The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-08
THIEVES AND O7NENS.
HAPPENINGS ny WHICH CROOKS SEE
SIGNS or BAD LUCK.

Disaster. and Fridays and the T'hir-
tccnth OF the Month Arc Days on
Which They Shun Rogucry.
Professional criminals have many
superstitions. Not one in 100 will COM
NIT theft Of any daring on 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, All
expert hotel sneak and all round thief
who worked in New York city in the
early seventies. III 1872 he. Il pa!
named Howard and two ot!icr thieves
planned to rob an office in I,rool,lyu.
The only date Oh which tie job could
be done with profit and safety was on
June 10. On that day the cashiers
money drawer would be full anl the
Office force would be small. All the
crooks regarded the date dubiously,
and would have selected another. will,
lcOs prospect of success. but for the
eXpOstulation Of McI.aughln. so the
raid WAS made on the day originally
determined upon. 1t proved dislS-
trous failure. All the men were cru.iit
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. He was
caught in the Westminster hotel New
York. loaded with plumber. and was
sentenced OH 4 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, a bank burglar, who worked in
and around Louisville, Ky, in the ear
ly eighties. was killed on the 18th OF
December while robbing a 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 =
kill either. If thief OH his way to
commit theft sees Il black cat or is
followed by a 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 4 week. In 1882 Frank
Mccormack, James Leonard. Tom
Fremont and Mike Duffy, safe blow
ers who were making their hcadQuar-
ters In Buffalo, went to Lockport one
night to rob a 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 . n. III. when q black cat
darted across the tracks not two yards
ahead OF them and, stopping in the
shadow Of Il switch. howled 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-
tortcd.
Mccormack and Fremont staid with
Leonard. The trio 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 10 six
years in Auburn prison. Leonard told
the story as here related to n Buffalo
detective present at the trial.
Most crooks lose their money ut some
sort Of gaming. a thief, especially q
housebreaker, believes in working
while his luck is good. For instance,
he will often leave a 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 nery-
GUS, feeling that his i'll luck will con-
tnue. If a burglar can touch hunch-
back, he Is confident that his lucky star
will rise Immediately.
Once inside house there are many
things which are ominous to the s1s-
ceptible housebreaker. For instance.
the sobbing OF a 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 room where clocp 3tops. IL
it stopped before the thief sees 1t, no
notice Is taken. but if 1t stops while he
Is In the room he Will make haste to get
out Burglar Tom. who 20 years ago
was IN expert, had great faith In the
clock stopping sign and he relates this
story:
Fl got into q house in Montreal one
time. and was going through mans
trousers pockets when small clock In
the room stopped. went on with my
search and was about finished when
man In the bed beside me said,
Hands upv He had gun and 1t was
pointed at me. I surrendered and did
seven years in prison for burglary. first
degree"
Pickpockets have n 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
sometimes believe that a run Of the