, 1872-11-05
THE CHAMPION SAFE-BREAKER.



aggregate to $4,000. Kindt is Hollander by
birth, but since he WAS lad has seen but little Of
his native country, he having learned several me-
chanical trades in Belgium. In 1860 he emigrated
to this country With his wife, young French
Of matchmaking and tho manufacture Of precious
metals, which he had acquired during a two
years. residence in Geneva, Switzerland, to &C
count by accepting situation IN the
Matchease factory OF Wheeler, Parsons % Co. IN IN
thieves Kindt Was sober man. Kindt settled
himself comfortably in his position, cultivated
the friendship Of those he came in contact with,
and laid plans for the realization Of his dreams
OF wealth by perfecting his knowledge Of safes
and lock combinations. In February, 1867, the
safe in the office Of the firm was found appar-
emily locked and secure, but on opening it the
contents which had been carcfully arranged in it
the previous evening, and which consisted Of
Warehouses;, GOLD BARS, AND MoNEf,
valued at $12, 600, we're missing. Detectives we're
called in, the entire establishment was placed
under surveillance, but in spite Of every efortno
clue was found to the robber. Kindt WAS not
suspected in the slightest degree. His bearing
beyond measure at the loss his patrons had sus-
tanned, and volunteered to devote his leisure
hours to aiding his employers and the police in
clearing up the mystery. So well did he play
his part that in the fall Of the same year, when
q new factory Was opened at Nos. 40 and ~ State
street, Brooklyn, he was appointed to better
position than the one he held in the New York
establishment, and in it displayed the came
zeal that had won him previous advance
ment. In the Office Of the State street
factory WAS new safe, with combination lock,
in which all yaluables were placed at night The
secret Of the combination was known only to
Mr.. Wheeler, who WIS SO Jealous Of it that he
even kept it from young man named Henri
Jeanette, who occupied the position Of conf
Dental clerk, was trusted with property Of in
mense value, and who every night assisted in
placing goods in the SAFE which at times con-
tanned $50, 600 worth. It will not be wondered
at, under these circumstances, that Alr. Wheeler
was alarmed and mystifed on the morning Of
New Years Day, 1869, when on opening the safe,
which appeared all right, he
FOUND IT COMPLETELY EMPTY,
every article Of value having been removed, at a
loss to the firm Of over $4,000: The most
Z at ~9sE % 4s 5sa to to s Sseesss smpys
Supposed clues we're followed up to end in
smoke, and finally, when at the point OF CIV
ing up the matter as a bad job, and while sus-
pecting every one around them, even to mem-
bers OF their own families, the firm paid 8 visit
to Superintendent John A. Kennedy, Of the New
York police, who detailed Detective Tilley to
work up the case. There was not q scratch on
the outside of the safe, and the lock: On being
taken off, showed no evidence Of having been
tampered with. Only one man knew the COM
bination, and be Was the head Of the firm. No
suspicion could be legitimately attached to any
clerk or workman, and the watchman on duty,
whose footsteps had been dogged, WAS pro-
nounced an honest an; 1M3; The york had to f. 6e
at the safe. The indicator revolged on q screw
pivot, which WAS taken out, and the worm
Of the screw WAS found to be considerably
worn. On being replaced the indicator did not
fit so1idly on the pivot, and there was every
quent1y. a course Of action was soon determt
med on. The officer appeared disheartened and
about to give up the puzzle, while in secret he
advised Messrs. Wheeler i Parsons to let the
In q few weeks, the excitement had SO far
abated that proposition emanated from the
firm to increase the force OF workmen, and to
apopt additional precautions for security. In
due course
4 c1owS1sH-LooKNa APPRENTICE
and an assistant watchman we're introduced, and
in q few weeks Lad cultivated Kindts acquaint-
ance. The newcomers were selected by New
York private detective agency. Kindt took Won
derfully to the new watchman, talked to him
vigilance. The spurious guardian, coached
by Tilley, improved the acquaintance Of
the suspected man, wormed himself into
his confidence little by little, by dint of
gradually expressing his ideas on the subject Of
honesty to be rather Lax, and finally had him SO
completely in his tolls that Kindt, after long
TRADE on the labor question and the injustice Of
capitalists, made him proposition to rob the
safe, which he represented as containing for
tune Of 100000 enough to divide between two.
The new watchman cleyerly hesitated but finally
consented, and learned that Kindt's plan Was to
master the combination Of the safe-lock and rob
the factory, as before described. After weeks
of patient labor, which proved useless, 8 new
combination lock OF peculiar construction hay
ing. been attached to the sefe since the
1859 robbery, Kindt suggested to the firm
that the stairs leading past the, Office
in which the safe was should be boarded
up, alleging that fragments Of gold aud gold
dust we're lost in considerable quantities by
the staircase in question being left open. His
suggestion was Of course adopted, it being the
object of the firm and the detectives to catch
Kindt red-handed. As soon as the partition was
erected Tilley and q man he had engaged to as
sist him in watching
SLOWED THEMSELVES AWAY on FLOOR
above that on which the safe stood, soas to COM
mand both view of the safe and the stairs
through auger-ho1es which they bored in the
floor. From their place of concealment every
time that hlr. Wheeler went to the safe they
saw Kinat produce species Of opera glass, con
structed by himself, and watch iptently his
masters movements in manipulating the COM
bination, noting them down on o piece
Of paper. AS soon as the coast was clear Kindt
ments, and endeavor to get at the secret. After
weeks Of experimenting Kindt succeeded in
mastering the difficulty, and the open sesame Of
the combination acquired, he stood gazing at
the treasures within the stronghold. He then
closed the safe, tried the combination again and
again, to make sure Of it, and was about to
close it for the last time, and to leave to make
arrangements for getting away with the con-
tents, when he was seized and handcuffed, and,
in spite Of the day and hour a o'clock on . Sun
day mornin g, marched to his residence, No. 25
State street, where lis wife was secured, and
search begun for the property supposed to be
secreted there. Every nook and corner was
ransacked without success, and Tilley was about,
as matter Of form, to sound the plasterins
above the window, when the sill on which he
,sas standing gave way, and he thrust his Leg
into an
in which, carefully slowed away, we're about
s17, 900 worth of gold watch-cases and gold bars,
which were identified as forming part o1 the
proceeds Of both the 1867 and 1858 roboenes.