a lady
resident of West Walnut street found on
her return home one mild afternoon that
a valuable jewel watch had fallen from
its chatelaine and left no traces behind.
That evening her husband fastened to
have the loss advertised in the morning
papers. At breakfast the "Lost and
Found" columns We're carefully read.
The valuable chatelaine watch was de.
scribcd in the Lost" lines, and to the
JOY of husband and wife another cad"
was found detailing the discovery of n
lady's jeweled watch on the street in the
same vicinity. Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, as
they may be called, were still discussing
breakfast and the lost watch when n
man was announced.
"About a lost watch" so ran his mes.
sage, 'picked up the previous evening
on the pavement below"
"A1y watch, I'm confident" she ex-
claimed, springing from her chair.
$50 you said few moments ago, when
you read the Found advertisement, re-
monstrated her husband. But she hur-
RED through the doorway, the caution,
"Be careful what you say" ringing in
her ears.
you lost a watch; I found one" SO
began the man. Describe yours, please"
Mrs. Smith did so, while the stranger
kept his left hand closed, seemingly, over
the lost trinket.
"Your watch number = that I must
have" continued the man as she finished
a brief but clear description. Quite i'm
pressed by his concise, businesslike man
ner. she consulted card on which she
had methodically jotted down her treas
ure's number. The man repeated the
figures slowly after her.
After all, this doesn't appear to be
your watch" he said coolly, exhibiting a
cheap timepiece of rolled gold
Grumbling over the wasted moments,
she quickly donned her street suit and
fastened to the neighboring house from
where the Found" notice had issued
She was met on the threshold by the
neighbor herself, whose excited greeting
was:
80 glad we We're the fortunate finders
of your beautiful watch. Bridget saw it
shining on the pavement as she was light
ing the vestibule lamp. When your
brother called 90 minutes or so ago. we
were as pleased to give him the watch as
he was to get it. OF course we were care
full to have it described, which he did
accurately, giving the exact number"
etc.
Mrs. Smith is still minus her pretty
jewel, but she has learned q costly les
son.
The audacity of these house thieves is
often really amusing. They will go to
any extent and take the greatest risk to
accomplish their ends. One more exam
pie like the aforementioned, q true one:
In a commodious down town residence Il
valuable ornament i'll the library is a
bust of Andrew Jackson, cut in solid
marble by u master hand. The houses
head now i'll the great majority" ranks.
was IL man noted for his wide sympathies
and generous views. 1t did not excite
much comment at his house when, one
day, a couple of men called and stated
that the colonel had directed them to
carry the Jackson bust to his Office, not
far distant, where it was to figure in an
early political demonstration.
The ladies Of the family were not at
home, but an old Irish woman, who had
for years been a fixture in the kitchen,
caught sight of the bust as it was being
carried out of the door. She was at