Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-23
BIOGRAPHY OF A
BOLD BURGLAR.
Housebreaker Tells Some of His Elk
periences While Making His IN
announced Night Visits.

burglary, / once contended, was the
king of indoor SPOTS. /, esteemed, il a
perfect pastime. as wen as profitable.
But since j have entered upon a ten
year stretch in the peniteniiary L
have had ample leisure to weigh it's
merits, and now am willing to admit
it has one flaw--the element of danger
of capture and punishment is Just a
grain too great. For the vocation OF
the robber Is picturesque and romantic
only so long as he is successful; it be-
comes prosy and even serdid, | may
say. when he is captured incontinent-
ly hustled Off to prison aad set at an
endless tasl-s Of making overalls in
company with a mob of moral degen-
crates and detectives.
!. by the term OF ''bnrglary'I mean. of
course, the business of housepreaking
carried on in a decent and intelligent
manner, with due regard for the ar
tistic refinements of the game. ] have
no patience with those clumsy bunglers
who 20 about smashing their way IN
to peaceful homes. frightening the wits
out of respectable folk, and possibly
doing some serious injury to any per-
SON who may have the fctneritY TO
-cxpostnlate with them for their intrus-
ion. / abhor brutality and bloodsned.
and it is those interlopers who have
sought To make up in physical force
what they lacked in brains that have
brought the profession into more or
less lisrepute with stieklers for the
proprieties.
Personality always nade-it rule
to avoid VIOLENCE and the USE OF deadly
weapons. either in my own hands or
those of any one else. Whenever
chaneed to encounter a householder af-
fiieted with Insomnia and a thirst for
combat did not attempt To argue with
him simply withdrew in quiet and
digniaed manner and lefl him 10 his
own bad company.
When ! took up burglary It wns for
pleasure solely. and not for profit. !
give you that ON my word of honor as
gentleman. Compelled by circum-
staitees TO endure a prosy existence in
n sleepy village. where there was alb
solntely no legitimate diversion FOE a
person craving excitement. took to
heusebreal;ing~a a relief from monot-
ony.
Perhaps. TOO, feminine curiosity
concerning my neighbors and their
manner of life, seen unconyentionally
and when they were OFF their guard,
had something to do with my enter
prise. And let me tell You | was well
repaid in the latter regard. IT is amaz-
ing NJ hat a difference there is in the
habitations and the persons of our ac-
nuainfances. seen by the sobservant
burglar in the dead Of night. after the
company has gone and the lights are
out. You would miss the dignity of the
barker head OF the household as You
saw him twisted in some grotesaue at
titude. snoring in sodden sleep, his
ponlposty shed with his starehed shirt.
Madame you would scarcely recognize.
bereft Of her broeaaes and distinguish
ed air. perhaps snoring q duet with
her husband. In Miss Anabel. with
complexion paste on her nose and with
her lnxTiant tresses adjoining the
dressing table. you would not know
the nufv dream that hoated into the
parlar a few hours before. And the
house usclf-oh. houses shut them
selves in from The world and retire al
night. as do the people who occapy
them! And any burglar ean tell you
that all the closets in every honse. and
the cellars and the garrets and cuhby-
holes and back stairs as Well each and
every one contains a domestic skeleton
OF Some SORT.
used to find an impish enjoyment
in hheFaung those imprisoned skele-
TONS | World drag them FORTH and set
them up in conspicuous places. where.
when morning came. they would greet
Ahe eyes of the nompous master and
the distinguished madame and the eX-
quisite Annabel 1t was difficult fcr
me to restrain my laughter when
thought of the enHstefnaticn that
would seize the family when they real
tied that their private anatomical rel
les had been paved over and inspected,
even by burglar. 1t Was conSulsiiuG
10 picture the staid respeetables fran
ticaily shooting the uncanng troupe
back 10 their quarters or searching
ont new and more secret hiding places
FOR them.
NV nocturnal enterprises were no,
without deliberate an
careful preparation. l was determined
that nv daylight reputation for re-
should not suffer through