Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-10-31
INGENIOUS TRICKS OF THIEVES.

INGENIOUS TRICKS OF THIEVES.
Not Always Successful In Securing
Immunity From Arrest.
A very slight thing will often cause
the arrest of a thief. For instance, the
operations Of a pickpocket on the top
of an omnibus in Tottenham Court
road, London, were clearly seen by a
policeman sitting behind him. This
was the case, although the man was
covered" by a newspaper. The police
man saw the theft reflected in the
shop windows passed by the vehicle
and as result the pickpocket obtain
ed six months imprisonment.
A very ingenious trick employed by
poachers is that Of leaving an end Of
candle burning In a saucer Of water
in the bedroom. This usually Is so ar
ranged that the candle will sputter out
at about 10 o'clock. just as IL 1t had
been extinguished and the man retired
for the night. This ruse Is often en-
ployed by poachers who discover that
the keepers are watching the house for
signs OF the poacher leaving In very
many cases the gamekeeper does not
discover that the candle could go out
without any human agency.
A very curious course was adopted
by Burnley man who had illicitly en-
tered a dwelling house while the In
mates were shopping. He was seen
leaving the yard by a woman who lived
across the way. The man, seeing that
he was noticed, leaned on the wall with
surprising nonchalance, and looked up
into the sky. as though seeing IL there
were any signs Of the abatement Of a
heavy shower. The woman asked
what he wanted, but the housebreaker
totally disregarded the question. He
simply remarked: Its raining
hard" However, he was arrested
some little time after.
Houses have been broken into In
broad daylight in Shrewsbury during
the absence Of the householders. A
considerable amount Of jewelry and
money was taken from one house. from
which two men were seen to leave by
the front door They were clever
enough to raise their hats. as though
bowling to somebody at the window of
the house.
Sometimes the police are not so clev-
er as they might be. Four men deter
mined to rob q Fulham tavern a short
time ago, and the police laid trap
for them. At night detective inspec-
tor and constables occupied the house,
but, absurd as It may seem. they for
got to turn out the lights. The burg
lars duly arrived at o'clock. but they
found the place ablaze with lights, and
also noticed one Of the watchers peer
ing out of the front door Therefore
the wise burglars withdrew. and de-
cided not to proceed further In the ad-
venture. The men returned, however.
a week later, and this time they were
captured.
\ The police wished to arrest two men
who were lying In the hold of a barge
OF Brentford. According the oficers
asked the men to "come up and be ar
rested" but the thieves, instead of
complying returned the cordial coun-
ter invitation to the police to Come
down and Join them" Naturally, this
was not easy, for the sergeant COM
manding the besiegers had recourse to
a very simple but ingenious stratagem.
He noticed that the men below had
kindled a IRE, 80 he told one OF the
men to fetch him tile. The sergeant
then placed the tile carefully over the
barge's funnel and the investing force
simply stood around carelessly in or
der to await developments. The sus-
poets stayed below until they were half
suffocated by smoke. when they had
to stumble UP on deck and surrender
to the grinning besiegers. Ata.
There are two men who are well
known to the police who are clever ex-
pert ladder thieves. They were recent
ly arrested and placed in custody at
Winchester. Their method Is to Sc
lect a house by day and make ar
rangements and see that there is a
ladder about. In the evening they re-
turn to the house when the inhabitants
are at dinner. Then they take the lad
der to the back part Of the premises
and raise 1t to a first floor window.
Their practise Is always to work from
the top part of a house. When they
have made these arrangements the
next thing they do is to go downstairs.
wedge the door where the residents are
having dinner, lock themselves in the
room upstairs and ransack 1t. Some
times they work with rope ladders
which they make themselves.
There have been several examples
lately Of criminals run to earth simply
by leaving finger prints upon the glass
of windows. BY means OF finger
prints the police were able to trace the
burglars who stole $4,000 worth Of
jewelry from Conduit street, Regent
street. The arrest In this case was ef-
fected in a very clever manner. AS
daylight was appearing a milkman was
seen going down the street where the
criminals lived. He was attired In the
usual glazed hat, and carried the usual
money pouch and milk bucket with
cans around the side. When he arriv-
ed at the door Of the criminals house
he shouted, Milk, OH" but the minute
the door was opened he rushed In, and
four other milkmen. who were disguis-
ed detectives mounted the stairway to
the bedroom.
In each case the man was found In
bed and In one or two instances he was
asleep, but was awakened by a hand
on his shoulder. with the intimation
that he was under arrest.
It may be the case before long that
burglars will not merely have to wear
gloves, but they will nave to abandon
wearing trousers. A man was tried at
Longton some time ago for breaking
into the Old Roebuck Inn. The only
evidence against him was an impress
sion taken of the seat Of his corduroy
trousers. This impression correspond
ed exactly with an impression left In