New-York tribune., 1905-12-12
GALA YEAR FOR ROBBERS.
POLICE CONCEAL CRIME.
Fear Householder OutcrieS More
Than Reign of Thugs.

According to one of Inspector Steve o'Brien's
detective sergeants, there has never been so
gay, prolific and profitable a year for pick
pockets, second story men, skylight workers and
thieves in every branch of the profession as that
beginning on January last. This has been their
heyday and they have worked. seemingly, with
out let hindrance by the police The year has
seen one long succession of burgiaries which
have gone undetected by the police The crimes
have been committed with brazen effrontery,
the thieves have gone uncaught and the piunder
is lost
One of the most fruitful fields for burglars
this year has been the closed houses of those
who go away for the summer. Most of these
people are returning to town now, and have
been for some time past. snd as they return
cry after cry goes up of homes looted and de-
spoiled by vandals knife and hammer for
the villains are not satisfied merely to rob-they
must destroy all that they cannot carry away.
One of the most recent victims is Robert
Chambers, a stockbroker, living at No % West
69th-st He had closed and boarded his house.
and instead of reopening it for the winter had
gone live at the Hotel Marie Antolnette.
Last Tuesday he went home to get a few
things, and found that gang of skylght
workers had preceded him, doing their work
very thoroughly. Little that of value and
could be carried away had been overlooked,
though fortunately, Mr.. Chambers had placed
most of his silver and bric-a-brac in storage.
Skylght workers pick out their victims in
block having corner apartment house Through
this apartment house they make their way to
the roofs, and to the house they have selected
to rob Though this has been going on for
months on the upper West Side. it yet remains
for the police to lay hands the men who do
the work or put the slightest stop on their
dongs. In the case of Mr.. Chambers, the thieves
came over the roof and smashed in the skylight
in his house. Then they tied a rope to the
ventilator in the centre of the skylight and let
themselves into the house, which they went
through thoroughly, breaking open bureaus and
closets and prying off moulding to get at locks
They smashed up things generally. left great
litter all through the house and got away with
about S4O0 worth of plunder.
The police have done nothing They have
stood around and talked great deal but the
results are yet to be seen. "Oh, the police SAID
Mrs. Chambers yesterday, laughing, what do
they ever do?"
The same day Mrs. Ellen D. Pike, of No.
So 5th-ave was the victim of clever rascal.
But he was not a skylght worker, and her
house was not closed for the season He came
in broad day, walked off with his loot and
has been neither seen nor heard of since. he
came under the pretence of being sent to wash
the windows. Mrs Pixies furnace man, John,
is to include this In his various QutleS,
but last Tuesday he said that he was really
unable to climb out on the fourth story ledge
! because his ''haid was uh humbugg1n him so
and Mrs. Pike told him to get a more absternlous
friend to do it for him.
John departed on his mission and about L!
o'clock a lemon colored gentleman appeared
and said that he had been sent by John to
wash the windows. He received bucket and
some clothes and the of the house, ana
started for the top story, taking a look into the
drawing room on his upward way. coupe
of maids working there, which probapiy
saved the day for a valuable collection OF
/ antiques. The man went on upstairs ana put
the bucket down in the hall while he went
/ through all the rooms on the two top floors
/ He was in considerable of hurry and over
looked a good many things worth much more
than those which he gathered up, but he man
aged to get away with upward of a thousand
The bucket remained in the hall with the
water in its virgin (Croton) purity.
Two hours later John and the real window
washer turned up together. After severe
| cross examination John has been exonerated,
but his friend rests under d cloud, and ms
| movements are object of suspicion on the
mart Of the police, who appear to take a Ian
guild interest in the case.
%. c. Anderson of No. 112 West 5Sth-st, is
another recent victim of the skylght gang
| ApDarently they made his house q sort of head
! quarters for their depredatious in the summer
/ months. Mr. Anderson thinks it was the Hell S
! Kitchen gang, led by young hunchDack. VINO
seems to have a curiously similar twist in his
( moral makeup In the same way as at
! NTr Chamberss house. the thieves made their
Iva, over the roof to Mr.. Andersous, smashed
the glass in the skylight, and this time let them
! selves down three stories by q rope to reach the
! Darlor where they had to break more glass to
! get in From all appearances. they lived in the
! house and enjoyed themselves for some time, in
/ the course of which they carried off about
! two thousand dollars worth of silyerware ana
/ cut glass They must have known about what
time to expect Mr.. Anderson in from the coun-
Try for there were signs that they had only
| beeu gone a day or two when the family re-
! turned. - 70,
! J. Edward Mastin of No, Ill West 70th-st..
! escaped more luckily He had his family down
/ at his country place, at Ridgewood, \. j., and
was about to return to town when Mrs. Mastll
( put some cleaners at work. On Sunday night
/ before the family was to come to town. the sky
! light was smashed and the thieves came in and
| cHt the panels out of door at the bottom OF
! the stems to the trapdoor in order to let them
| selves into the main body of the house, but II
/ so happened that the house was fitted with
/ burglar alarms that had frequently gone of
/ Iyitbout occasion and ruffIed the tempers OF
! various members of the family who had been
compelled to get up and search for the ghostly
/ intruder but which this time worked equally
| we'll as thev had other wintry nights
when only the north wind howled and Mr.. Mas
! tin made certain cUrsory remarks under his
| breath The result was that the thieves We're
| frightened away and the only damage done was
/ a couple of panes of glass broken, as was the
| morning rest of the special watchman on the
| beat.