Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-07-23
ODD FEELINGS or THIEVES
SOMETIMES HAVE NO REASON OR
WISH TO STEAL.

SOMETIMES HAVE NO REASON OR
WISH TO STEAL.
Criminals Work for the Excitement OF the
Thing--.RsvslatIons BY Member Of the
Dark fraternity.
Thieves are not always mercenary.
They do not themselves know very Of
ten why they steal, but in talks had
with them from time to time, as they
have been brought to metropolitan po-
lice headquarters they have shown un-
Intentionally that many attractions be-
sides plumber keep them what they
are. Except with the kleptomaniac.
gain may have been the primal pur-
pose. The experienced thief, however,
like the criminal born, Is so far beyond
the material view OF his trade that he
seldom reverts to that aspect Of 1t. He
has forgotten what he was after.
IF you only could know the feel Of
lifting watch when the man what
carries it is looking right at you, and
hear him apologize for showing against
you when you shove against him to
make him not feel the lift"
A pickpocket said this one day, and
as he spoke light came into his eyes
not unlike that with which an artist
Eliminates his praise Of bit of tech
niQue. 1t Is an unfinished sentence,
but that is the way thieves and politi-
clans have of expressing themselves on
such subjects. They assume intelli-
gence in the listener. The politician
says: IF you had chance to do job
easy and no risk" you would steal too,
of course, is the conclusion of both.
In fact, thieves assume that If con-
ventional people understood their bust
ness from the criminal point Of view,
thieving would be less harshly judged
and more universal. Let us see.
Captain O'Brien had among his pris-
Oners last week young man who had
been one of three burglars who en-
tered country house. He was weep
ing when the interview began. The
captain had been trying to max. him
confess, and the burglar pleaded that
the last time he had give up" (con-
fessedD his comrades in prison had
abused him for It, They kicked him
when in line, tripped him to get him
punished for stumbling, heaved gran
lite chips at him when breaking stone,
dropped things on him when In bed,
jeered at him, ostracized him, and in
various ways made his Imprisonment
hard. The reporter treasured him; 1t
was an Interview, not a confession.
that was sought. Why was he thief?
He began by stealing bicycles. His
sister had married a "bike-lifter," and
there was money in it, so he went into
it for n sordid reason. But he related
incidents Of exciting chases, once, for
instance when he was arrested, locked
up, and discharged with a reprimand
TO the cop by the magistrate, and his
tears dried. His face became animat-
ed. He told about how in search Of
something not so dead easy" he and
his brother-in-law turned to burglary.
Sneak rObberies occupied them at
first, and furnished enough excite
ment. Then they ventured flat-thiev-
ing. There was some adventure in that
till the man who afterwards led them
to higher work laughed at their proud
boast Of triumphs over women and
children in daylight. They must do n
"second-story job" If they wished to
acquire standing as good men," A
country house was watched for days
till the habits of the occupants were
known to the plotters. Observation
was supplemented by flirtations with
the servants, and at last night was
decided on for the burglary.
Maybe you think it amt nothing"
he said, ito be sneaking through a
house you don't know about. Most
people are scared of men in the dark
come to rob them. But tell you the
people that know the house and belong
in it are OH top every time. They know
the ground. That night l trembled so
me brother-in-law took away the can
die out Of me hand. / was all sweat
and cold. The sounds was awful. Ev-
erything creaked and the other fellows
seen was dead scared. So Bob he up
and Just to show me picked up big
pot and flung it against the wall. 1t
blew up like a cannon and fell in
pieces with a rattle OH the wood floor.
l stood still, me hair crept over me
forget that. couldn't run or l would
"a. And they laughed, or Bob did. Me
brother-in-law only smiles like. He
said afterwards he wasn't scared, but
he was"
Bob's bit Of bravado was unprofes-
sional. He and his pals are second-rate
burglars.
They struck a frightened woman in
the face with revolver that night.
and the result was the case attracted
extraordinary attention, and the bur-
glars were run down and sent to
prison. They were out for adventure,
and with that purpose was mixed up
the idea of having something to brag
about to bigger thieves. Even these
burglars, however. did not talk about
what they stole. That was utterly sub
ordinate to the excitement and the
tickled vanity, for they thought, Of
course the reporter admired them.
"Good men," in criminal and police
parlance, are thieves who do "clean
work" That is to say, they plan rob-
berry and carry it through without
noise, without injuring anyone, and
without leaving n clue behind them.
1t Is a rule among such men never to
shoot. They carry arms and draw
them to brighten alarmists into silence,
hut IL n bluff ia not successful thev nre-