Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-06-20
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WATCHDOG'S WEAK POINT.
A Burglar Tells His Secret For SOoth
ing the MOSt Savage Brutes.

A Burglar Tells His Secret For sooth-
Ing the MOSs Savage Brutes.
James Seymour, an old burglar who
has spent most OF his life in the state
prisons of New York and New Jersey
for house breaking, has just begun an
other ten years term for jobs commit
ted in Mount Vernon, Pelham and 9TH
er suburban towns. Chief Foley found
ii houses which Seymour attempted to
enter, and Seymour was convicted of
getting into two Of them and carrying
away a lot of silverware and clothing
In both houses large watchdOgs
were kept on guard, and Chief Foley
and the owners were at a loss to under
stand how the burglar could have pried
open the windows without causing
them to bark and arouse the house
holds. Curiosity finally led the chief
to question Seymour, and the old bur-
glar gave him the recipe just before he
left for Sing Sing prison.
Getting past dogs is dead easy IL you
know how to go about it," said the bur
glar. "Old crooks understand the trick
SO well that it's not often a dog bothers
them. He may give a few growls if
he's in the house but there's way to
quiet him quick. Some people.are fool
ish enough to think that burglars carry
steak, chops, dog bread or something Of
the kind about in their pockets to feed
the critters with or that they chloro-
form them, but this is a mistake.
"All we have TO do Is to hunt up a
horse just before we start on the job
and rub our hands several times up
and down one of his legs, at the same
time touching the fetlock. 1t don't
matter what kind of an old skate he
is. There's something about the scent
of horses fetlock that will make any
dog your friend the minute he smells
it. I've tried 1t dozens Of times, and
it never failed"
Seymour then told how he got into a
house in New Jersey which was guard
ed by four Of the fercest bulldogs he
ever saw.
81 knew that the brutes were there
and that they were likely to make me
trouble" said he, $50 just before |
tackled the place 1 stopped along the
street and rubbed my hands a good
five minutes on the fetlocks of an old
horse that was hitched to a cab stand
ing in front Of n rumshop. Then
made for the house and began careful
like to pry open the window to the din
ing room.
1T was moonlight, and / could see
all Of them silver shining on the side
board, but 1t looked like mighty
risky job to try to get it with them
four ugly brutes stretched out a-guard-
ing it. But things were slow with me,
and l was determined not to let the
chance go by, so | sawed the catch
and then raised the sash easy SO as not
to make any noise.
"Once or twice one Of the dogs gave
q low growl, and had to lay low, but
when l finally got the sash up enough
to shove in my hands 1t was all over.
The minute they smelled them up they
got and came over to the window and
began licking my fingers. When | got
in, they never made growl, but fol
lowed me around the room like pet
lambs while l gathered up the silver
ware and dropped it in my bag"
"But what is there about the fetlock
of a horse that attracts the dogsT"
asked Chief Foley.
you've got me-" responded Seymour.
81 never heerd anybody explain it. The
receipt was give to me by an old man
In Trenton prison that used to steal
dogs, and I've been using it ever since
when occasion requires. 1t works so
fine that l believe 1 could take the
watchdogs away with me after l rob
the houses If 1 wanted to be bothered
with the brutes. New York Sun.