The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-28
SET OF SKELETON KEYS.
Burglars Can Open Any Ordinary
Door With These Bits of Iron.


In Denver Jail one day last week was
a man who is perhaps better versed IN
modern burglary than any criminal who
has been in this city for a long time. He
was being held for investigation, and he
wanted drink of whisky very badly.
Thus it happened that a reporter for the
Sunday Post exchanged half pint bottle
The burglar. who was released for lack
of evidence, and who is out of town now,
has been allowed to tell it in his own way.
Where the Vernacular is obscure the
meaning of the "patter' or language o.
crime is inelosed in parentheses. The
manner in which the uD-tO-date burglar
works is described as follows:
You see,'' said he, I'VE don't have to
kick in dumps (houSes) these days; we
simply turn them off We manufacture
our own screws (keys) and go into any
place that looks good to US In looking
town over We notice a place possessing
the material that we are after. The next
move is find whether or not it is Topped
whether somebody sleeps in the storel.
If not orc of US close him up watch him
come out and lock the door, Then We tan
him and put him to bed follow the pro-
prtetor and observe his actions until ne
turns out the lights and retireS)- Then
unless he is Wised UP (has a Yale lock on
his door, we stall about the place until
the bull (pOliceman} on the beat has
blowed tout of sight and turn him off.
IF he has a cylinder or hog eye clout
QOck) on mis- door we walk IN as speedily
as does the proprietor when opening his
place of business. Fer instance, if il is a
pig iron dump hardware store) we weed
out a few shives (Snives and raZors) and
a gat or two (revOlvers), walk out, throw
him on Qock the door and go on about
our business. Should it be a clothier We
enter the same way, weed out a few pairs
of stripes (trouSers). a benjamin or TWO
(OvercOats), a clean skin (shirts), and
blow Ego away, after having showed him
up locked the door. Usually we take a
gap at the chip money drawer)-
If nothing is doing, we nope away,
tiekled that we nave at least done ntsie
business Frequently We have to break
down chip. for they have these new
tangled key fake combinations. 1t is no
trouble, however, to coup (steaD
drawer down enough TO take gapoings
Qook) as to its contents.
Iowa is the best state I know of for
wedding. The graft IS so good, indeed,
that know bulls (policemen) who Will
stand for the push il the sWag (piunder)
is cut up divided.
Many OF the kid (smalD towns are
wised 0p (have Yale locks. but the ma
jority of towns are rummies 20 the Weed
areanous and are nightly being carried
away know OF one dump (store)s a
shoe store in central Iowa. that was run
into insolvency by the weeders.
In working shoe stores we take out
the shoes and return the empty boxes to
their places. The proprietor never comes
to (find out that he is loser until some
sucker wants TO buy pair OF kicks, and
in taking down his stock he discovers he
is up against 1t.
81 know of cases where clerks have
been fired on account of missing stock.
the proprietor claiming that nobody but
they could possibly be responsible fer
missing goods.
''Depots are a good graft. They are so
easy. usually cylinder clouts, and it is
as easy to go TO them center them) as 1t
is to go into your own room.
I have made many one and on one
or two occasions have found a placard on
the safe reading Don't blow up the safe,
1t is OPEN On these instances we usually
find from s. to $40 We appropriate the
same and blow (catch a train)
on holidays, such, for instance, as the
Fourth of July, we prOWl slows; that is,
NE go into the jungles and work the
houses of farmers whom we see leaving
usually develop much. An occasional
block (Vatch9. hoop (ringl or a gold
pair OF glims teye-glasseS) is generally
the pay for our trouble.
4 find that a large majority of the rail-
road and farming element are next to the
weed and they frequently give Us their
measures for a pair of pants or other
articles they need and request US to bring
them along. OF course. they get the stuff
at d cheap figure, but are naturally as
guilty as we. for they know that the
goods are stolen.
Il have framed up the patterns of a
few screws for you and il you don't think
they win turn off any hog eve cylinder
and give them trial. I usually take 4
tWenty-penny nail and beat il ont on q
railroad rail with coupling pin and with
four-inch file. which is the exact sire
tie practice TO operate a bum screw. buy
viii gamble that can take the bunch
have given you and turn on any Joint in
town that is not wised up (Having no
The simplest lock is the ordinary