Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-10
Tools Used by Thieves.

Tools and appliances used by burg
lars and all other criminals will COM
prise an exhibit at the worlds fair
next year. Such a display was never
made at the exposition, nor has the
public ever had the opportunity OF see
Ing what the ingenuity OF the criminal
classes can produce to I'LL their purses
without honest toll.
There is nothing theoretical about
this unique exhibit. 1t Is the private
collection of William Desmond, st.
Louis chief Of detectives. and every
implement has seen actual service,
having been secured while a law break
er. in whose possession 1t was founo,
was putting the tool to Illicit uses.
Chief Desmond's collection now orn-
anients his private office at the Four
Courts. A large and handsome walnut
case, with plate glass front, con-
taIns the display. When the expo
sition opens this will be conveyed to
the worlds fair grounds and placed IN
the police exhibit In the educational
palace.
Conspicuous in the collection Is a.
full set OF safe drillers' tools, which
came into Chief Desmond's possession
when Jim French. the notorious cracks
man. was arrested. They are said to
be the finest tools OF the kind ever
captured. The bits used for drilling
thru the hardest steel and softest iron
are tempered to the right degree.
Much care was taken in fashioning the
little steel wedges that are driven INTO
the crevices to permit the insertion OF
explosives. The come along, q Won
derful device for pulling out the COM
bination Of burglar proof safe' Is
a marvel OF ingenuity and strength.
Ben Kilpatrick's revolver occupies
conspicuous place In the collection.
Fitzpatrick is the desperate who, single
handed. and armed with a brace OF re-
yolyers. boarded a Great Northern
train at Malta, Mont. and at the point
OF his pistols, compelled the crew 10
pilot the train to point ten miles dis
tant. where three accomplices blew the
safe in the Wells Fargo express car
and took $4,000 in new currency. Kill
patrick was arrested in st. Louis and
on his trial in the federal court was
given a 15-year sentence IN the Col
umbus, o., states prison.
Chief Desmond also owns the trunk
in which Maxwell. the English muf-
derer. placed the body of his victim.
C. Arthur Preller. whom he killed in
the Southern hotel. Maxwell was pur-
sued TO Auckland, New Zealand, by st.
Louis detectives, was arrested. re-
turned to ST. Louis and was hanged in
the TAIL yard at the Four Courts.
The array Of skeleton keys In the coll
,.<l- a lock has
NOT vet been invented that would not
succumb to the influence OF some one
OF this multiplicity of keys IN the
hands OF an expert burglar. A pair OF
outsiders will show that the person
who locks his door and leaves the kew
on the inside fancytng he is secure, Is
in reality at the mercy OF the daring
thief with his cunning device.
"Jimn,ies" Of all kinds are shown
those only few inches long used for
prying open windows and doors and
others like crow bars, that will pry
safe door from its hinges.
"Yegg men" are those tramp SAFE
blowers who prey oil banks in small
cities and villages. They use nitro
glycerine, fuse and soap. All of their
appliances are shown in Chief Des.
mond's collection.
Desperate criminals, confined in jail
and under death sentence have effected
bold escapes from prisons that were
considered unyieldine. number Of
the tools used by noted jail crackers
are shown. Flash rolls" the shell
game" and "lock" devices. by means Of
which confidence men operate are there
in great variety, so also are counter
felt moulds with which queer" money
is made and Crooked" gambling de-
vices. Chloroform Is used by some
burglars and in Chief Desmond's coll
lection is bottle OF this sense-dead-
ener and the device for using it. There
are many weapons with which mystee-
ious murders and peculiar suicides
have been committed Detectives have
raided many opium "joints" and
typical smokers outfit" is in the col
lection.