New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-21

staring into your face behind the rays of bulls
eye lantern. cooked bulldog revolver and an open
your mouth and I'll blow your brains out'-ap-
peaed TO him. If he heard the slightest noise
in your room Gentleman Harry disturbed not
your gold and silver, plate bric-a-brac.
Dalnuly almost. one might say, he picked his
way over roofs: smoothly ne lowered his ropo
ladder to your open window; almost deprecatingIy
and with the punctilousness and grace Of a dane
ing master he entered: rnodestly he ranged about
your Lares and Penates while you slept in a
privacy he respected; and with the knowledge and
fastdiousness Of a connoisseur he picked out the
valuabes which would prove Of the most value
TO him
And yet in the beginning he was only a humble
baker. Still after the dough. though" remarks q
detective.
Something ec Vautrin Brooks lacks one Of the
distinctive chara cteristcs OF Balzacs ruler Of the
galIeys. secretiveness. As though the mantle Of
his glory lay heavy his shoulders, Gentleman
Harry his wings Of night flying now clipped
revels In Dragging Of exploits which the police
say. carry with them aggregate penalty Of from
sixty TO one hundred years in prison. Like one who
has long had titillating norseI up his sleeve for
hungry and expectant public he the ease
with which ne levied tribute on the wealthy at
will. and like your good story teller conceaIs his
own appreciation Of his own humor beneath
nonchalant exterior What led Brooks 10 confess
his crimes when the police had not sufficient evil
dence TO fasten even one him is a mystery
that be laid only one OF those vagaries of
human motives which lead to blazon forth
that which is his undoing.
And with effrontery, ar ironcaI smile OF
ridicue at the wide meshes Of the net the public
IS think lightly woven he used to
melt the plate he had stolen and sell IT at the
United States Assay Office.
\ broad smile played over Mr. Pages face when
a Tribune reporter asked him at the ASSAY once
yesterday If Uncle Sam was q receiver Of stolen
goods. Mr. Page appeared from behind a pair Of
scales that looked big enough to weigh the whole
Of Brooks's haul" Of silverware at once
Mr.. Page began the reporter. has the Assay
Office been buying silver from this clever burglar
Brooks, who has been robbing a lot Of houses on
the West Sde?"
What's that?" the assayer inquired. a puzzled
look his face
The visitor showed him Brooks's statement tina
after he had melted the stolen silverware in a
ccihle and converted 1t into bars he sold the bars
TO the Assay Office as bullion and that they were
glad 10 get them
UNI" said Mr. Page. I'VE don't know anything
/ about that but we don't buy any silver here II
: this brought gold here very likely we did buy
it We buy gold from anybody who brings it here
Well. then, If this man Brooks brought his silver
bars here you didn't buy them
NO. but if anybody brings old silver here we
melt it and refine it for him turning It out in
the form OF bars with the United States Assay
once stamp of weight and degree OF hneness on
them, and then they be sold 10 bullion brokers' -
'Oh, see," remarked the reporter: then If I
were q burglar ana mad made a good haul and
brought the silver here you would accept it with
out question, refine II and turn the bars over to
rne?'
Certainly if you had 500 worth; the Assay Of
fee is detective bureau. and it's none of our
/ business where the metal comes from
Then perhaps you did this for Brooks
Perhaps we did: don't know
DO you charge anything for refining the metal?
How much would it cost me if I were burglar TO
get, say, several hundred dollars worth OF stolen
silver refned?'
Well replied Mr.. Page smiling. we charge
g melt; that means you could have several hun
. dred dollars worth Of silver refined for g. We
don't bother with less than hundred dollars
worth at a time"
Then it would have paid Brooks to have the
Assay once refine the stolen silver"'
"Oh, yes. because. you see, the government stamp
OF weight and hneness on the bars would make il
easy for him TO dispose OF them 10 brokers'
IT looks as If Uncle Sam sort Of helped the
burglars. doesn't it2" suggested the reporter.
Mr.. Page smiled again and repeated his remark
about the Assay once not being a detective bu-
reau.
But you say that you buy gold from any one
who offers it." persisted the visitor.
Yes we do We VIII either refine the gold into
bars and return them 70 the owner or we will pay
him the value Of the gold il money, whichever he
likes"
Then it's likely Brooks disposed Of soms Of the
stolen jewelry 70 the Assay ohice?-'
quite likely. for. as 7 say. We make no In
Quiries-
seems rather curious state OF Affairs. doesn't
it9r
Perhaps so. On. BY the way, who won the yacht
race
wound was carried into the Yorkvile court yester-
day by four Of the detectives who captured him.
he was remanded 70 Police Headquarters so that
Carl F1scher-Hansen. Of No. q West Fory-seV-