Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-04-21
BURGLARS OF NOTE.
Requisites of Success In the Lock Break
ing observation-disclosures of the Trade.

| man yesterday who has spent the
greater part of his life in safe manu-
factory, "that there ever was a lock
that could successfully defy real ex-
| pert. The man that double locks his
door and chain bolts it, lies down to
slumber with a sense of security that
Is absurd. His sliding bolts arehis en-
envy, his lock a weak deception and
his chain bolt goes for naught should
a member of the fraternity drop
around with business in his eye. OF
the profession, the combination safe
worker is by all odds the most expert
and skillful. He goes about his work
with about the same sensation that
the scientist tackles an intricate prob
lem. The proficiency they attain is
simply wonderful. To bear out my
statements that all safes eau be
opened, can merely point to the fa-
nous trial in Chicago to test the SUI
perlority Of the Hall and Sargent locks.
d. K. Miller, the well-known Philadel-
phia expert, picked the seemingly in
vulnerable lock of the Sargent sale,
and Mr.. Sargent, in retaliation, opened
the Hall safe in even shorter time.
Safemakers give guarantee that when g.
combination gets out of order they
can furnish man to open it.
Gin st. Louis recently q gentleman
having q safe of well known make
lost the formula. He called upon ex-
perts, who informed him the safe
could not be opened. That night
burglars raided the house and rifed
the safe. An eight weeks mystery
was the robbery some years ago of the
Wooster (OhiO) Bank, containing
county funds. The cashier forgot the
combination, and for eight weeks the
officers worked in vain on every con-
ceivable formula tog get at the 500, 900
in securities that they needed. One
day a mysterious stranger named
Brooks sauntered in and informed
them he could open the safe. Rather
incredulous they let him try. He
dropped to his knee before the door
and began to turn the knob. The
sound seemed to please him, and in a
few minutes he gave the ponderous
door a pull. 1t flew open.
Having acquired mastery over g.
certain make the burglar is too shrewd
to give away his secret. saw one
famous professional break down and
cry bitterly when sentenced for ten
years. 1t was not the punishment
that made him feel bad, but the set
back it would give him in his business.
These men somehow or other keep
posted about all Improvements. They
have money and pay we'll for informa-
ton. They become as familiar with a
lock as a musician does with an old
tune. In fact, it is on their sense
of touch and hearing that they
mostly depend. Another thing
that you may not know is
that few safes are robbed by explo-
sions. The blowing is generally done
after the burglar has got his swag and
is ready to skip; and then it is only to
hide the method by which he has over
come the combination. AS distin-
guished from themselves the experts ap
ply the name of 'rougher' to the indi-
vidual who does this last simple act,
which requires comparatively little
skill"
'"The system of an experienced adept
is similar to that of music teacher
who is trained to detect single false
note in a large chorus. His source of
learning, besides practice, is the scien-
tifc and trade papers, which chronicle
every new discovery in mechanism.
He must also be familiar with the re-
sisting powers Of the different ex-
plosives, as he may sometimes be
called upon to use them, but this is
also his last resort. The Quincy Oily
bank was robbed by the pneumatic
method. The interstices were puttied
up and powder drawn. Fixing a pis-
tol the burglars attached string. re-
tired to safe distance and fired it,
exploding the powder and blowing off
the door.
"For years the Lilly lock was con-
sidered perfectly safe. Old cracksmen
began to rifle the safes, and for fifteen
years it was a mystery how they did
it. Many an honest bank employee
rested under suspicion, and some went
to the pen, as the robbers would not
take all the swag.
Fifteen years ago the Beneficial
Fund, at the corner of Twelfth and
Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, was
robbed in singular manner. A COM
mon knitting needle was used, the
burglars having familarized themselves
with the lock. With wonderful pre-
cision they bored hole where the spin
die held the tumolers, dropped the lat
ter and opened thee and stole half
a million dollars.
'tMaximilian Shinburne was the
leader OF notorious gang, and with
pal, Big Ike Marsh, who assisted him
in the robbery of the Boylston Bank,
of Boston, and the Ocean Bank, OF
New York, went to London and at
tracted general attention by their ex-
travagance and liberality. They OBJ
tAined entree into the British society
circles, figured at the American minis
ter's levees and finally cut a big dash
in the gay French capital. Marsh
opened up a bon-ton faro bank in
Paris, lost his money and returned to
the states. He is now serving out q
sentence in the Eastern
,oootoptiorv ShiDhurna hOuOht a. oaS-