Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-03
WAYS OF SNEAK THIEVES.
Flee Dog Makes a Fine Burglar
Alarm

"Householders should be on their guard
against sneak thieves" said a. headquar-
ters detective to a Star man at the Dis
trict building
This class OF thieving largely increases
with the advent of the warm weather and
open doors and windows. Most of these
sneak thieves are young colored men, and
while they adopt the usual and well-known
means to get inside of houses, one OF the
schemes they often successfully attempt Is
this:
Very frequently they have an accom-
piice. They are many young colored girls
who make It q practice to remain in a
place but short time. Then they begin to
have visitors, and 1t is these callers that
should be warned away. and when the
FAMILY becomes suspicious the girl should
be summarily fired These men walk
about the city looking for opportunities to
commit their thefts, and the careless habit
INDUCED In by many of our housewives or
leaving the front doors open for the halls
to air, is one which encourages petty ana.
sometimes, more serious thievng offenses.
II you have screen doors in the house In
summer do not fail to keep them fastened
with u small hook and staple; while these
can be forced, OF course, without much
trouble by the thief. the attending noise
will In most cases alarm some one In the
house and the thief will be frightened
away. a screen door without an Inside
fastening is no protection against intruders.
Another favorite method of the sneak
thief In this city Is this: He will ring the
bell sometimes when he wishes to get a
preliminary view into the house or apart
ment, give fictitious name OF a family or
of servant, and upon receiving q negative
response will depart. If the opportunity is
afterward favorable he will enter this
house or apartment. Frequently In apart
ment houses, which are now becoming a
fayorfte stamping ground for the sneak
thief, IL he is caught on the stairs or in the
halls and asked his business. he will say
that he Is looking for some domestic, whom
he will name The average person will in
nocently accept his explanation as true. In
an apartment house in the northwest the
other night however, one Of these rascais
met the wrong man. It was about 10
o'clock. and he was taken by the neck.
thrown down the stairs and kicked out into
the street, where he took to his heels
proving that the surmise of the muscular
nat dweller as to his true character was
correct.
while the average citizen cannot resort
to such heroic and effective measures to
forestall petty thievfng. the average house.
holder is much too careless IN leaving open
opportunities for sneak thieves to ply their
vocation. One of the best burglar alarms
and always ready protector against
thieves of all degrees is small wide
awake house dog. Tney are inexpensive to
keep, do not get out of order and can be
relied upon at all hours to detect any un-
toward sound and to report 1t in a man
ner which ought to be understood by their
owners. I have been In the business OF
catching thieves for good many years,
and I wouldn't exchange the small pet dog
In my fiat for the most expensive electrical
burglar alarm made.
"Householders will confer a favor upon
the police by reporting suspicious and re-
peated visits of strangers to their prem
ses to the officer on the beat or to the
nearest precinct station house. In this
manner we often get onto thieves who
may be working neighborhood.' and 1t
materially assists in their ultimate detec-
ton