The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-11-11
LAUGHING AT LOOKS.
How Combination Safes Yield Up
Their Secrets to an
Expert.

LOCKS! LOCKS "On't Keep Durg
lars out. Why, l can open any kline
of lock that has ever been invented
without key or combination"
The speaker was a close shaved, clean
cut, penetrating looking man. He
stock in a lOcksmith's shop on
street, dangling the dial of combine.
ton lock on the end of a bent wire.
They open if he looks at 'em, ("
said a youth, who stood by interested.
ly examing the bits of broken lock.
old keys, drills and odds and ends of
wire, brass and steel which were
scattered about the shop. The sign
in front of the door read, practical
Locksmith and Safe Opener"
''DO you make a practice f break
ing open cafes p asked The Star
man.
Il open safes when nobody else
can" replied the smith, giving the
scribe Keen inquiring, look, which
might have opened him had he been a
lock, That is, | open safes when
the locks are out of order or the com
binations lost. Sometimes a man
will oil the lock of his safe and it gets
gummed up so that the tumblers won 1
work and he can't get it open. Some
men are forgetful and lose their COM
bination. Safes are sold at sherlffs
sale sometimes and, the owner being
mad, won't give up the combination.
When anything of that kind happens
they send for me"
"Do you blow them open.'
"No. If the lock is broken so that
it won't work 1 drill a little hole
alongside the dial and pick the lock
with small bit of wire. If the lock
is all right, only the combination is
lost, 60 to work to find it and don't
deface the safe at all. 1t takes me
from three to six hours to open a safe.
according to the kind and the met Cd
L employ"
'But how can you find the combina-
ton? Does it not take long time ?"
''By testing. As to the time, il
depends upon circumstances. If [
know the man who set the combina-
ton / can fad it in a very few
minutes. If ! don't, it takes longer.
You see. L study the character of the |
man. and if | know him pretty well |
can strike his combination through his |
character When a stranger comes
to me to say he has lost his combina.
ton | make study of him, and in |
nine cases out of ten | can hit it the
second or third trial But if he did |
not set the combination himself it is |
more difficult Then | study the lock |
instead of the man, ana am sure tn
get it open in a few hours. Ga, no.
1t wouldn't do TO tell you how. Safe |
openers are dangerous ina community.
They are always watched by the
police. They keep an eye on me all
the time | have them irving nv
door all hours of the night and the e.
generally one somewhere around. No,
[ couldn't teach you how to open
safes. But YOU might not fad i!
easy to learn. There is a kind Of
association between me and locks-an
understanding. as it were. We have
the same way Of thinking"
Gould YOU open a burglar proof
lime lock?" esked the scribe
II can open the hest lsck that was
ever made, in five or six bours. These
little office safes | wouldn't put that
much time on. They don't pay
enough. | just take a hammer and /:
break the knob off, and can get into
he safe in about three seconds.'
"Wbat do get for opening a safe 2"
"For little three second safe get
30. For large safes like they have in
banks and brokers Offices. and where
hey don't want the lock injured, /
ret $3.50"
Could you open the great safe in
he United States treasury"
Easily. / could get rid of the
lime lock and everything in six or
even hours, and wouldn't make any
particular fuss about it either. No safe
vas ever made but had some weak
point known to the maker, so he could
ret into it in case the lock should re-
use to respond. IF there wasn't thew ,
would have to break the concern all
o pieces if the lock broke. Now |
know where TO find these weak places. i
can strike within a quarter Of an :
nch Of it every time. 1t is generally l
covered over by 3 thin sheet of steel
'r boiler iron, and by cutting away l
d ok three or four inches. which i
,asily done. | could drill into the beat {
afe that has ever been made. 1t would I
rot be any trouble for burglars to Get
nto the treasury safe il they under
food ipcEr nc do ,, <