Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-15
AMATEUR SHERLOCK.
LEAVES FROM HIS NOTEBOOK ON
SIGN PICTURES OF BURGLARS.
What Chalk Marks on the Front Stoop OF
Gate May Mean-On the Other Hand
They May BE Only the Scrawls OF Mis-.
chievous Boys Which Mean Nothing.

Oate May Mean-On the Other Hand,
They May BE Only the Scrawls 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
trlf1es 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 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 Il 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 Il certain date. \ rude draw
ing on the area ratings may to the en-
lightened eye of the initiated mean
This man hls burglar alarm on his
second story W indows and keeps n revolv-
er under his pillow, but the silver is in
the buffers pantry on the first floor, and
the house may be entered through the
second basement window, where the
latch is mol.en."
The fraternity which has developed
this sign language to such high degree
of perfection shows considerable ingenu-
ity i'll 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-
ton thus pictorially conveyed was to the
effect that tho house was tenanted by u
lady, one woman servant and Il boy page
That he was u boy page was indicated
by buttons on his coat, and the servant
was indicated by short skirt, dotted to
| resemble Il print dress.
Another picture III the notebook Of
the amateur Sherlock Holmes was more
easily deciphered, as it showed merely a
fierce bulldog guarding the house, a
warning To all members Of the frater-
nifty. The next sign, taken from house
in the suburbs, was more mysterious and
complicated, but upon Il study it finally
resolved itself into the announcement
that the man who lived there went out
to business at i'll 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 he
burglarized. Some Of the booty expected
to be secured, together with warnings rs
| to possible difficulties to ne met with,
We're indicated by sign pictures Of silver
spoons, coin and plate. together with
| the statement that the place was AL"
| but there We're significant sketches of n
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 Oh houses remote from
those to which they refer, ard i'll this
case the identity IF the latter is revealed
| by mysterious symbols. This was the
case with rude drawing Of house dis
covered on n street corner. 1t 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
|
| were also shown by Il 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 scrayls 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
have been noticed will, in some mys-
FERROUS way. soon be known to the GRIM
inals, and those enterprising gentry may
be frightened off.-New York World
Lcpers In the World.
According to Mulhall, leprosy is far
more prevalent i'll Europe than most
y IL