The Lambertville record., 1906-04-11
SCHEMES OF THIEVES
TRICKS OF THOSE WHO OPERATE j%
JEWELRY STORES.

JE#ELkI 81 OHE5.
The Way one Place WAS Completed. ,
ticnned Outflow show Window
Are Hrolen-t.etting Al Safe Thfi
WAS Hoited to the Flooring.
a number Of jewellers were dining TO-
eethcr and with the cigars the talk
turned ON ieWciry thieves aud their
methods
The first story was told OF an in
diyiduaI who was seen loungng about
the plate front window Of II jewelry
store. &o particular attention was
paid to lie man at the time, but the
clerks recalled the incident after the
robbery. IN Jhls instance the man ap |
pcarcd number of time5 in front Of
The Store. DHe evening s0oH after dark
there H95 a sudden crash, and Il rob
ber WIS actively engaged In seooping
IN jewels With hooked stick. In
thirty seconds he was done and away.
Bystaudees stood AS If pctfified until
the man struck out at II run. Then
The store people Aud the bgatanderI
realized what had occurred aud shout
ing "fhtcf.7 started after the MIN.
The man dropped his bag. The pur-
sucrs stopped and seized the bug. They
returned To the store With the bag in
high plee, remarkng incidentally that
there was 10 need in chasing the thief
hecausc here were the goods. The pro
prictor Of tie store and all the clerks
had followed. but, having further 10
20 than the crowd, We're behind and
were met by the people with the bag.
Proudly the bug was opened. 1t con
tanned Il brick. The thief had dropped
il Ia check tho pursuit. Kealizlns the
trick had succeeded, the crowd, head
ed BY the statesmen and proprietor,
went back Ia the store, only 10 discover
that the window had been cleaned OF
stock and the counters were bare Of Il
number Of costly articles.
4 policeman on duty said that after
the proprietor aud clerks Of the store
ran Tor the departing thief neatly
dressed gentleman. with all the airs OF
II member of the tirm, gave directions
10 two other men 10 get the STUFF out
Of the windows aud told him (the otii
eeri that this was being done aa pre-
caution against theft while the win
dow WAS broken. In some first class
stores there IA II regular danger signal
arranged, und the men are drilled each
week When The danger gong sounds
one man tnkea his place at the door
To the police. another with running
qualities makes for the door in readI
ness 10 pursue. and so ON.
Among other stories told we're some
relating 10 the tricks aud devices Of
the jewelfy thieves. The robber often
works al night or sometimes during Il
crowd BY cutting out disk OF glass
near where some costly goods are
shown lie may reach In and secure
something aud be oil before detected
ii he IL quick. Sometimes he has
tong instrument hidden under his cont
SO that he can reach In and pick up u
watch. often again he uses simple
stick With slightly turned end, hook
ing into II ring
front during the intervals OF the pa
troll OF the police, at the same time
making no noise, Is done by pnsting
cloth or heavy paper on the glass. A
wood nallet Is used, the hammer ends
being securely bound up In ii heavy
wooden fabric stuffed With excelsior or
kindred material. With this soft head
ed mallet II II possible To bang away
noiselessly ut the glass until the pane
begins TO crumhlc. Unless the plate Is
usually thick m opening can be made
without much trouble.
In recent years jowelry thieves, like
bank robbers. have rented quarters
near The place they intended to rob
nud lived there long enough to study
the situation In one case II room was
hired over jewery store and en-
trance effected TO the store by means
of a rope ladder dropped from the win
dow of tie room TO a window leading
To a Aall in the store portion. In an
other case the bar spreader WAS used
10 open the bars of window. This
device consists OF II spirally threaded
shaft lifted into two blocks, with Il
central piece with II bar for turning
The blocks are adjusted between two
bars, the central piece turned where
upon the spiral shaft causes the blocks
10 expand sdewise. forcing the bars
open Then the Intruder can pass In.
\ story WAS told OF the removal OF ii
safe in which the proprietor of II jewel.
~ store WAS accustomed to put his
costly stock each night 1t was not II
large safe. hut exceedingly strong. and
because OF its light weight number
of bolts were put through the floor and
connected With the safe bottom The
proprietor often said that thieves could
not take The safe unless they took floor
and all Not long after the store was
entered. und behold, the thieves had
sawed out the section OF the tloor to
which the safe was fixed. The safe
was bound NJ with rope, the latter
passed under the separated section OF
flooring and. when the boards We're
sawed through. safe, floor aud all were
lowered into the basement and readily
moved ont through the basement door,
put into an express wagon and carted
oH-JeWeers' Circular Weekly.