Year: 1878

Interesting Descriptton OF the Peculiar


The appliances of the frst-class burg
lars are changed to meet almosot all tn,
changes in preventive inventions. The
hydraulic jack to force in safe locks, the
cylinders OF compressed oxygen and hy-
drcgen to burn through steel, and the 9th
er scientific as well as ingenious applian-
ces used by the big operators show this.
The first and simplest tool in burglars |
outfit is window knife. This is thin
very flexible, broad d-ended knife, more
resembling a paint knife than anything
else. With it, in two seconds the clum-
siest burglar can turn back the simple |
catch SO generally used throughout the
city to fasten windows. The thin blade
can be easily twisted up between the two
sashes, and light pressure throws the
catch to one side or the other, and leaves
the window free to open. This is as use
full as it is simple, and the wonder is that
style OF fastening is so generally used.
Lately, however, a new brass catch, which
works up and down, and is fastened by
pln, has been invented, and is proof
against the knife. The art of window
opening, however, makes necessary in
some cases diamond to cut the glass
This brings into requisition a sucker"
"a disk of wet leather with string tied
to it, such as boys use as playtling.
This is first fastened to the upper pane
and the cutter run around it in a circle.
When the glass is severed it clipgs to the
leather and the piece is removed to the
outside without noise OF fracture of the
contiguous glass.


Another and simple method in avoid
ing noise, utilized in breaking into stores
with thin glass windows, is to paste
large sheet of stout paper over the
glass till it adheres firmly in every pert,
and then break the glass, The pieces
s.ing 70 the paper and nojingling or noise
of any kind is made, and the window
can be neatly taken out in fragments.
The next article in the outfit is skeleton
key. These are as old as the invention
of tumbler locks. Before that invention
it needed little skill or practice, by aid
of a crooked wire, notched knife blade
or anything else that came handy, to pick
the simple lock. The new invention
however, brought skeletons into vague.
A skeleton is simply the simplest shape
of key. The shank is filled down thin so
as to enter any lock easily, and the ward
OF the key is the same sieze as that of
any key, but consists only of the same
size as that of a small g T'' shaped piece
OF steel or brass as the cas- may be. This
is the simplest variety, and will suit the
largest number Of locks. There are some,
however, in which the wards are a trihe
more complex, which suit different brands
of locks. N respectable thief however,
is without two or three keys.


The next implement is pair of nip
pers, or :nips," as the police abbreviate
it, which are used when a key is turned
and left in the lock. "Nips," are pairs of
pinchers which are inserted to grasp tic
end of the key. The clutching portion
isso small as to easily enter lock, and
when closed the end appears like hol-
low piece of steel no thicker then key
shank. The ends are notched, however,
just as pair Of pinchers are roughened,
so as not to slip when the end of the kew
is grasped, and as most keys
are pointed at the end, the operation of
grasping it is facilitated. Some original
ity is displayed by thieves in getting up
these, and some years ago the work of
burglar named Winter, since killed in a
fight, was always detected by pair OF
"nips" which he used. instead of having
little notches all around the end, he had
only four, equally distant from each 9TH
er, the marks on the brass key which his
instrument left were always detected. The
"nips' are largely used, and are effective,
the only prevention against them being
something that will make the key I'M
movable. Of these preventives the best
is thick bent wire, in the shape of a
pin that hangs down from the shaft of
the door knob and passes through the
ring of the key.


The commonest burglarious instrument
is the Jimmy" and its uses are manifold.
1t is bar of steel, one end of which is
curved at right angel. Sometimes one
end is sharpened to point and sometimes


both, or one is fattened out and sharpened


like crowbar. They are of various


lengths and weights, and a we'll to-do


burglar generally has several. They sub
serve all the uses of a crowbar and drill.


With them it is no trick at all to force
open wooden door, breaking the lock or


twisting it out of place by main force. 1t


is, also very successful tool in prying


open the door OF building or a safe,


being used in the latter case when par
! tial entrance has been made. Bulls eye


lanterns, so loved by dime novel writers,


have passed out of date, small candles be-


ing used. This calls to mind the fact


that the work of Root and Schacht, the


companions, was always spotted by the


candle grease which they lett behind


them, their custom being to use the small


Christmas tree candles.


I Masks are rarely used, and if worn are


usually of the simplest construction, {


piece of black cloth with eye and mouth


holes serving both the purposes Of dis


guise and terror, in case a startled indi


vidual awakes at night to find a ghos


with a caudle, a black mask and revolver


bending over him. With regard to skel


etons one ingenious style. the invention
of Sidney thief, has strangelytallen int
disuse. There were number of ward
to it which could be fitted to the shank
one after the other, small screw in th,
end of the shank holding them in place


The possessor could try one after tn
other, and eventually unlock any dco
70 I1, o,,,, ord 1Daru l,au A ~,