Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1875 — How Barglars Work. [ARTICLE]

How Barglars Work.

Nearly «vety day we take up our morning paper and we read of tone unfortunate having been burglariaed. Crime 18 a disease, and, like many other disorders, appears to be epidemical. The numerous successes attained by the gentlemen of the “pick* and “jimmy" seem to hare given the ruffians the greatest confidence in their own powers, and, no long er satisfied with “cleaning out" the peaceful citizen, they have actually * gone through" the terrible police sergeant To anyone acquainted with the drill and audacity of the class of men who take to house-breaking for a living it is a matter of surprise, not that so many burglaries are committed, but that many more are not attempted. In our out-districts the houses seem to be actually built with the intention of aiding to the utmost the efforts of any person desirous of effecting an entrance. Verandas that serve no earthly use run dong the fronts of hundreds of our houses, ana it is quite easy, having gained the veranda, to lift up a window sash and thus effect an entrance. The locks on the majority or those doors are of the poorest description, and offer little or no resistance to the burglar. Many people, when they lock their door at night, have a habit of leaving the key in the lock, under the impression that it will prevent any person from using a pick or skeleton-key to open the door, and so it will. But in this case the thief uses neither of those hole a very strong though light forceps, and seizing the extremity of the key opens the door with a single turn of his wrist. Then, if you leave a key in the lock, let it be one that does not open the door. There is but little difference between the tools of a first-class burglar and those of an honest locksmith, for the latter is often called on to pick locks and to open safes when keys are lost and time is pressing. There are some instruments, of course, such as dark-lantern and revolver pistol, not required by the honest tradesman in his business, that are all important to the professional burglar. A first-class outfit comprises a darklantern, silent-matches, wax taper, revolver, a large priming-knife, useful for cutting out door-panels, a palette-knife, thin and pliant, for opening windows (by insertion between the sashes, so as to push back the spring-fastening), a jimmy or small crowbar about a foot in length, and splayed or crow-footed at one end; skeleton-keys with wards at each end, called “ double-enders;” wires to lift lock-tumblers and a center-bit. This is a complete set of ordinary tools and may be carried with ease in a small car-pet-bag.

Hall-door locks are large, massive, and usually take a very large and apparently complex warded key; but the burglar is well aware that many of these wards are superfluous. If he wants a key for such a lock he cuts out a blank key in tin, one side of which he covers with wax. Wards being simple obstructions fixed in the locks he has only to carefully insert the blank and turn it gently to receive an impression of them on the wax. From this impression a key is easily forged out of strong iron wire. Of course it is much simpler than the original. Semetimes doors are opened with a pick-lock, which acts by working outside the wards, reaching the bolt that way; but it requires more dexterity than the other, and is successful only in the hands of a practical thief. The success of the burglar when operating on warded locks caused them at length to be discarded from banks and money-houses, in favor of the lever or tumbler lock, and the thief’s skeleton keys found themselves bent to no effect in endeavoring to open them. So the locksmith had to be circumvented by fresh means, and the jack-in-the-box was invented. Its object was to force the lock off or rend the case so that the bolts might be drawn back. This was accomplished by inserting a T-shaped bolt of iron in the lock, ana then by means of the jack (an adaptation of the principle of the lever and screw) rending open the lock. This plan was prevented by. introducing very srfia'il keys and placing the tumblers, etc., above the key-hole. Having been defeated for a long while at the safe-lock, they at length discovered a new plan, which was to attack the hinges, pressing them off by means of powerful levers. In this manner the safe of a large firm in London was opened and an immense quantity of valuables stolen. The firm brought an action against the safe-makers, who had sold them the safe as thief-proof, to recover damages, and for the defense the burglar, who had been captured and sentenced, was placed on the stand, and deposed that there was no safe made that could resist an attack properly made on its hinges. After this trial the safe-makers counter-sunk their hinges, and at the present time we may safely sav that the thief has the worst of the battle. After the lock has been Overcome the burglar has often to remove door-bolts. To do this it is sometimes necessary to cut out one of the panels. This used to be effected by means of a fine saw. Now an instrument called a panel-cutter is used. A strong stem with a gimlet point is thrust into the center of the panel. Through this stem slides a cross-bar, carrying at one extremity a sharp-cutting tool which can be adjusted to move at any required radius. At the head of the stem is a double-armed lever which works the whole machine. This instrument will make a hole in a few minutes large enough to adm.t the burglar’s arm or the body of a small boy, and the door is quickly unfastened, 'rhe only safeguards are to have the door lined with sheet-iron or studded with nails irregularly disposed. Everybody knows that the thief seldom if ever breaks into a house on the particulars concerning which he is not well posted. 'He knows how many people live in the house, and the rooms they sleep in, and the hours they retire to rest. Women and children watch during the day and the house-breaker himself by night, and this watch will be kept up for days and nights until all necessary information has been obtained. The burglars, who generally go in threes, select the time when the police officer has just passed on his weary round to commence operations. If you haven watch-dog, it is drugged; if you have a corrupt servant, he has been, perhaps, bribed. A mold has been taken of your house-key; a panel is removed, or perhaps entrance is effected, through the windows opening on your veranda The burglar, who has pulled on thick stockings over his boots, moves rapidly and without noise. Plate and money are his two great aesires, but he will take almost anything rather than go emptyhanded. So cleverly managed is the whole affair that the police officer may pass by a door out of which a panel baa been cut and notice nothing, for the

panel baa been replaced with a sheet of painted or grained paper, provided for that purpose. Outside a comrade is on guard, and the burglars are careful not to leave the house until the signal that the coast is clear. Immediately on reaching their quarters the thieves change their clothes; the next thing to do is to get rid of the plunder, than which nothing is easier if it be plate. Jewels are also readily disposed of, but not so profitably for the robbers. With all that has been said, there is but little danger where proper precautions are taken. It is a curious fact that these men who inform themselves so carefully as to what and where they can steal venture little willingly, and they are careful to learn whether your bars alone protect your property. Keep a good dog inside your house and a Smith & Wesson at your hand and you’ll have but little trouble from burglars, and if they do come never bring down a light when you go to see what is the matter. — San Francisco Call.