The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-08
THIEVES AND Ol[E7ETTSs.
HAPPENINGS IN WHICH CROOKS SEE
SIGNS OF GAD LUCK.

Black Cats Arc Sure EorerrnneTs o9
Disaster. and Fridays and the Tllir-
tccnth Of the Month Arc Days on
Which TEey Shun Hogucry.
Professional criminals have many
superstitions Not one in 100 will COM
nit 8: theft Of any daring on Friday
or on the 18th Of the month. In sup
port of this superstition almost any ola
time crook will cite the instance Of
Charles Mclaughlin, alias McLan, an
expert hotel sneak and all round thief
who worked in New York city in the
early seventies In 1872 he. Il PAL
named Howard and two other thieves
planned to rob az Office in Brooklyn.
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 be small. All the
crooks regarded the date obviously,
and would have selected another. with
lccs prospect Of success, but for the
cxpostulation OF McLaughlin. SO the
raid was made on the day originally
determined upon. 1t proved a disas-
trous failure. All The men were cau"llt
except Mclaughlin, who escaped
through a 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 on 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 on the 18th Of
December while robbing q safe in
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 as
challenge to disaster and misfortune to
kill either. II a thief on his way to
commit theft sees 3. black cat or is
followed by a dog, he will probably
abandon the job for the time being If
a black cat runs in front Of him, he will
Quit work for week. In 1852 Frank
Mccormack, James Leonard. Tom
Fremont and Mike Duffy, safe blow
ers wao were making their hcadGuar-
ters in Buffalo. went to Lockport one
night to- rob q safe in the Office Of
Touring mill which stood close to the
Central railway tracks. 1t was IN
ideal spot for q burglary, because the
noise Of passing trains would deaden
! the sounds made while drilling and
blowing open the safe. The quartet
were passing through the railway
yards about a. III. when black clt
dartcd across the tracks not two yards
ahead Of them and, stopping in the
shadow Of i 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 am" Duffy re-
torted.
Mccormack and Fremont staid with
Leonard. The trio got into the place
and had 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 q Buffalo
detective present at the trial.
Most crooks lose their money at some
sort Of gaming y thief, especially q
houscbreaker believes in working
while his luck is good. For instance,
he will often leave game he is win
ming to go out and commit 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, Seeling that his i'll luck will con-
tinue. If burglar can touch hunch-
back, he is confident that his lucky star
will rise Immediately.
Once inside n house there are many
things which are ominous to the sus-
ceptible housebreaker. For instance,
the sobbing of child Is looked upon
as forerunner Of discovery, and many
burglars will Immediately depart on
hearing such Il noise Another thing
which is regarded as a bad sign Is to
get in O room where clock stops. II
| it stopped before the thief sees It, 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 an expert, had great faith in the
clock stopping sign and be relates this
story:
II got into house in Montreal one
time, and was going through mans
trousers pockets when q small clock in
the room stopped I went on with my
search and was about finished when
man in the bed beside me said,
Hands upv He had gun and it was
pointed at me. I 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 one armed man is fol-
lowed by bad luck Of some sort. They
sometimes believe that Il run Of the