Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-04-12

In Febr uary, 1865, jewellers safe was broken
open in L5ndOn by daring and ingenious band Of
burglars. and about eighteen thousand dollars
worth of witches and jewerv stolen. Lately the
jeweer brought a suit az ainst the manufacturer of
the safe, who, he claims on ,ht TO make good his
losses, the safe WAS sJlI with a verbal warranty
that 10 war burglar proof
On the trial, Casey. the chief Of the burglars
who committed the robbery, was brought from
prison into court, and gave most curious account
Of the m inner in which safes are broken open By
thieve..
Walker the jeweler. locked up his shsp on Sat
urday night. Il then left uR;enanted for the
next six AMI thirty hours. but the gas was kept
slghi, the shutters were pierced with holes 50
that the police could see into the shop at all times.
and the most valuable part of the stock was lod;
ed in an iron safe, believed TO be thief proof
Caseley's testimony shows that the robbery had
been elaborately schemsd, and was accomplished
by n regular expedition of well equipped thieves.
Casely, the sleverest o! the gang, had taken Mr..
Walker. his family, his habits and his doings.
der the closest Surveillance for weeks before
nis. and day, until al last everything connected
with his going and coming, his business and his
practice. was thoroughly known. This information
being complete. party of five robbers repaired to
the premises at ten minutes past six ON the even
ing of Saturday. Feb. 4th. 1865.
The house was let aud Occupied in floors. Mr..
Walkers shop being on the ground floor, Sir
-
other offices above those, while below Mr.. Wal
ker's shop was a room tenanted By tailor. The
occupants. when the thieves arrived on the spot,
had not yet all left for the night, but the Offices
on the seconi hJOr, and 10 these three OF the rob
bsrs assembled by means of the common staircase,
and there took up their first position, the other
two remaining il he street TO watch AMI give sig
malls. At twenty minutes to eight the signal was
given by the confederates outside that Mr.. Wal
ker's foreman, who appears TO have been the last
70 leave the premises. Was gone, and their opera
lions were once commenced.
The three robbers concealed in the house first
wen, down to Sir Charles CrOssey's foOr where,
more for pastinle rs il seems than anything else
they opened the safe. The chief object of the ex
petition was still postponed. nor Was it until pas,
midnight that they began the work. Mr.. Wal
ker's shop appears to have been secured by iron
doors or partitions. but the thieves directed their
attack against a par. which had not unnaturally
been left with less protection They got into tn .
tailor's room on the lowest door. mounted upon
his cutting board. and then forced their way
through the ceiling and flooring into Mr. Walker S
shop above. Having thus effected lodgemen,
sgans. the real point at attack. they distributed
abe duties of the night OF the two thieves sta
toned in the street, to be the watch
lest Mr.. Walker or some Of his people should re-
turn TO the house. while the Others TO keep
guard over the police. and give warming wher any
constable approached the shop. Inside, one of she
gang sa, up stairs in Sir Charles Crossley's arm
chair at window of thu second hOo-, to CORES
pond with the sentres in the street, AMI the sig
mails he communicated By means Of a string to hi,
comrades below. Ons of these, placed in the
hole half way between the shop and the tailor's
room, hlnlsd up such instruments As were want
ed for use; the other did the work.. AMI it is he.
now a convict undergoing his sentence OF Penal
servi.ude. who tells the story
The first proceeding of the operators was 10
test the safe in which the booty secured, and
this experiment was conducted by the insertion Of
a thin wedge of steel into the almost impercep-
tible clink left BETWEEN the door OF the safe and
its side. .SuppOsibg wedge holds when 50
driven. il is taken evidence that the operation
IL practicable, inasnuch something other is
clearly yielding to pressure. and that pressure may
be gradually and dexterously increased up 70 the
point desired. II the wedge, instead OF holding,
rebounds from the plates and es off, ills proof that
the affair cannot be managed, or, at least, not in
this manner. In this instance the wedge held
and so the operation continued Firs, lit,Ie
bar was inserted to release the wedge, then anoih
erwedge a little larger to release tae bar, then
another bar little bigger still 10 release the
end wedge, until after ten or dozen sloh steps
the ehink was opened uf:ien.ly for the intro
duction of the alderman The instrument thus
dignif-d in name is a long iron bar, sometimes as
much as FIVE feet in length. jointed together in
pieces so be carried in small case. With
the end of the alderman fairly introduced, and
the arm Of strong nan at the other extremity OF
she lever. the safe has no longer any chance and
so il was this occasion The door was pried
open by the force OF this powerful lever, and 30
the booty won- At quarter before fonr on
Sunday afternoon the thieves up in Sir
Charles Crossley's office washing their hands and
by twenty minutes to five thay were miles away,
on theGuilford road.