The San Francisco call., 1904-12-29
BURGLAR PLAYS
A DOUBLE ROLE
Honest Workman by Day
and Expert Cracksman
After the Sun Goes Down
BATTLES LONDON POLICE
For Four Years He Escapes
Suspicion, but Finally
Becomes Too Careless
BATTLES LONDON POLICE
Special Dispatch to The Call.

ker, who has just been sentenced to
fifteen months Imprisonment. pos
sesses only a small share Of that van
ity which Lombroso says is one OF the
most striking characteristics of the
criminal, he will find much solace for
his enforced retirement in recalling
the encomiums lavished upon his ne
farious cunning by Scotland Yard OF
ficials. He has again demonstrated
that fact still holds the lead over nc
ton. and his story will stimulate the
jaded imagination of writer's of de-
tective fiction.
For more than four years he piled
the calling Of cracksman in the me-
tropolis, displaying such amazing skill
and celebrity in looting that at one
time-for q period of two months-he
Is credited with having averaged -FOUR
burglaries a night. and yet he sue
ceeded in battling the police. during
these years he was held in much es-
TEEN in the neighborhood where he
lived as an Industrious, faithful ana
efficient workman. In the latter ca
pacity he gained the intimate friend
ship of several unsuspecting members
of the police force, which proved OF
great assistance to him in eluding de-
lection when the minions Of the law
were spreading their nets to catch him.
His downfall was due entirely to his
disregard of one of the cardinal prin-
ciples which he had laid down for his
guidance as a criminal. But so skill
fully had he covered up his tracks
that, although it is certain he had
committed hundreds of burglaries.
only one could be proved against him.
On that account the Judge. much to
his regret, was precluded from inflict-
ing a longer sentence.
Parker is only "a years old, but his
plans show him to be possessed OF
perverted genius which places him far
above mature criminals, however ex-
pert, who learn only from experience.
In his youth he had been apprenttced
to a carpenter and was an excellent
workman. When he decided to become
a burglar he resolved to still keep to
his trade. A great student of criminal
literature, he had observed how profess
sional cracksmen exposed themselves to
suspicion and were compelled to con-
tinually shift their ground because they
enjoyed no visible means of support. By
continuing to work as a carpenter he
could avoid being thus handicapped.
1t necessitated double shifts, as it were
-carpentering by day and robbing by
night-but he was content to make the
sacrifice for the sake of the additional
security it offered He allowed himself
an occasional holiday, when he took his
fling in style, hiring fashionable turn
out for the purpose, but when he thus
disported himself it was remote from
the scenes of his toll and plunder.
The premises he occupied consisted
of bedroom, sitting-room and work.
shop. His rooms were neatly, but not
extravagantly furnished. There was
nothing about them to show that he
had other means than his trade of add
ing to his income. To assist him In his
double role he fixed UP a secret rear en-
trance, by means of which he could OBJ
tain access to the street by traversing
the back yards of his neighbors. Thus
he escaped the suspicion which at
taches to man who is known to keep
all sorts Of hours. So we'll did he con-
ceal his nocturnal movements that
among his friends he enjoyed an exem-
plary reputation as a man who never
stayed out late O. nights.
In his burglaries he displayed re-
markable prudence. His reading had
taught him that thieves were oftenest
run down by tracing the stolen prop
erty. Therefore he made 1t a rule to
take only money or small articles that
could not easily be identified. Better
small and safe hauls tnan rich hauIs
was his motto. He played the game
alone that he might run no risk of
being caught through the indiscretion
of confederate; also because 1t en-
abled him to keep all the swag himself.
He never mixed his trade and his
profession AS carpenter he was an
honest man, as we'll as an efficient one.
Houses on which he worked were fire.
quently robbed shortly afterward and
by him, no doubt, but he stoutly re-
sisted all temptations to steal while
on Job AS workman his reputation
was above reproach. He cultivated
the police that he might obtain tips"
from them as to what they were doing
to lay hold of him. Most of his burg
laries were committed in the Highgate
district. When their frequency aroused
the police to make strenuous efforts to
capture the criminal additional con-
stables and plain clothes" men would
be spread over the neighborhood. Then
the mysterious burglaries would sud
denly cease, to be renewed when the
extra force was withdrawn.
p THE only inference said Detective
Inspector Neil, who had cnarge of the
case. lis that Parker learned of the
movements Of the police through being
In touch with them and knew exactly
what they were doing"
Nature had bestowed upon him a
physiogonomy that helped him to play
his dual role well. His features are of
Illc SlOil0 LyPC VI the average BrlIlSn
workman who is content to plod
through life. There is nothing in his
face to reveal the cunning and shrewd
intelligence which he possesses. He
found it easy to make pals" of the.
police and they never suspected that
his outburst Of honest indignation
against the mysterious burglar who
was causing them so much trouble were
feigned.
With his plans so adroitly laid, Park
er might have continued to play his
dual role Of an honest workman and a
successful thief for long time to come
had he not succumbed to a temptation
which led him to violate his rule of
making only safe hauls
One night in October he obtained en-
trance to the house of a wealthy West
Highgate resident by cutting out a
pane of glass in the drawing-room win
dow. He was disappointed to find very
little money on the premises. On the
mantelpiece was silver clock. He had
often passed over valuable clocks be-
fore as too dangerous to maddIa with