The Topeka state journal., 1905-05-06
TRAINING cHIlD BURGLARS.
Newest Devices of the Modern Grim
inaI Schools.

From the London Mail: 1t has long
been known that the modern theft or
been known that the modern thief or
for nefarious work. Only the other day
q trainer of young thieves was sent to
prison, and such cases are continually
cropping up.
tised by professionals to teach their
pupils the art of burglary Mere young
sters make excellent subjects; and as
it is obviously of Importance not to
make a noise when "burgling," the lads
are now taught to slide face downward
on the balustrade. It Aas been discov-
cred that in order to accustOm them to
this mode of descent, special spiral
shaped balustrades are sometimes con-
structed. and before the pupil is pro
nounced finished he must be able to
slide down a variety of these balus-
trades like creased lightning"
Another common practice among the
Hburgling'' fraternity is that of getting
orders to view empty houses from var
iOus house agents. A number of clever
burglaries are worked this way. Dressed
up as a country squire, the master"
visits numbers of house agents, gets
orders to view certain houses. generally
in terraces, as there, If he has a plan
of the interior Of one house, he has a
key to the whole terrace.
He accordingly looks over the house,
gets a plan of the interior and quits.
"A DuDllS
the empty house, and making their way
along the roofs, enter whichever house
has been selected. In the meantime the
squire patrols the house outside look
ing respectability personihed, and when
the coast is clear he signals, usually by
striking matches, so that the boys in
side know whether they can safely come
out with the spoil One match means
"all's we'll" two matches danger.
A well known Scotland yard official
Lure IN this way. He noticed a man,
pipe in mouth, walking up and down a
street in the west end OF London and
continually striking matches to light his
pipe. Strange to say, however, no
smoke enanated from the pipe and
thinking something was wrong, the de-
tective concealed himself and awaited
developments. A few minutes later the
man struck another match and in q
trfce boy about twelve years old came
out from the front door of an unoccu-
pied house, bearing on his shoulders a
sack with sticks Of wood protruding
from the end.
The detective ''sme1led a rat" and at
once detained the lad, in whose sack,
under the wood. was found over 94. 900
worth of jewels. The country squire
endeavored to make his escape, and the
boy protested that he had never seen
him, but it was afterward discovered
that the bucolic gentleman was a we'll
known ticket-of-leave man.
AS a general rule, old penal servitude
men are the founders of thieves
schools" Realizing that as they are
too well known to the police, their
chances of continuing a felonious career
in a successful manner are very slight
they have perforce to procure under
studies.
Accordingly. by enlarging on the
profits accruing from bukgIaries and
pocket picking, they have little Difficult
ty in getting hold of boys with evil pro-
pensities. Weeks and weeks are ther
spent in instructing the novices in their
new trade. The initial lessons are gen
orally devoted to the art of picking
! pockets.