The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-07-24
ADRoIT THIEVES OF INDIA.
No Question but That They Have Re-
duced Thieving to Fine Art.

No Question but That They Have Re-
duced Thieving to Fine Art,
A very interesting and valuable re-
port was issued several years ago by
the inspector Of prisons of the Indian
empire in which almost incredible ac-
counts are given of the practice of this
extraordinary art by the thieves of
lower Bombay. The thieves them
selves, with better reason, feel doubly
secure, for if, in spite of his INVISIBLE
| ty, by some unlocked for and unlucky
chance one is seized, his oily body slips
away like an cells and in the still more
| unlikely contingency of his being held
with an unbreakable grip, he has slung
| by a slender cord about his neck a lit
| tie knife with an edge as sharp as that
of the keenest razor. with which he
cuts the tendons of the intruding wrist,
This however, he considers a last re-
sort, for he prides himself upon doing
his work without inf1icting bodily harm
upon his victims.
To enter a zenana, or the Woman's
apartment in a native house, where all
the family treasures are kept, is the
ambition of every native thief This is
no easy matter, for the zenana Is the
center of the house, surrounded by 9TH
err apartments occupied by ever-wake-
full centinels. In order to reach it the
thief burrows under the house until his
tunnel reaches a point beneath the floor
of the room to which access is sought.
But the cautious native does not at
once enter. Full we'll he knows that
the inmates of the house sometimes de-
tect the miner at work and stand over
the hole, armed with deadly weapons,
silently awaiting his appearance. He
has with him a piece of bamboo, at one
end of which a bunch of grass repre-
sents human head, and this he
thrusts up through the completed
breach. If the vicarious head does not
come to- grief the real one takes it's
place, and the thief, entering the zena-
ma, secretes himself, or, finding every
thing already favorable for this pur-
pose, proceeds to attempt what seems
an impossible undertaking.
This, indeed, is no less a task than to
noses the earrings, bracelets, armlets,
bangles and nose rings of the sleepers
without awakening them, and to get
safely away with his plumber. Who
but dacoit would be equal to so deli
cate, dangerous and difficult a piece of
work But the daceit seldom fails.
"These adroit burglars" says my au-
thority, commit the most daring rob-
berries in the midst of the English
army. Knowing the position of the
tents, they mark out one which is occu-
pied by an officer of high rank and
creep silently toward it. Arrived at the
tent, their sharp knife makes them
door in the canvas, and they glide I'M
discovered into the interior. Indeed, so
wonderfully adroit are they that even
the very watchdogs do not discover
them, and a thief has been known to
actually step over a dog without dis
turbing the animal
But the most marvelously clever de-
vice practised by the thieves of lower
Bombay, is that used by the Mooches
in throwing pursuers off their track
The Mooches come down in gangs from
the back country and raid the settle
ments Their specially is poisoning
cattle. They smear plantain leaves
with their own particular brand of cat
tie exterminator, and scatter them
about among the herds at night. In
the morning as many of the cattle as