The Banner-Democrat., 1894-12-01
AN ARTISTIC BURGLARY.
a Church Member Tells How He
Might Have Done It.

- Ot1 tdhVick, nad gone fo
o short holiday, accompanied by m
friend and parishioner, James OIIa
cram. Esq, the eminent iron me,
chant OF our city. He had been out O
sorts Tor some time. and this fact.
suppose, cauoed him to make the rev
eiat,on to me which have atte empte,
8 to record hereunder.
When he had finished his tale cam
TO another conclusion.
You may talk as you like. said m,
friend, "of the abilities of Campion O
any other detective, and the very mucl
cver-rated intelligence with which
some men are endowed. There is
however, great deal more of it. as
sure you, in the novel than in rea
life Now look around you," con
tinucd Mr. Ollacram, sand conside,
how many of our great crimes are
brought to light. Why, not one
tenth Of them. if we were dependen,
on tins wisdom and sagacity of Police.
man Az IL the criminal brings in
seliigcnce to his job the force is i'm
mediatelvat fault"
Yes, he continued, II am an au.
cnority upon the subject | have been
a burglar myself"
"fou?" ] exclaimed in horror.
Then, rising from my seat, almost
started upon run. He was man
whom had esteemed and respected,
and one OF the very pillars of my
church Mr.. 0llacram laughed quietly
at my excitement. His coolness was
irresistible. and could only excuse
MIN on the grounds that he had gone
suddenly mad.
"fou may stare replied Mr.. OLA
cram, smiling. but assure You there
is nothing ont of the way in my as
sertion. Sit down again calmly and
will tell you a short story
I'm the early part of my life I was
an artistic burglar, and ] made con.
siderable sum of money at the profes-
sion. The authorities never caught
me, and ! will tell you further that
they never even suspected me of a
crime. The reason is simple. thought
out my plans we'll before put them
into execution Il invaria bly, laid little
traps for the police who were to fol-
low on my trail, and Sherlock Holmes.
the prince of modern fstory) detectives.
would as surely have been landed in a
quagmire had he come ON one of my
purglaries, as he was IN his adventure
over the yellow Face.'''
] reseated myself on the very end of |
the form and listened to the following
in those days dismissed the qnes-
tion of morality from my mind alto
gether. ignored eli restraint except !
the restraint of public observation and |
public opinion.
My part was studied from the be-
ginning, alternative situations pro-
vided for, and, once planned out, per-
mitted myself to make no deviation.
) 1T was in this way that carried
put the burglary IN the residence of
our mutual friend and neighbor, Churn-
leigh, in Browns terrace"
"The houses in the terrace were all
alike. and as ! lived in one of them
with my parents was perfectly ia.
nlliar with the features of the others.
could go through them by night as
well as by day. Mr. Chumleigh was
respectable merchant, whose wife had
recently died, leaving him with three
children, the youngest of whom was
IN infant of but few weeks old.
His wife during her life had been
Tery fashionable woman, and was al
ways very lavish in her display of jew
,lry 1t was this jewelry thatattracted
ne. concluded that these articles of
a xy-yA, ct l.<, ~
N the third floor, lately occdpied By
hatlady. Ialso came to the conclusion
hat Mr.. Chumleigh now occupied a
liferent apartment. therefore de-
errnined TO gain access to the room in
which Mrs. Chunleigh had brcathed
Ter last trusted myself to be able
o do the rest
II sent our maid servant on one oc-
aston to the housekeeper, requesting I,
Ter to let my father try Mr.. Chum-
eigh's latch key, ON the plea that our .
stch key had been mislaid and we
rere consequently unable to open the
oor. In few minutes the girl re-
urned, ! had obtained the impression
4 wax, and the latch key, with many
hanks, was back in the custody of Mr..
shousekeeper. Tomanufac-
are a similar key was not work of
reat trouble to me, and I thus OBJ
lined the means of quiet access.
"As have said, always arranged
y burglarics with prcconceived
lea. Accordingly now picked up
a old pair of boots that had seen their
sst days ON the feet of costermon-
.r, doubtless, and cap that would q
ave been kicked bva workhouse mes
niger. | also obtained surreptitious- Q
the awl, hammer and twine. or a
7axed end,' from shoemaker who
sed IN the country. q
II next supplied myself with a used 2
lvelope, bearing a postmark, and a v
,rtion of a country newspaper With q
ese articles in my possession felt
tis6ed, as an artistic burglar, that a
uld outwit the most skillful detec- a
ye. had, of course, also the usual O
ID necessary instruments which per- II
in to tho faculty of housebreakers, "
cluding a leather sucker and a Z
azier's diamond, for the purpose of al
moving pane of glass noiselessly. II
il should be necessary to do SO. My u
t also included small crowbar or
mmy.' o
Mr. Chumleigh stayed late at his al
1b on certain nights, and. knowing m
is fact, enc night I'cleared for ac- to