The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-24

] AeA~A ~ AA+N Win "a nN'4rA ANuA NEANlllh
70 the kitchen. To saw out panel was
the work Of a few minutes. then the lock
was shot back and the burglars we're IN
the house According to a watchman who
guards the houses. this must have been
after / o'clock in the morning. for at
that hour. he says he IS sure no one
had entered the house. And when it IS
known that the thieves had departed with
their booty at O'Clock. it may be sur
missed they wasted no time looking for
valuables
Softly they made their way to the third
floor. where are the sleeping rooms OF
Mr.. Hoffman and his wife. These rooms
are separated by a passageway from
which door leads out into the hall.
This door is locked at night. although
the doors from the han to the bedrooms
are open
The burglars didn't dare 60 al once into
the bedrooms. Their first work was TO
pick the lock Of the door leading 10 the
passageway. Once there it was easy for
them TO enter a large dressing room. Bur
I Il is likely they waited to see If the Sleep
ers were disturbed By the intrusion. The
door from Mrs. Hofman's room to the
passageway had been left open. They
I thought it prudent to close it. This was
the only time any noise was made Mrs
Hoffman heard the door click as il closed
but, believing il had been swung to by
the wind, she paid no attention to it,
As 70 whether one Of the men orept into
Mr.. Honman's room and took away his
revolver there is some doubt II would
have been a foolhardy adventure. for the
revolver was In a drawer IN a dressing
table, and drawers do not always open
without some sound. Sull. this may have
been done. although the police and Mr..
Hoffman incline to the belief that who
ever Il was that gave 70 the burglars
their Information concerning the house
and the valuabes must have taken the
precaution. some days before. 10 remove
the weapon.
In bureau in the large dressing room
was a compartment secured by an ordi-
nary lock. In which the family jewelry
was secreted. To force open this lock
was no trouble and there. before the
burglars. was a wealth Of booty such as a
thief does not stumble upon often. This
Is what the burglars selected before they
noiselessly wandered back down stairs;
One pearl necklace. With six rows OF
pearls and a diamond clasp.
Two tortoise-shell combs. studded with
diamonds
A large diamond pin.
A pair OF earrings. each set with a black
diamond. surrounded with diamonds.
Two solitaire diamond rings. one pearl
ring and two other rings set with
sapphires and diamonds.
Trrn Minis sal with IIurF nalrfe
A gold bracelet in which were set large
white pearls
A pair Of diamond bracelets.
A watch. the cases Of which were crust
ed with diamonds.
Two other watches and miniature
case
In the pantry the burglars halted and
then they decided to refresh themselves
after such a good nights work They
brought out bottle OF Scotch whisky and
some others OF Bordeaux; but thay did
not ike the liquor straight, and they
helped themselves TO two siphons OF
vichy There was some meat m the ice-
box. and this they brought out together
with a dish OF fruit
There. with their pockets bulging With
the Jewels they sat and ate and drank as
carelessly as II they were IN their own
homes and there was no such thing as
prison for a househrcaker caught IN the
act Thoughtless as Il may seem, II Il
was not done with the idea Of disarmlng
the suspicious OF any who might spy upon
them. the window shades OF the pantry
were drawn high SO that from the street
any pedestrian might see them as they
feasted.
Then with an eye Tor further loot al-
though that they had obtained was val
ued al $4,000. they Inspected the silver
ware. They even thought OF carrying it
away. and to do so they wrapped it in an
apron. But a second thought must have
come TO them. they left Il behind. and.
without attempting 70 open the safe in
which they must have known more vai-
uable silver was kept they made their
departure. and on the table they LEFT their
bottle OF chloroform
what manner of man. you ask. Is ne
who win go about robbery in such a care
ful painstaking way2 How FAR will be
go 70 remove one who may come upon
him and stand In the way 81 his escape?
Would he use his rcvolver2 Would ne
chloroform. even to the point Of death.
one who he fears might awaken and in-
terrupt him7 10 might be- well 10 listen to
what a detective who has spent many
years In the study Of burglars and their
methods has to say about these questions:
"The housebreaker OF to-day is a far
different fellow from the burglar Of d de-
cade ago. He is generally a man OF more
than average Intelligence. IS IS cool
calm and deliberate. be is minimizing an
chances OF capture and he studies care
fully every move be is about % make
believe that most of these men have con-
federates whom they get into the houses
OF the rich. simply that they may get a
plan Of the house, learn where the jewel
~ IS kept and where the various persons
Of the family sleep These tools DO not
generally stay in the employ until the
night set FOR the robbery. They may o.
of more aid outside.
EFT may be taken as an axiom that any
iawhreaker viii submit 10 almost any
thing rather than shoot one who inter-
rupfs him. with the idea Of killing him.
They may shoot. but it IS only % wound
the man. that be may not keep them from