Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-17
TRICKY BURGLARS
Quick Of Wit and Full Of Resource
In Time Of Danger.
DARING IN EvADING CAPTURE.

Ingenious Schemes Used by House.
breakers, When Detected In the Act
Of Robbery, to Battle Their Pursuers
and Escape the Clutches Of the Law.
The wise burglar considers not only
how he may enter. but also how he
may escape He has the whole thing
planned out before embarking on bis
venture, and nothing is lett to chance.
When he Is ut work In a room he
usually locks the door on the inside. OF
If there is no lock he simply props a
chair with It's back hard under the
door handle, thus making 1t quite i'm.
possible for any one to come In upon
him Unexpectedly.
Sometimes his ordinary precautions
fail. and he is driven to take others on
the spur Of the moment. These are Of
ten of the most extraordinary charac.
ter and may end in doing serious dam.
age to life and property.
An instance in point occurred not
long ago at Hopwood, near Redditch.
A tradesman's wife was alone in the
house at night when she was aroused
by a creaking sound. Opening her
eyes. she saw a rough looking man In
the room. Evidently he knew his way
about. for he tiptoed to chest of
drawers and took out small cash box
which held a sum Of about $75. With
great presence of mind the lady re-
Trained from screaming, She waited
until the man was out of the room,
then sprang up and hastily put on a
dressing gown,
Then she ran out, but on gaining the
top of the stairs was met by blaze
of flame. The thief, who had evident
ly heard her get out of bed, had snatch
ed up pile Of newspapers in the pas
sage below and. heaping them on the
stairs, set fire to them.
1t was impossible to pass the barrier
Of FIRE, and, though fortunately help
came in time TO put the flames out the
burglar got clean away
Even more cunning was the ruse Of
a thief who raided house on Woburn
street, London. The tenant hearing a
noise outside his bedroom door, jump
ed up and discovered that his watch
and chain we're missing. Without wait
ing to put on slippers, he boted down
stairs and was just in time to see the
thief rush out Of the front door. He
gave chase. The thief glanced around,
saw that his pursuer was barefooted
and, taking a bottle from his pocket,
flung 1t forcibly down upon the pave.
| ment in front of the other.
The householder naturally pulled up
short, just in time to save his feet,
while the burglar, turning sharply
down side alley. disappeared from
view
The latter case calls to mind one
which happened In Devonport or, rath.
er, In Stoke. which is the residential
suburb Of that town. A naval officer
was aroused about 3 a. IN. on a winter
morning by hearing slight clntter
downstairs. He picked up a sword
and went down and located the sound
as having come from the dining room
There was good deal of silver
there, and he at once made up his
mind that burglars were after II. He
tried the door, but found 1t fastened
from the inside, so went out OF the
front door and rushed around to the
window.
But the thieves had foreseen this
maneuver AS he reached 1t one OF
them flung handful Of pepper into his
face, and as be reeled back. choked
and half blinded, they both jumped out
and took to their heels.
One Of the smartest tricks ever play
ed by burglar was in house In the
suburbs of Worcester The man broke
In at night and, after packing up some
silver below. ventured upstairs to see
what be could find, The master Of the
house spotted him and called his son.
They located Mr. Sykes In a arst
floor front room. His shadow was
plainly visible on the blind. outlined
apparently by candle or lantern.
The father kept watch outside in the
front, while the son went for a police
man. When he returned with the Of
6cer the shadow was still pninly vlsi.
BILE. But when they went up and en-.
tered the room, behold there was moth
Ing but an eliigy mnde with pillows
and suit Of clothes
The Intruder, seeing that he had been
discovered. had rapidly constructed
this to personate himself and had then
cleared OF by means OF a rope hanging
from back bedroom window.-Pear.
sons Weekly,