Connecticut western news., 1895-06-27
AMATEUR SHERLOCK.
LEAVES FROM HIS NOTEBOOK ON
 SIGN PICTURES OF BURGLARS.

What Chalk Marks on tho Front stoop or |
 Gate May Mean-on the Other Hand. |
 They May Be Only the scr.wIs of Mis- |
 chievous Boys Which Mean Nothing.
 The amateur Sherlock Holmes has | added another chapter to his little note- book which records the significance of trifies that are important olews 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 are all eloquent to this observ- ant seeker after truth as revealing times, places and occurrences in which people may have been engaged. There is whole literature on the muds of New York and vicinity, their color and con- sistency 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 the dead walls of New York, stoops of houses, basement entrances and area gateways are the signposts of the criminal classes, and that what look like the rude scrawl- ings of boys are in 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 a certain date. A rude draw ing on the area railings may to the en- | frightened eye of the initiated mean: "This man has burglar alarm on his second story windows and keeps a revolv- CT under his pillow, but the silver is in the butler pantry on the first floor, and the house may be entered through the second basement window, where the latch is broken"
 The fraternity which has developed this sign language to such high degree of perfection shows considerable ingenu- ity in 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 as much like the rude scrawls of schoolboys as possible
 Three figures were found scrawled on the gateway of one house. The informa- tion thus pictorially conveyed was to the effect that the house was tenanted by lady, one woman servant and boy 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.
 IL .~f the amateur Sherlock Holmes was more easily deciphered, as it showed merely fierce bulldog guarding the house, a warning to all members of the frater- nity. The next sign, taken from 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 in the morning and re- turned at c 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. It 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 stoop indicated that the serv- ant there had been Squared, and this house presumably was just ready to be burglarized. Some of the booty expected to be secured, together with warnings as 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 "A1, !" but there were significant sketches of a 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 a house dis covered on a street corner. It represent ed a 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. The street and number of this house were also shown by a succession of nu- , morals 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
 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
 propensities, but the fact that the signs 3 have been noticed will, in some mys' , terious way, soon be known to the crim' : inals, and those enterprising gentry may
 be frightened off.-New York World. Lepcrs Tn the World.
 Acrordinu to Mulhall leprosy is fal