Evening star., 1897-02-06
Crooks WhoIInaie5 All Sorts of Petty
annoyance
WILL STEAL IF THEY HAVE 4 CHANCE
Their Object is to Get on the In
side Of Houses.
METHOD OF OPERATING

spectors OF some kind, realize more fully
than others the reason why the Comm:s-
sloners lad bill introduced in Congress
recently to punish bogus inspectors. This
bill originated in the health office with
DR.. Woodward. who knew of the petty an
noyances to which citizens have been sub
jected by these people.
The bill as originally prepared provided
only for bogus health inspectors, but this
was amended as to include all inspectors
connected with the District government,
ar the penalty for the first offense IS fixed
at not less than $40 nor more than $50 fine
while for each subsequent offense the pen
atty Is fine not to exceed 500 or impris-
onment not to exceed six months. or both.
There are in the employ of the District
government a great many persons known
as inspectors. Connected with the health
department there are sanitary and food
inspectors. while in other branches there
are persons of the same ank employed to
look out for the interests of the people.
These so-called bogus inspectors have
caused great amount of annoyance in
years past In addition to the large amount
Of goods they have stolen from houses
Even bogus garbage inspector may cause
trouble and perhaps commit a robbery.
Food inspectors might be impersonated to
paying extent. might a water nspec-
tor and, in fact, any person who is
powered to visit premises to make inspec-
tons.
How 1t is Done.
The bogus gas inspector has played a
prominent part in the police history Of the
city and has caused many anxious mo-
ments both to the police and his victim.
AT times this bogus inspector has operated
for several weeks at a time and has then
gone to other cities and repeated his crook
edness. Oftentimes this Individual does not
call with the intention of robbing the house
on sight, but merely to locate the interior
arrangements in order that he may lay
plans for midnight visit. More frequent
ly, perhaps. he fumbles with the gas fix
iIgs, and, as he must necessarily be polite
and polished, he finds very little, if any,
trouble in gaining the confidence of the
lady of the house. Being gentlemanly as
he of course is, he may be watched the
first time he calls. but upon the occasion of
his second visit the lady feels a delcacy
IN Following him about end watching his
movements. In fact, he is seldom suspected
of being anything other than an honest
be ma fide inspector, and what he does not
learn of the interior of the house certainly
is not worth knowing.
Should the opportunity present itself
and it usually does-he helps himself to
jewelry or other small valuables or money
and 1t is not Until he has departed that the
hcusekeeper discovers herself the victim of
a confidence man. Then 1t is that the po-
lice are called in; but as this confidence
man is often q stranger, it is usually hard
to locate him Some of these men have
even gone SO 1af as TO wear the bius. uni
form and brass buttons and they carry with
them implements enough to make a good
showing. Upon the occasion of the first yis-
II the thief sometimes makes a haul al
though, as tlle. as already stated he Is
watched and has to give an excuse TO re-
turn and make further investigation of the
pipes. With the bogus gas man he can
gam entrance to all parts of the house in
man who impersonates the water inspector
has 4 Emaller field. There are no tips ana
Jets about every room to be overhauled
or replaced, and there is not a meter to be
biown out His field generally confines him
10 the bath room or closets inside the house
or a hydrant or closet in the yard Be
cause of the locations of the water fixtures
the men who impersonate these inspectors
are usually of 2 lower order for the reason
that their field of operations is small and
the class of material to be stolen is of lit
Tie value except when handsome orna-
ment or stray pocketbook may be found
But in great majority of the cases these
inspectors are shown only in the yards and
outer sheds, and many of them seem con-
tent to take some rough and inexpensive
article. such as would be found about a
yard Or shed.
Chance for Good Hauls.
those who impersonate inspectors of the
health department, as a rule have better
opportunities to make good hauls although
the character of some of the works renders
IL impossible for them to obtain anything
more than a small amount of money or
some articles of food. For instance the
man no pretends he is a food insDector
operates among stores throughout the
city. He cannot call at the big stores or
market benches, for these dealers are too
we'll acquainted with the regular officials
ana any effort to impersonate the latter
would no doubt meet with detection and
perhaps arrest. But among the smaller
dealers, and especially those whose places
are remote from the center of the city he
tod -f,,l1,r
who seldom sees such an individual as
food inspector, would hardly stop to uues-
ton the mans credentials. and If the in
spector arbitrarily says he will condemn
1000 that Is good there is apparently no
redress. All the dealer can do is to give
up the articles of food the alleged inspec-
tor wants to condemn, and then to com
plain to the health officer, only to find
himself the victim of a sharper Even
worse than this. the crook may be willing
Tor small consideration to refrain from
making condemnation, and there are
many persons who would give up a small
amount OF money to save themselves the
trouble of going to court or losing their
goods, as they suppose at the time In
some cases 1t has appeared that the bogus
inspector was a crook on small scale,
who was driven to it because of hunger
When such is the condition of affairs he
takes away, perhaps, few pounds of
meat that Is little old, or some veg
etables that have been in stock for several
days. With the sanitary inspectors who
are frequently termed back yard detec-
tives, it is pretty much the same as with
the water inspectors. for most of their
work is confined to the yards and sheds.
where there are not many valuables to he
taken.
Hard to Catch.
The police say that the professional who
works this game is about the hardest thief
to apprehend. Several years ago two
bogus water Inspectors were arrested by
Detectives Mattingiyrand Edelin,, and then
the men were sapprehended only after a
severe struggle, which. followed a long in
vestigation. When cornered these men
showed fight, and one of the detectives had
to use considerable violence to subdue
them. They were tried and given sem
tences of three years each in the peniten-
tiary. But the bbgus gas man, who has an
Grated here, ast we'll in almost every
other large citys has never been overtaken.
although his operations cover period of
a number of years. and his plunder prob
ably amounts to sevefal thousand dollars.
1t is certain, SO the police say, that the
same man hassoperated in the different
cities, for splendid descriptions of him have
been obtained. >lHe hhs not worked here
for several years, and the police would NOT
be surprised to hear Of his return AT an
early date. This man is the one who
wears a uniform. already mentioned
so that the appearance Of such an indiyid.
ual. who comes unsolicited, should be thor
foraf fod hofn ho