The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-25

small town. and how his partner was
struck by lightning while making his
escape
Crooks in general avoid black cats
and blind dogs. It is regarded as
cnallenge to disaster and misfortune to
XIII either. If a thief on his way to
commit a theft sees a black cat or is
followed by a dog he will probably
abandon the job for the time being
III black cat runs in front of him
ne will quit work for a week. In 1882
FRANK Mccormack, James Leonard.
Tom Fremont and Mike Duffy, safe
blowers who were making their head
quarters In Buffalo, went to Lockport
one night to rob a safe in the office
of a Touring mill which stood close to
the Central Railway tracks. 1t was
an ideal spot for a burglary, be cause
the noise of passing trains would dead
en- the sounds made while drilling and
blowing open the safe. The quartette
We're passing through the railway yards
about a. m. when a black cat darted
across the tracks not two yards ahead
of them and, stopping in the shadow
of switch howled hideously. All the
men stopped.
You can count me out" said Duffy
to Leonard.
"You going to let that cat scare
your asked Leonard.
That's just what 1 am" Duffy re-
torted.
Mccormack and Fremont stayed
with Leonard. The trio got into the
place and had just blown the door of
the safe when they were surprised by
two men fully armed. Fremont and
Leonard were dangerously injured.
They and Mccormack were sentenced
to six years in Auburn prison. Leonard
told the story as here related to a Buff
falo detective present at the trial.
Most crooks lose their money at some
sort of gaming, A thief, especially a
housebreaker, believes in working
while his luck is good. For instance, he
| will often leave a game he is winning
| to go out and commit a robber, believ-
! ing that good luck will continue to at
| tend him. When he loses and is COM
PEELED to go out and rob he is nervous,
| feeling that his ill-luck will continue.
| If burglar can touch a hunchback
he is confident that his lucky star will
rise Immediately.
Once inside house there are many
things which are ominous to a suscep-
tible housebreaker. For instance. the
sobbing of a child is looked upon as
a forerunner of discovery and many
burglars will Immediately depart upon
hearing such noise. Another thing
| WHICH Is Regarded as a Ddu sign is 10
! get in a room where a clock stops.
If it stopped before the thief sees it
no notice is taken, but if it stops while
| he is in the room he will make haste
| to get out. Burglar Tom, who, twenty
years ago. was an expert. had great
faith in the clock-stopping sign, and
| he relates this story:
II got into a house in Montreal one
| time and was going through a mans
| trousers pockets when a small clock
! in the room stopped. 1 went on with
my search and was about finished
when a man in the bed beside me said
! Hands up!' He had a 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 an one-armed man is
| followed by bad luck of some sort.
| They sometimes bellies that a run of
the hardest kind of luck will befall the
thief who robs blind man.