The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-12-09
HOME MATTERS.
BANK ROBBEkiES.
None can ever happen to the Ottawa Na'io"-
al BanEs---The New Chronometer Locks.


| Eyperience has proved that Notwithstanding
the utmost precautions OF bank oihclals ana
managers of safety repositories generally, rob
beriec have occurred with alarming frequency,
and the battling of a burglar up to his business
seemed well nigh impossible: This led to the
| Improvement of safes and their locks, but with
moor success until the combination lock was IN
| vented. when it was believed that the robber
| was finally outwitted. Yet he was not. He still
| committed his depredations as Of old, only in
| another and more daring way. Instead Of spend.
| ing weeks and months over his job Of drilling
| and mining he went directly to headquarters,
and with the persuasive power Of Oerringer cool
lyinvited the proper person to expose the vaults
contents to his mercy, and SO foreibly were his
arguments that few there were who could resist.
At lenght Mr.. Jas. Sargent, Il gentlemen from
Rochester, n. Y, hit upon the idea that lock
might be made which even those who were in
the secret Of the combination could not Oren!
except, as will be seen, under certain conditions
Developing this idea, he has produced his Chro
nometer Lock, by which, at last, the burglar
is eiTectually and no doubt, forever foiled. And
these are the little instruments which on last
Friday and Saturday were provided for the safes
of the National City and First National Banks
of this city. The two locks are alike, and CON
sis: of two well finished, full ieweled watch
movements, contained in a heavy bronze case,
which is securely fastened to the inside OF the
safe door, and having no communication win
the outside, cannot be tempered with Inc move
ments are of great strength and durability, and
are connected with an ingenious mechanism by
which system of strong bolts Is operated. The
watch movements are connected with small
lever. which holds strong bolt in position, so
that. after the door is closed it is absolutely i'm
possible for the bolts to be withdrawn until the
watch inside has run the number of hours for
which it is sct-say from p. NJ. to or y next
morning; or from p. VI. Saturday To Monday
morning "Thcn, and not till then" the bolt OF
the lock is released and Of its own weight falls
and allows the bolts of the door to be Withdrawn,
of course, after the combination lock is opened.
The advantage OF the lock is this: Suppose the
burglar at midnight forces, e. a., the cashier
to open the vault door. Inside is still the sale
in which is the chronometer lock, which also he
is commanded to open 1t cannot be done All
the cashiers in the country could not open IL.
But how convince him? Put his ear to the door
and let him hear the little sentinel tick, ticking
the hours away; no burglar who knows what it
is will fool away his time on it. 1t he does not
understand it, whirl the arm of the door-it
whirlS freely; unlock the combination lock-thc
arm is caught by the bolts and moves thcm
but barely moves them, while the wonderful lit
tie guard within laughingly ticks not yet, not
yet, not yet" and if he is not fool-burglars
seldom are--he is convinced, and the v@luablcs
are saved, and the cashier also.
In matter of dollars and cents the lock Is
very expensive, but incidentally valuable to the
Ban Ks as matter Of safety, and we have no
doubt that dcpositors Of money and other valu
ables in these Banks will duly appreciate the
action of the Bank officials in providing this
additional means of safety to their deposits
60 to the lie Bon Ton for square mealS-only
80 cents.