The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-02-23
How Burglars Do Their Work.
LETTER FROM TUE CASHIER OF THE GLEN's
FALLS BANK.

|
LETTER FROM TUE CASHIER OF THE GLEN'i
| FALLS BANK.
The following letter from the cash.
Ter of the Glen's Falls National Bank
illustrated more completely than any
account We have seen, how bank bur.
glars manage to blow open safes, and
successfully carry oft their contents:
"GLEN's FALL, Jan. Is, 1870.
=" Dear Sir-Having received from
various bank officers and others, in diff:
ferent sections Of the country, letters
OF inquiry similar to yours Of the 9th
inst, in regard to the robbery of this
bank on the morning of the 9TH, and
as there is yet wider and more public
interest in tile matter, take this meth.
cd Of replying.
sour banking house was entered
abont midnight, probably, by forcing
open the rear door with Jimmy
The burglars at once proceeded to GOV.
er all the windows closely with thick
army blankets, dampened, for the dou.
bic purpose of hiding their light and
deafening the reports Of the explosions
The vault was protected by two sets
OF Lilies doors-the oute, ones OF
chilled iron, two inches in thickness,
the inner of single thick boiler plate.
The chamber or space between the
two sets is, say, 18 inches deep and 8
feet wide. Wedges were inserted he
Tween the outer doors until the crevice
was sufficient to allow the powder
(some of which was of the fneness OF
marble DUST to be blown or 0theru ise
gotten through into this space. The
crevice was then tightly calked, and
the fuse applied. The explosion tore
apart the bolts and tine riveted fasten.
ings through which they worked, and
the doors were thrown back upon their
hinges with tremendous force, smash
ing the castings and imbeding the han
dies in the solid masonry. The inside
doors were next opened by being
wrenchel from the hinges with power
full "jimmies." A large Lilies safe,
with doors II inches thick, now ap-
peared. The wedges were again APP
plied-this time at the tops of the doors
the powder inserted, and blast No.
2 blew the doors completely off the
safe, exposing the inner and final
stronghold of the fnnds--a BacOn's
steel safe manufactured for us about
three years ago, and fitting the inside
Of the" Lille" as closely as practica-
bic. ~
This safe is composed of FIVE alter
nate layers Of iron and.steel, and is di-
vided into an upper and lower COM
partment, each secured by a Covert
lock. The first move npnn it was to
uncover the spindle Of the lock pre-
parat"ry to an attempt to drive it
through, and 80 effect an opening but
this was presently left, as likely to
prove bad job and a resort again
had to the materials already 40 efficient
in the service of the williams. The
wedges were intI Otluced most effective
ly at the side of the lower door nearest
the handle, as that side of the safe
shows that it was badly sprung by
them. The powder was again inserted
and the fuse lighted, but before the ex-
plosion the outer vault doors were
closed. AS they few open from the
concussion. the safe door, weighing
several hundred pounds, struck one of
them, and glanced off into the banking
room, crashing into the floor some eight
feet from where it started.
"a soon as the smoke cleared away,
the R"'y which the robbers sought be-
came visible, as it was in this c"mpart
m"nt that the receive Of legal-t. nders
was kept, with such private papers, securi.
| ties, etc, rs might chance to re in our
possession. The greenbacks, directly tx.
posed as they were to the net 'on Of the
powder. must have badly burned, as irae,
ments ois 81 900 with many Others OF
smaller, denominations, were found in and
about the SAFE. A package Of $4,000 40,
much damaged, was discovered under one
OF the fallen doors, where it had BEN
blown ny the explosion. The upper sec
tion OF the safe was yet intact. In thi.
were four tin tills, hold ne the funds, notes
ETC., in dniIy uss. Two Of these rested
upon the bottom of he compartment and
| the other two on an iron shelf suhdivi
ding it. The burglars attacked the parti
ton between the two sections. and sue
ceeded in partially prying ii down. and ia
drawing out one Of the tills containing a
few hundred dollars in hills. At this par
ticuIar time they must have taken sudden
leave as everything else waa unlisturhed
although short time would have cuff
ced TO clean out the upper Impairment
Il have thus fully detailed the facts in
this matter, and as nearly Ms am enabled
10 from tie closest scrutiny because it il
due to the bank officers and to the public
trat it should be known just what tnes.
professional burglars are able to do, in
order, if possible, that some adequate Sc
curity may be provided against them
That the constantly increasing cost. inRe
nuity. aud care expended in the construc
ton Of locks and safes, ia being CONSTANT,
met by corresponding increase of skill or
,hr part of Operators fresh evidence i,
furnished almost nightly in fact, burglar
proof al applied to those intended pro
tections, seems yet to BE- almost mis-
homer, citing aside the matter of time ant
unsleeping vigilance.
yours Truly,
VIM A. WAIT, Cashier.
"To James Thompson, Esq, Presiden
Cambridge Valley Bank"