[Ads-l] antedating second story man

[Bill Mullins]

OED has 1886



1881 London Daily News 23 Jun 7/4

Troy Dennis, for example, was renowned as a "second-story man" -- that is, as a climber, a cragsman, one might say, who always scaled to the second story before beginning operations.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/391312704/?match=1&terms=%22second%20story%20man%22


1882 Boston Evening Transcript 17 Mar 8/6

He is known as a "second-story man," and it is believed there is evidence sufficient to convict him of robbing John Peabody of Waltham of watches and jewelry in December last.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/735330682/?match=1&terms=%22second%20story%20man%22




1883 Worcester Evening Gazette 23 Mar 2/4 [genealogybank.com]

Pewter Herbert, a noted thief "second story man," who operated extensively in this city and was finally arrested here, and sentenced to 15 years in the State Prison.



1883 New York Times 13 Nov. 8/3

A noted cracksman imprisoned in the Essex County Jail says that, judging from the description, the dead man may be a "second-story man"  or "climber" known to the crooked men of this City as James Cavanagh.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/20552985/?match=1&terms=%22second%20story%20man%22

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