The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-09-23

PHI = q i .
lock, but picked and opened il, and was entitled
20 the two hundred guineas. On the same day
July 30, Messrs. Bramah gave notice to MIR Hobbs
that the lock was ready for his operations. On Ju-
" "a Mr.. Hobbs commenced his operations, and On
August % Mr.. Hobbs exhibited the lock open ia
Dr. Black and Professor Cowper. Mr. Rennie be-
ing out of town, Dr. Black and Professor Cowper
then called in Mr.. Edward Bramah and Mr.. Bazal-
eelte, and showed them the lock open. They then
withdrew and MIR. Hobbs locked and unlocked the
paddock in the presence Of DR.. Black and Professor
Cowper. Between July "a and August % MIR.
Hobbies operations were for time suspended, so
that the number OF days occupied by him was six
teen, and the number of hours spent by him in the
room with the lock was fifty ona On Friday, Au-
gust 30 Mr.. Hobbs again locked and unlocked the
paddock in the presence of Mr.. George Rennie,
Professor Cowper, Dr. Black, Mr.. Edward Bra
NAH, Mr.. Bazalgette, and Mr. Abrahart. On Sat
urday, August 80, the key tried, and the pad
lock was locked and unlocked with the key by Pro-
feesor Cowper, MIR. Rennie, and Mr.. Gilbertson,
thus proving that Mr. Hobbs had fairly opened the
lock without injuring Is. Mr.. Hobbs then formally
produced the instruments with which be had opened
the lock.
:" We are, therefore unanimously OF opinion that
Messrs. Bramah have given Mr. Hobbs a iar.op-
portunity Of trying his skill, and that MIR. Hobbs
has fairly picked or opened the lock, and we award
that Messrs. Bramah < Co. do now pay to MIR.
Hobbs the 200 guineas'
After the committee had submitted this report to
Messrs. Bramah, and had awarded the prize OF two
hundred guineas to Mr. Hobbs, no one could for a
moment suppose that firm Of such high standing
VOID absolutely refuge to pay over the amount TO
Mr.. Hobbs! sh"v did do so, however, and on the
plea that the precise terms u the agreement were
that the lock should be opened with 4" an instru-.
ment," and not instruments. Such bubble 10 a
disgrace to the firm Moreover, there a YER
bal understanding that Mr.. Hobbs might use any
tools, provided he did not iDjure the lock. The
Times calls upon Messrs. BraHah to pay over the
money. II says that the report % ia conclusive on
tue merits Of the question, and trust that Messrs
Bramah will pay down their money without hest
thton. 1t is true that, according to the terms OF
the challenge, single instrument IS mentioned,
whereas Mr. Hobbs appears to have used three or
four at least; but the main point, the picking or
opening of the lock, has been accomplished, and
the award of arbiters, mutually chosen, with de-
cided preponderance in favor of Messrs. Bramah,
cannot be decently departed from"
Messrs. Chubb & Son--repeatedly vanquished,
"a they well know-appear to be determined that
the public shall disbelieve in the existence of Hobbs
They write to the Times the following extraordi-
nary letter: at is stated that MIR. Hobbs, the
American pick-lock, accepted the challenge we
had given him to try his skill upon one Of our locks.
and has succeeded. Will you allow us TO state that
this is wholly false, as we have twice challenged
him to n fair trial, and he has refused in both
cases." Mr. Hobbs could not remain silent before
such gross falsehood, and he Immediately sent
the following documents to the Times, which were
pubshed
"S1R: would gladly abstain from offering any
what is called the Lock controversy In conse-
quence, however, OF note signed 'Chubb Son.
which appears in your paper this morning, feel
il duty to myself and the public to put you in
possession of two documents in reference to the al
legged picking Of one of Messrs. Chubb's locks by
me, and request your doing me the favor of insert
ing them IN your columns. After perusing them
will be for the public determine how far Messrs
Chubb have been fairly dealt by, and how far
have been successful in picking their lock.
"Your obedient servant,
Crystal Palace, Sept. 3. A. c. HoBns."
Enclosure No. IL
"GEsTLEMEN: An attempt will be made to open
a lock of your manufacture on the door of strong
room, at "a Great George street, Westminster, to-
morrow, Tuesday, at III o'clock, a. m. You aEe
respectfully invited to be present to witness the
operation Yours, respectfully,
IA C. HoBns
american Department, Crystal Palace, July 81.
''To Messrs. Chubb and Son, St. Paul's Church.
yard
an B-Messrs Chubb took no notice Of this
tEneIosu-s No. a
"LoSDoN, July %. 1851
owe, the undersigned. hereby certify that
attended, with the permission of Mr.. Bell of %
Great George street, Westminster, an invitation
sent to US by A. c. Hobbs, of the city of New York.
10 witness attempt to open lock throwing
three bolts, and having Six tumblers affixed to the
iron door Of strong room vault, built for the
depository Of valuable papers, and formerly occu
pied by the agents of the Southeastern Railway
Company hat we scverally witnessed the opera
ton, which Mr. Hobbs commenced at thirty-five
minutes past eleven, a. m, and opened the lock
within twenty five minutes. MIR. Hobbs having
been requested to lock II again with his instru-
ments accomplished it in the short space of seven
minutes, without the ghtest injury to the lock or
door. We infinitely examined the lock and door,
(having previously had the assurance of MIR. Bell
that the keys had never been accessible to Mr..
Hobbs, he having had permission to examine the
keyhole only) We found plate at the back of
the door with the following inscription 'Chubb's
new patent, (No. l6l, 46l,) ST. Paul's Churchyard,
London, maker to her majesty"
Mr.. Hardley. 26 Great Earl street.
Mr.. VIM. N. Marshall, AZ Charing Cross.
MIR. w. Armstead, SO Belitha-vilas, Barnsbury
Park.
Mr.. G.. r. Porter, Putney heath.
Mr.. F. w. w enham, Effra-vale- lodge, Brixton
Mr.. A. Shanks, Robert street, Adep6i.
MIR. Il. Shanks, Robert street, Adelphi.
Col c. w. Clifton, Morley's Hotel.
Mr.. Elijah Galloway, 42 Southampton buildings
MIR. Pau r. Hodge, Adams street, Adelphi
Mr.. Charles II. Peabody, l Norfolk street Strand
A Mr.. George Lewis locksmith Of Leicester,
has publicly challenged Mr.. Hobbs TO lick or open
a lock made on a principle of his own invention,
and MIR. Lewis offers fifty pounds against twenty
five that Mr.. Hobbs cannot open the aforesaid
Lewis's lock. Similar challenges are frequently
given to the American clock pickcr," he Is
called, and the public no doubt surprised that
they are not at once accepted, but Mr.. Hobbs die
not visit England for the purpose of picking locks;
he to dispose of the patent for this country of
Newell's Bank Lock. The locks manufactured by
Chubb & Bramah, having the highest reputation
of any manufactured in Great Britain, have been
fairly opened; Mr.. Hobbs simply wished to show
parties likely to be interested in Newells Bank
Lock that these two most celebrated English locks
were insecure against expert burglars; and having
opened several of Chubb's locks and the Bramah
test lock- Mr. Hobbs is now perfectly satisfied, and
ln..r tal, Motto oaEN hal
lenges thrown down from every direction by
known and in several instances wholly irrespon-
5ible, persons. Thus terminates the celebrated
'Lock controversy
PENNsYLvANIA FINANcEs.--We learn from
proclamation Of Gov. Johnston, announcing the
precise amount of State debt paid, that in the two
years and half in which the sinking fund has
been in operation, the of 1863 l22 SO has been
Maid A noatin0 debt of canal. railroad and mo-