The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-06-07
AN ETHICAL BURGLAR.
Story of Curious Career TOLD by s
Jersey Criminal.

A burglar arrested in New dorsey
recently has told the story of his Grim
mai career, which in its way goes to
show that some thieves have an ethical
code. Ihls man started to steal at the
age OF eeight and has made a life
long study of the art of robbery. He
now admits with no little pride that
he is a master craftsman. He has been
a practitioner who treated his work as
an art, and whenever he burglcd he did
1t lovingly and according to the tech
meal and ethical rules he had estab-
lished for himself.
That Is one of the cardinal principles
IN the attainment of success, one must
love ones work, treat it as a fine art.
cultivate fine efficiency, and pursue
1t with an honest singleness of pur-
pose. Yet there is reasonable doubt
as to whether this artist could be con
sldered successful. Naturally he got
away with many successful enterprises,
and 1t may be granted that they all
showed the touch of a master hand.
Nevertheless he has served several
prison sentences, and he is now due for
another considerable period of quiet Sc
cluslon. Would not true success in such
case make man an artistic prisoner
as well as an artistic burglar?
In telling his story, however, lie had
little to say about his prison expert
ences. If he could show that he is a
true artist as a prisoner and that he
can also treat that part of his life low
ngly and with a fine ethical and tech.
meal consideration, perhaps il might be
admitted that he is success. But it
must be even harder to feel and be
have like an artist while subjected to
the dull routine of prison life than
while one is washing dishes or some.
| thing of that sort.
However, perhaps if may be admitted
that the man is an artist i'll his mar
row field of specialization. No one but
true artist could have followed his
line of work and adhered scrupnlously
to some Of the rules he had established
to govern his professional conduct
-Four Of the rules were these:
| : Never break pane of glass to
enter a house
| Never jimmy 4 window.
| ''Never carry revolver.
Never rob a poor man.
Here apparently is definite sense Of
moral obligation. Perhaps the first two
rules were partly concerned with a
sense of caution and the thought of a
personal safety. II has been proved
that experts can break 4 pane Of glass
or jimmy a window noiselassly. but
still there is always the hazard of a
slight mistake that will produce more
noise than had ben counted upon.
All the same if should be granted
that with moralist of this indicated
sort even those two rules might have
some ethical significance, as we'll as a
| purely practical side a broken pane
of glass is in the nature of wanton dam
age, crude mark of his work. which q
true artist would not want to leave
behind him, and likewise iinimied
window ncccssitates repair work. Such
/ damages are often left III the course OF
burgling operations, but to a refined
craftsman they must Seem like the raw
evidence Of a hungling job.
These rules indicate some spirit al
consideration as wei! as an artist.
pride in cxccllentlv neat work. But The
other two rules are wholly ethical il
character. A burglar who never Carrie
d revolver may not quite realize the 70
mantle traditions that invest his call
ing in the mind Of the awed Iavman
If one is Desperate there is a con
ventional notion that one ought t,
dress the part appropriately, an,
what is a desperate without a gun!
But the times have changed, in som,
respects sadly, SO far as the old-tim
romantic glamour is concerned. Ever
pirates in these days, are not pictur
esque, and instead Of pacing the quarter
deck covered with knives and pistols
they sit comfortably at large desks il
luxurious offices, with their pockets full
of cigars, and deal in legitimate
j business.
However, revolver is 4 danccrou
thing, and where one is present in n
emergency, somebody is likely to &c
hurt Consideration for the phvsica
welfare Of his Involuntary clients i'm
Ipellcd this New Jersey burglar to Q,
gunlcss TO his work, even at the los
of romantic tradition, Obviously. h
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