The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-24
AMATEUR SHERLOCK *.
LEAVES FROM HIS NOTEBOOK ON
SIGN PICTURES OF BURGLARS.

chievous Boys Which nIean Nothing.
Tho amateur Sherlock Holmes has
added another chapter to his little note
book which records the Significance of
trities that are important clews to the
doings of the criminal classes Spots Of
ink, cigar ashes, marks on the finger and
the PARTICLES of dust in the folds Of an
umbrella arc all eloquent to this observ-
ant seeker after truth as revealing
times, places and occurrences i'll which
people may have been engaged There is
whole literature on the muds of New
York and vicinity, their color and con-
slstency and the various degrees of at
mospheric moisture under which they
will be reduced to fluid state, while
toothpicks and matches as characteristic
OF various restaurants and localities are
full of meaning.
Now it appears. by what the amateur
Sherlock Holmes has been revealing in
moment of confidence, that tho dead
walls of New York. stoops of houses,
basement entrances and area gatewuys
are the signposts of the criminal classes,
and that what look like tho rude scrawl-
ings of boys are i'll reality the secret
symbols by which burglars communicate
with each other.
Chalk marks under the edge Of one Of
your front steps may mean that your
house has been spotted and will be bro
ken into on 81 certain date a rude draw
ing on the area ratings may to the en-
llghtened eye of the initiated mean !:
This man has burglar alarm OH his
second story windows and keeps rcvolv-
or under his pillow, but the silver is in
the buffers pantry on the first floor, and
the house may he entered through the
second basement window, where the
latch is broken"
Tho fraternity which has developed
this sign language TO such high degree
of perfection shows considerable ingenu-
ityin its design, but no attempt is made
at accuracy of drawing, as that would
attract attention The sign pictures of
the burglars are made to look rs much
like the rude scrawls OF schoolbovs us
possible
Three figures were found scrawled on
the gateway of one house. The infor1na-
ton thus pictorially conveyed was to the
effect that the house was tenantcd by %
lady, one woman servant and bov page.
That he was "a boy page was indicated
by buttons on his coat, and the servant
was indicated by short skirt. dotted to
resemble print dress.
Another picture i'll the notebook of
the amateur Sherlock Holmes was more
easily deciphered, as it showed merely II
fierce bulldog guarding the house, II
warning to all members of the fratcr-
nifty. The next sign. taken from n house
In the suburbs, was more mysterious and
complicated, but upon study it finally
resolved itself into the announcement
that the man who lived there went out
to business at 9 in the morning and re-
turned ut in the evening
Another picture gathered by the anna
teur Sherlock Holmes during his pains
taking investigation of this subject
showed accurate information, as was
subsequently discovered, upon the part
of the sign writer as to the interior of
the house. 1t indicated that there were
three electric bells on the windows, and
that one woman servant was employed.
a crude drawing taken from under the
edge of "A stOop indicated that the serv-
ant there had been Squared, and this
house presumably WAS Just ready to be
burSlarized. Some of the booty expected
to be secured. together with warnings us
to possible difficulties to be met with,
were indicated by sign pictures of silver
spoons, coin and plate, together with
the statement that the place was CAL"
but there were significant sketches Of O
dog, revolver and electric bells to put
the thieves upon their guard as to what
to expect.
Frequently the burglars, says the
amateur Sherlock Holmes, put these
sign pictures on houses remote from
those to which they refer, and in this
case the identity of the latter is revealed
by mysterious symbols. This was the
case with rude drawing of honse dis
covered on 81 street corner. 1t represent
ed tall house with line barbed with
an arrowhead leading to the roof from
the street and indicating that the best
method of ingress was through the roof
Tho street and number Of this house
were also shown by succession Of nu-
merals which only the initiated could
understand
Don't get frightened when you see
chalk marks on your front stoop or area
gateway. The probabilities are that
they are merely the idiotic scrawls of
boys. At the same time examine them
closely, and if they seem to point to bur
glarious intent or design it might not be
q bad idea to report the matter to the
police The latter will probably laugh
at You among themselves, having not
yet developed many Sherlock Holmes
but the fact that the signs
have been noticed will, i'll some mvs--
fnriOa1S 1,o l.,,c,.r.x, A, IL.