The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-07-24

and giving the combination knob a few
turns. Just excuse me; I've got BUSH
ness down town. In q half minute he
was walking out of the store. leaving
the safe as securely locked as it had been
before. This was something the dealer
did not bargain for, and he FASTENED
after the lock expert, but he had to pay
S25 before the safe was opened again.
"You asked me moment ago about
safe-blowers. There are very few safe
workers who resort to the use of powder
to open a door. Having acquired mas
terry over one combination, a safe-burg-
lar is too shrewd to let his secret out.
After entering the building in which the
safe is located. he can, by his sense of
touch or sound, open the combination
and then secure his plumber. Then he
begins the work of saie-blowing. He
first locks the safe door and then fills all
the cracks with putty, and through q
little orifice made in the upper crack ILLS
the safe with power by means of little
bellows. He then fills this hole, attaches
a slow match to a small orifice made in
the lower crack, and walks off leisurely
with the fruits of his crime. In half
hour the fuse has ignited the powder,
and the safe door is shattered from its
hinges. Then the police rush in, and
the next day report at headquarters that
the robbery was accomplished by blow
ing the safe. Some of the foremost ex-
pe-Is never begin operations until the
'Roughers.a nameg given those who force
open the building, stand ready to brain
an officer. and do the blowing business
after the lock expert has ritied the safe
and started on his way with the booty.
Within two wears one of these robberies
occurred in New York. The safe was
blown through the roof. and the watch
man, in detailing the circumstances,
said the roof and safe went up like a
huge rocket; the safe fell about block
away. The Waterman hurried after it,
and. when relating the story afterward.
said he saw three men pry open the in
ner door and decamp with their booty.
The truth was. after beating the COM
bination the thieves, to conceal how it
was done. determined to blow the safe.
In their hurry to get away they over
charged the safe and treated the watch
man to pyrotechnic display that n less
drowsy fellow might not have enjoyed.
The robber masters a combination
with almost mathematical accuracy.
Just as the music teacher is trained to
detect one false note in a large chorus,
so the safe-robber studies the click of
the rachets within the lock and marks
the drop. The expert safe worker is as
scientifically familiar with the relative
resisting power of the different makes
of vaults and safe doors as he is with the
expansive force of the different eNplo-
sives. He keeps himself posted by read
ing scientific and trade papers. When
he is puzzled he writes to the explana-
tory columns of the scientific journals,
and solves, in roundabout way, those
problems too much for hS previous ed
ucation. He estimates 10 a grain the
quantity of the explosives necessary to
blow open safe door. A pneumatic
pump was used in the robbery of the
Quincy, Qll) Bank in this manner.
The crevices of the safe door were put
tied up all around. an opening was left
at the top and bottom. and in each of
these openings was fixed a tube which
was fixed to the pump. The air in the
safe was exhausted through the tube at
the bottom, and the vacuum drew the
powder in through a tube at the top.
When once charged common pistol
was attached, facing the opening at the
bottom. A wire sufficiently long to al
low the robbers to retire to safe dis
lance was then fixed to the trigger of
the pistol, and by pulling this wire the
pistol was discharged, igniting the
powder and blowing off the safe door.
But TO come back to bolts and bars.
This is smaller field than the other.
but involves great deal of study, and
this branch of scientific school of crime
is none the less interesting because pur-
sued by lower grade of graduates. 1t
is followed by lock-pickers, sneak
thieves and hotel plunderers. | read
last week of the arrest of negro who
could open the door of every room on
one floor of the Lindell Hotel, and who
had. | 3elieve, stolen some valuableS
from one of the rooms during the late
fire. Among hotel thieves there are
three divisions-the 'daylights.' the
nights and the mornings The
shrewd room worker generally locates
by the published lists of arrivals at
hotels the theatrical stars, jewelry sales
men, bankers, bridal parties, and all
persons who are likely to carry valuables
or money. The thief having located his
man. proceeds in his operations in this
manner: At the dead of night he slips
from his room in his stocking feet and
proceeds to the door of the apartment
wherein lies ais victim. snoring proba-
bly,, in heavy sleep. A pair of nippers.
or outsiders, and silk thread and a
piece of wire are the tools needed. He
turns the KEY in the lock from the outside
and the lock is opened. He pushes the
kew inward and drops il on the floor;
waits to see if it has disturbed the sleeper;
if all is well he proceeds. He places
his knees to the door, and by this means
finds the exact location of the bolt. He
then fastens 4 thread TO the wire, max
ing a sort of bow, and after bending to
suit he pushes this instrument through
the keyhoie, and, by giving the handle
of the wire turn holds his continuance
until it reaches its proper position. snd
then draws it slowly along. As the
thread passes along ON the inside of the
door it catches the knob of the bolt and
draws it easily from the noosing, and
without making the slightest noise.
This tool is known by the profession as
a .widdie' The thief then enters. Sc.
cures his booty and returning places the
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