The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-28
Thieves Always Specialize

Successful criminals nearly always specialize in their work, and it is owing to this fact that detectives in many cases are able to track them down. Not only do criminals make a practice of committing one particular style of crime, but the methods professional crooks employ are practically always on the same plan.
 One burglar, for instance, will al. ways enter through the fan1ight over the front door of shop, another by breaking in at the back. Most burglars, too, will continually repeat a burglary in the same neighborhood, and at the same time of day.
 It is by carefully observing and not ing these special systems notorious crooks adopt that a detective can often. effect their arrests. Many a time burglary has occurred and the criminal vanished leaving apparently no marks by which he can be traced, and police officials have been able to produce him in court within a few days, to the utter astonishment of all concerned. One special trick of well known crook was eventually his undoing. Rushing with his hat in hand to grocer's shop, he would shout:
 "I bet man outside that his hat wouldn't hold three quarts of treacle, and he bet me it would
 Now let's see," he would add Of course, the hat would not hold three quarts but the grocer was in- terested. Thinking he would get paid the grocer filled the hat, whereupon the crook, whose name was Keeley, jammed 1t over his victims head eyes, and face, snatched his watch, ransacked the till, and disappeared. The next time he did this trick on a grocer, the police knowing his methods, arrested him and found another grocer's watch, which he had stolen, in his pocket.
 A specialist of another sort was John Kirk, who was convicted about 20 times, usually for the same offence stealing a block of tar. Whenever block of tar standing ready for use during ad-repairins operation was missed, the police could always make Q good guess as to who had removed it.
 Another mans extraordinary whim was to smash the plate glass windows of public houses. He would go round from one to another drinking and would refuse to leave at closing time The proprietor would then have him elected, and presumably as revenge the man would pick up stone and hurl it through the window
 How is it you always do this thing
 in exactly the same way?" he was asked the last time he appeared in court.
 'I don't know" was the reply q can't help it. feel that I just have to do it.'
 It does not matter how subtle or careful a criminal may be- he always leaves some betraying sign behind for the well informed detective to act upon. There is one case in which two men of unusual brains and daring, and of no small skill in concealing their methods of work. who, in spite of their clever ness betrayed themselves by their bizarre tastes.
 These men started number of fraud ulent "get- t-rich- h-quick' esta tablishments, all under different names. But the one was very fond of oil paintings with large trees in them, and these he had hung in offices under his control. The other also had developed a liking for carpets with peculiar pattern in them, and selected them for he different rooms in which he worked. Knowing these two mems extraordinary tastes detective after visiting the offices obtained this clue. which subsequently, led to the arrest of both criminals Funeral Wells is the name given to one crime specialist. It Is his boast that he never goes to funeral with out picking a pocket, and never picks pocket except at funeral