Middletown transcript., 1895-11-30
BURGLAR TOOL MAKERS.
They Manufacture the Finest 1mplemer
of Their Trade.

Of Their Trade.
When Dutch Gus, one of the most
expert and dangerous bank burglars,
was captured few years ago, the
most complete set of burglars tools
ever made was found in his posses.
sion and it now lends added interest
to the collection of burglars imple-
ments on exhibition at police head
quarters.
Dutch Gus said he made his tools
himself and could rival any tool
maker in the country. In following
up the suggestion given by him
when he was put through the third
degree, made famous by former
Chief of Police Byrnes, the police
learned that all the craoksmen of
the higher class depend entirely
upon themselves for tools they re-
quire in cracking safes.
The police were for many years at
loss to learn where burglars Sc
cured the tools so necessary to their
trade. Although complete sets of
tools were repeatedly captured when
a noted safe worker was arrested,
the next arrest would be followed by
the discovery of an equally valuable
set of tools. It was not long before
Steve O'Brien, Phil Reilly, Jake
Won Gerichten and Charles Heidel-
berg discovered. quite by accident,
a small cellar shop in Bleeoker
street, wherein an old German tool
maker ground out the finest imple-
ments of the burglars stock in trade.
Down in a basement near the cor
ner of Mott street, and within a
stones throw of police headquarters,
this German toolmaker conducted a
small and apparently Improbable
business. Finally the headquarters
detectives, whose duties took them
down around headquarters at night,
noticed that the old German had
many customers after the tenement
house dwellers had forsaken the
sidewalks and sought their hard and
uncomfortable couches for the night.
The detectives made quiet inves-
tigation and reported their discov-
cries to former Chief of Police
Byrnes, who was then making the
record for the detective bureau Of
the New York police force which
has made it famous the world over.
Byrnes was not slow to realize what
was going on, and although the law
gave the chief of the detective
bureau no right to interfere with
the old mans business moral sua-
sion was used and the trade pursued
by the German toolmaker was bro
ken up and nobody has since tried to
build up business in that particu-
lar line.
George McCluskey said, when I
asked him where the burglars of the
higher class secured their tools, a
few days ago: "The burglars make
their tools now, although formerly
they were made by various toolmak-
srs about the city. The tools in use
today are far different from those
which were used to crack a safe 20
years ago. Then it would almost
AXE truck to carry the assortment
If tools, but now the bank burglar
ian stow away in corner of his
pocket tools enough to crack any
'afe in the country.
"Of course, when they require
'ome tool Of intricate design, they
20 to a toolmaker, but the general
'un of tools they are thoroughly Ca
,able of making themselves. Most
# the fine work on safes now is |
lone with the diamond drill and |
dynamite. A holo is drilled in the |
afe door, just above the combina-
ion lock, charge of dynamite is |
Inserted and then the combination
s blown apart and the door opens. |
The diamond drill and dynamite can
,e carried il a mans pocket. Safe
and vault robberies have
,een few and far between of late
ears, as most of the really clever
workers. are in state prison, where
hey are out of the way of tempta-
ion. New York Herald.