The sun., 1883-12-16
AHEAD OF TIE BURGLARS.
SAFE MAKING SKILL TOO MCCH FOR
CLEVER CRa aCKSMEN.
work that Turns Jimmy Edges and DeHes
Pswder-AnY SAFE May be Opened, but not
In the Limited Tiinc TkleYea cnn EmplOy.

IN the Limited Time Thleyes cnn Employ.
Has tho evolution OF burglar-proof safes
kept pace with tho evolution OF burglars p In
quired Sun reporter OF number Of safo
makers tho other day. with special reference to
an alleged clever safe robbery in Boston which
was accomplished by drilling hole through
the safe door. cutting thread in this hole and
thus attaching an instrument to push off tho
lock on the inside OF the safe. Generally thero
Is no doubt among safe makers that the burg
lars have not kept pace with modern improve
nents and as proof positive they point to the
fact that OF the burglar-proof safes that are
now in the market. but q very small number
have been opened. and that at least 90 per cent
Of the safes attacked have resisted the burglars
efforts long enough to defeat his purpose. Mr.
j. 8. Dcane OF tho Marvin Safe Company said:
II people will insist upon putting valuables
In n safe which is only proof. and never in
tended to be burgar-proof. they simply hold
out q tempting invitation to the burglar to
come in and help himself. Although to most
people safe is merely safe. and the poorest
aafe looks to thom strong enough to resist at
tack. It is really very simple and easy Job for
any fair mechanic to get into a ilre-proof safo
without alarming the ncighborhood This can
be done with ordinary tools. such as can bo
carried In an overcoat pocket. In most cases
good jimmy" brace and bit. little cxplo-
sive substance. and match will do the job
handsomely in short time A flrc-proof safo
Is not built to resist such tools. The joints are
not made tight, so that tho burglar can readily
insert the edge OF his jimmy and pry away un-
I'll he separates the frame from the door, Tho
iron Of n flre-proof safe is soft and easily
drilled. and the lock is generally an ordinary
affair that is easily picked or broken. The
protect from destruction by fire books and pa
pers that are OF no use to any one but the owner.
than the price OF burglar. proof safe, and tho
general form OF construction IS merely two @
thin r2n se a 1hs Hsde ib ,s etrs %s
compound.
man to buy such IL safe. and flatter himself that
he is getting the better OF tho safe maker by
using It as a depository for his vqluabes. Now.
the moment he PUTS his his eye on it. Ho in fact,
Is all the time looking about for lnst such en-
like that and pun it ali to pieces, and lay it
about the iloor and have reEty Of time to go
Done IN tho m oes Of the eV Halfway S News COM
pany while tenants were in the building and
trains Of the elevated railway passed within a
eo@pan NS kat ?py viii SS qd Sf ter a a DaY
expect that it will resist burglars.
But, when you come to The e real burglar
md il is safe to say that 10 safe having all the
latest improvements and safeguaid5 OF the hes,
BY burglars. One after another the DEVICES Of
the burslars have been net and defeated Each
n"f It cost Is tat PGSh the dsa when
place where he can get in his jimmy, There is
such Il perfect lifting OF joints that he cannot
slip i'll the thin edge of wedge. and il he at
tempts to drive it IN. he simply breaks 2lf the
the age: Even the combination Jimmy. which
is merely a long-handieI crowbar, is way back
In the Siluriah epoch of burglary.
AS to drills, there again the burglar Is fOllcd
with metal that is hnrder nh than any d he
eS SehH the WAY an
ssseheme formerly used by burglars by which
sae @ and then let the all air rushing in neal carry w with vi
hitting the Joints perfectly air tight. SO that no
One method OF opening safes formerly used
--Eas to tear away the outside frames by forcibe
The outside bands OF the S safe; but that method
IL now avoided by means Of presenting only a
ss. sss
plan yaa to force rec Of the lock BY means e. Of the
that the lock Is worked BY cog wheels. This
brings tho lock l. under IN, the protection OF the
p knoeEing out the spindle Win be @ to make it
Impossible to open the safe with the lock.
make safes so that they cannot be opened
What oDc, man can make another can break.
open them within lthe time that olnp.cs be.
opaGs a ON BANK Ks oSs as Wy
protect a Sale from burglars r forr thirty-siX
hours & wear we are all rig right. i is simnly mechani,
bered that tho burglar must work within n
noise. He must be limited in the size and
power of tools: He cannot takc weok to open
foundry. He cannot, carry n machine shop
Into bank vault, Tho maker Of the safe has
no such limits He can make as much noise as
he likes. He can take all the time that is neces
sppry. and he can use the most powerful ma
"A few years ago tho Elk County Bank do
termined to have safe actually tested Will
IL hey hSI hSy Sy
steel and iron that actually resisted he hos
Efforts TO pn,rt p,r hole through i with drillin.
four inches thick Then a trial was made t
outside Of the safe, thus enabling, then
blowpipe used in the, test was IN oXy-hydro
gen pine With two cylinders Of gas four and
tho most powerful tiint could be got. and lnnc
mors .rowerbtm bn har ,h omrGar* GGnIa hayH TIL
o ahs as wMs sea a p' so o0sp rspa
through tho entire mass rs TO prevent the ste.
temper. Consequently the best safes are nov
20 hui! that h" burglar may as we'll leave hi
bl3IwnipST nt home In iact I'll" ElowppS h
was very effective and ingenious Mt FIRST nm
the brainy burglar who first used il did vel
But he Is now behind the ago.
Another test with the safe in question wa
on the joints and crcyices. An exhaust pun.
was rugged such as WAS formerly used BY burr
lars, and tho joints were closed with putty :
thatany air drawn IN through the ono plaC
lott for ingrcss would carry with II fine powde
But twenty minutes pumping failed to &,
into the sale as much nnlc powder rs could |
held on tho small blade Of n pen knife. 1t
now well settled that II n burglar blows open
safe in that way II must DO because tho own'
Of the property has not protected it with IL
latest safeguards.
The. fact that 50 many of tho celebrate
bank rohberlcs have beene flccted by collusio
with or compulsion of employees is OF itself
tribute to the strength of safes. But in Il
evolution OF safe making the plan of buldozil
cashiers or custodians of safes is now ohsolet
owing to the introduction of the imo lock-.
II no longer any temptation TO the burglar to
and wake up the countrycashier and try To cor
pol the opcning oIthe safe. for the cashier hit
self cannot open 1t until morning. In the case
the Manhattan Savings Institution robbery tho
was not only couson Of an employee. but al
adependencc by the bank upon safe that
no means was fitted with the latest protection
Too much reliance WAS placed upon the loc
tion OF the bank on u crowded thoroughfare.