Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-11-04
Ways TO KEEP OUT BURGLARS
Locks on Doors Are Not Much
Use but Chains Are.
Experienced Police Official says the
Ordinary window Catch IL Most
Foolish Contrivanee Ever De-
vised against Unlawful
Entry.

house folders are so stupid. So says
a police sergeant in Philadelphia, and
proceeds to give in the Record some
suggestions for secure locking. Very
few people. he says. have the proper
fastenings for the doors Of their dwell
lings. A door IL usually latched dur
ing the day with a light latch which
yields at once to mild amount OF
pressure with a Jimmy. Even the
night bolt is easy to clrcumvent. The
best fastenings for doors are chains.
They are difficult to force or cut, and
they make a great rattle when dis
tIrbed. Besides, the burglar does not
usually discover the chain until he
has forced the lock and bolts. and
then he feels tired. There is a spe-
cial tool for the purpose of cutting
a chain. but it Is so troublesome and
risky that the burglar seldom uses
1t. The door should have chains at
the top and bottom. The lock in the
OF the best make, and should be let
into mortises of the door and door
post--not merely attached with
| screws. Besides these a thumbscrew
is a simple precaution which is eff
| cacious.
Glass panels to a door are a bur-
glars delight. For him to remove
the glass Is mere child's play, and that
| without noise. though 1t takes a little
time. A letter box Of Nire, or a slot
without box. is also a great help
to him. enabling him to insert q
strong wire loop with which he may
pull back the latch. The weakest
point about q house 10 its windows
which are necessarily made Of glass
even when they have iron bars ir
front Of them they are not invulner
able. for tho latter can easily be forced
with screw Jacks. The ordinary win
dow catch Is the most foolish con
trivance ever devised In the way OF
protection against unlawful entry. A
thin putty knife inserted between the
sashes pushes the catch back without
any appreciable difficulty. II there
is screw behind the catch q Jimmy
or crow bar under tho bottom sash
forces out the screws never strong-b,
which the catch Is fastened.
The best way OF securing the win
dows OF a house is by means of thumb
screws passing through both sasl
frames on either side. These screw
should work through metal plates lie
into sashes. They are then quite in
accessible from the outside and ca,
only be reached by removing tn
panes Of the window. which Is al
right for the burglar IL he has plent,
Of time to spare. but he usually is ii
more or less Of hurry. An extr,
precaution Is to have thumbscrews a
the top and bottom Of the window a
we'll as at the sides. They are turne,
at night with a simple movement o
the thumb and fore finger and do NOR
to discourage burglars than any othe
contrivance known. Ordinary window
shutters are quite useless on accoun
Of their weak construction and tn
primitive simplicity of tho usual fat
tening. which can be nicked up wit
snap Of the finger nail. drail
pipe, when standing out from the wal
offers a convenient ascending and dc
scendins path for the enterprising bul
glar. Were the pipe cemented clos
to, or into the wall, many a jewel lef
on the dressing table OF it's owne
would remain there instead Of mys
teriously disappearing in the interva
between dinner and bedtime.
II you have steps leading up I
the sklight in your house II 10 a goo
plan. after you have locked the sky
light. to remove the cteps. Many pee
pie think that by leaving the key in
side In the lock OF door they max
1t impossible to pick II from tho out
side. A. rule they are putting til
key in the burglars hands. This In
dividual. when UP to date. possesse
neat little instrument In his to,
bag semblinE a small plano Ike,
with which no 10 able to grip the Il
Of the barrel which just projects o,
on his side Of the door and so tur
, the key with almost effortless ease
Ttmorous women who are in tn
, habit Of looking under the bed eac
night before retiring can be MOI
than reasonably sure of privacy b
pushing a simple wedge Of wood ur
der the bedroom door. II the wede
Is correctly shaped and proper
placed. 1t Is next to impossible to ope
the door from the outside without cut
ting a piece out OF the panel whic
no burglar will risk. For extra pre-
caution. to prevent the use OF a kn!i
pushing the wedge back, stron
screw passed into the Moor will serv,
especially II II passes also throug
the wedge. When going away for
weekend 1t is not the wisest thin
to shut UP the house unless the fa
Jennings are In every such case as to d.
fy the burglars art. A shut-up hous
. Is simply q public announcement tina
the place Is unoccupied and may b
entered with comparative safety.
wiser plan 10 to make II look as niue
occupied as possible and to give motto
to the nearest police station that 70
are going away