The evening times., 1899-09-21
HOMEMADE BURGLAR sCAREs
Some of Them Seem to BE Successful
Devices and Some Do Not.
(From the Minneapolis

Devices and Some Do Not.
From the Minneapolis Record)
While Minneapolis is remarkably free
from burglars, there are thousands OF
householders in the city who live in mortal
terror OF those seldom seen, but often
heard-of persons. and many are the devices
resorted to by the timid TO frighten away
the marauders. This is particularly true
when applied to those citizens who make
practice of locking up their homes for a
month or so every summer and going TO the
lakes or 10 the watering places of the past.
Probably the most unique burglar check
er in the city is owned by physician re-
siding on the cast side He has fine
home well filled with costly bric-a-brae
of all kinds, and as he is away with his
wife large portion of the time every sum-
mer. leaving his home alone. he has pro-
cured nicely polished skeleton, which re-
clines in an easy chair in the parlor. The
bones have been treated TO a coat Of phos-
phorescent paint, and any burglar who has
courage enough to approach the grinning
skull on a dark night deserves 10 be well
rewarded for his bravery.
This doctor has brother. who arrived
unexpectedly in the city few weeks ago.
and not knowing the doctor and his wife
were away, went to the residence and let
himself in with a pass key he carried. The
QOuSb ~dS uOI iiSulSu. uO OGS OSIA6
home. and almost the first thing the
brother ran across was the skeleton; the
fieshless jaws opened in a sneer and the
bony arms outstretched as if to clasp him.
The young man was unaware OF the doc
tors burglar checker habit, and. being
badly frightened drew a revolver and
began firing at the skeleton.
Another resident of the city pins his
! faith to huge quantities of tinware placed
| upon the window ledges and over the
doors, from which places they will be
| thrown should any of the windows or doors
be opened by a person not knowing the
combination. On two occasions burglars
have made a raid upon the house and car
ried away nearly everything except the tin
| ware, which was not disturbed in the least.
1t proved effective in but one case. and this
was when the owner of the house returned
from the lake one evening and failed to
remember the trap he had set
AS he pushed open the door of his home
| there was crash and clatter that nearly
!! scared him to death and brought all the
!, neighbors within block to the scene on
run A policeman, who happened to be new
| in that locality, also came, and the unfor-
/ tunate householder had most difficult
| task convincing him that he had perfect
| right to throw tinware and kettles around
| the house If he wanted to, as he had paid
! for it and likewise owned the house and
! all it contained.
One of the most amusing burglar stories
ever told was at the expense ef q society
| woman whose name is often mentioned in
connection with the doings in high life.
! Her plan for keeping burglars from the
| house worked in a way she did not expect
and caused all kinds of trouble.
Dear John" read the note which she
| left attached to the front door when she
departed for the lake, leaving the hus-
band to run the house alone, when you
come home from the office do not open this
door, as there is a big rattlesnake loose
in the house, and it will be sure to bite
you"
| The woman reasoned that her husband
! would be sure to turn the card over. so
she transcribed ON the back of il this re-
/ assuring little note:
There is no snake, Frank; it Is simply
/ a burglar scare, you see. Pin the card up
again, so the house will be safe when you
leave it. The silver is hidden in the little
! china closet in the buffers pantry"
1 If Frank had turned the card over all
would have been well, but this he did Lot
| do, but the burglar who visited the house
| before him did, and the result was that the
house was robbed of several hundred dol
| lars worth of goods.