The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-08
THIEVES AND Ol[ENS.
HAPPENINGS IN. WHICH CROOKS SEE
SIGNS Or BAD LUCK.

Disaster, md Fridays and the Thir-
tccnth OF tho Month Arc Days on
Which They Shun Rogucry.
Professional criminals have many
superstitions. Not one in 100 will com
NIT IL theft Of any daring OH Il Friday
or on the 18th OF the month. In sup
port Of this superstition almost any old
time crook will cite the instance OF
Charles Mclaughlin. alias McLain. an
expert hotel sneak and all round Ih!cf
who worked III Now York city in the
early seventies. III 1872 he Il pal
named Howard ard two otlc, thieves
planned TO rob an office in EroOl,lyu.
The only date on which the job could
be done with profit and safety WAS on
June l3. On that day the cashiers
money drawer would be full and the
Office force would bu small. .il the
crooks regarded the date dubiouslv,
ard would have selected another. viii,
leg; prospect Of success. but for the
cXpostulation Of Mclaughlin. SO the
raid was made on The day originally
determined upon. 1t proved Il disas-
trous failure. All the men were caught
except Mclaughlin. who escaped
through n window. Those who were
captured were sent TO prison for seven
years each. Mclaughlin never had
any good luck after that. lie was
caught in the Westminster hotel. New
York. loaded with plumber. and was
sentenced OIL n Friday, the 18th OF the
month.
Thieves can tell many anecdotes TO
prove that Fridays and the 18th Of the
month are days set aside for rest. For
instance, they will tell you how Dan
Kelly. bank burglar, who worked In
and around Louisville, Ky. in the ear.
ly eighties, was killed OIL the 18th Of
December while robblng Il safe in 4
small town and how his partner was
struck by lightning while making his
escape.
Crooks In general avoid black cats
and blind dogs. 1t is regarded rs y
challenge to disaster and misfortune 10
kill either. If thief OH his way to
commit n theft sees u black cat or is
followed by n dog, he will probably
abandon the job for the time being. If
q black cat runs In front of him, he will
quit work for n week. In 1852 Frank
Mccormack. James Leonard. Tom
Freemont and Mike Duffy. safe blow
crs who were making their hcadGuar-
ters in Buffalo. went to Lockport one
night to rob n safe in the Office of
Touring mill which stood close to the
Central railway tracks. 1t was an
ideal spot for a burglary. because the
noise OF passing trains would dcaden
the sounds made while drilling and
blowing open the safe. The quartet
were passing through the railway
yards about . Il. III. when 4 black cat
dartcd across the tracks not two yards
ahead Of them and. stopping in the
shadow Of switch, howlcd hidcously.
All the men stopped.
You can count me out" said Duffy
to Leonard.
"You going to let that cat scare
you?" asked Leonard.
''That's just what l am" Duffy re-
torted.
Mccormack and Fremont staid with
Leonard Tie rrio got into the place
and bad just blown the door off the
safe when they were surprised by two
men fully armed. Freemont and Leon
ard were dangerously injured. They
and Mccormack were sentenced to six
years in Auburn prison. Leonard told
the story as here related to a Buffalo
detective present at the trial.
Most crooks lose their money at some
sort of gaming. 4 thief. especially
housebreaker, believes in working
while his luck Is good. For instance,
he will often leave n game he is win
ming to go out and commit q robbery,
believing that good luck will continue
to attend him. When he loses and Is
compelled to go out and rob, he Is nerv-
GUS, feeling that his i'll luck will con-
tinue. If burglar can touch hunch-
back. he Is corfident that his lucky star
will rise Immediately.
Once inside house there are many
things which are ominous to the sus-
ceptible housebreaker. For instance.
the sobhing Of child Is looked upon
as fOrerunner of discovery, and many
burglars will Immediately depart on
hearing such n noise. Another thing
which Is regarded as bad sign Is to
get In q room where q clock stops. If
1t stopped before the thief sees il, no
notice is taken. but IL it stops while he
is in the room he Will make haste to get
out Burglar Tom. who 20 years ago
was nm expert, had great faith in the
clock stopping sign and he relates this
story:
81 got Into q house in Montreal one
time. and was going through a mans
trousers pockets when a small clock In
the room stopped. I went on with my
search and was about finished when
a man In the bed beside me said.
Hands upv He had a gun and it was
pointed at me. l surrendered and did
seven years in prison for burglary. first
degree"
Pickpockets have a superstition of
their own. They believe that to pick
the pocket Of a one armed man Is fol-
lowed by bad luck Of some sort. They