THE SECRETS OF "BURGLARY."

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3891, 9 January 1884, Page 4

THE SECRETS OF "BURGLARY."

A burglar, describing some of the mysteries of his " profession" in tho Echo, says: —But how, you will naturally inquire, arc we to find a P.P. Avhen wo want one 't Well, Aye never meet Avith much difficulty there. You Avill easily understand that a man cannot graduate in burglary Avithout making a good many acquaintances of this kind as he goes on, and very much as a matter of course. Assign mo a theatre of operations anyAvhorc in twonty-soA'cn of our forty English counties, and I will warrant that I lay my hand on a putter-up to suit at very short notice. As for the other thirteen counties—but hero a littlo explanation is requisite. P.P.'s, you must understand, have each of them special rounds beyond Avhich they "will not Avork. In a iioav district, then, I must employ a new hand ; aud if I havo none iv my eye, Avhilc noiio of my friends can give mo an introduction, down I go to tho nearest big toAvn. Here I stroll about till I como upon a photographer's studio of tho right sort. There are always two or more of these in a big toAvn. There is a show of portraits outside, of course ; and among the rest aro si number of remarkably free and easy ones. There are athletes in costume and Avonieu in tights. Innocent people fancy that those represent notabilities. I lounged about for half an hour or so, and watch those who enter. A servant is the first, Avith hat carelessly throAvn on, basket on arm, and key dangling from forefinger. She is evidently in haste. An ordinary customer this, so nothing to go by. A Avoman with a baby Mloavs, another ordinary customer; then tAVO matrons of tho working class, lugging between them a half-groAvn, half-uiiAvilling girl, dressed in her best —more ordinary customers. At length comes a flaunting, SAvaggeringfelloav, broad of shoulder and firm of tread, with lofty crest and Avell-Avaxed moustache, and smelling like Rimmel's on a Avindy day. In ho goes, too. About three minutes later tho photographer pops his head out, looks furtively this Avay and that, hangs a por-

trait. As I anticipated, it is that of the man AA'ho has just entered. lam iioav perfectly satisfied as to tho character of the place, and in a reasonable space I enter. I find a customer or two therein—ono under the hands of the artist and another waiting his turn. At last my artist is at liberty to attend to me. I Avish to be supplied Avith half a dozen of the female cartes 1 had noticed outside. Tho man looks slyly in my face and smiled ; I grin, he laughs outright. I thrust out two fingers with a wink; he hooks them Avith two other fingers, winking likeAvise. Noav avc understand ono another in a general way, until my new friend becomes confidential. He sees that I am a lad of his OAvn way of thinking. From that hour forward the photographer and myself arc thick as— thieves; about the best simile I can find, lie brings me in contact with a "putter up." And if I Avant a few tools, or a follow workman, ho can bring mo in contact with the latter, and with the highlyrespectable artisan who supplies the former. There is no risk at all, as I very well knoAV from long and varied cxperienco._ A'cry soon everything is in proper trim for a genuine " put-up job."