Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1888-11-13
EXPERT CRACKSMEN.
HOW PROFESSIONAL CROOKS PLY
THEIR NGFARloUs VOCATION.
s.f. Br..k.r. whs Outwit tho Ceaias ef
skilled Mechanic. Peculiar Ms,he'is ef
Barsisr-A Dangerous rooi-wsishing
Zoe the wstshmAn.

Skilled Msehanie.-r.eaiisr Methods ef
Bargisr-A Dangerous roei-wsishing
Zoe the wstshman-
To adopt the well known thief takers ex-
vrcsslon, the PROFESSIONAL crook Is FAR from
being the tough AMI rowdy usually pictured
by the Agiiaiei fancy % the alarmed citihsn
Tho most suocssful burglars are not % tho
sykc class. - graphically depictei by
Dickens fertile pen They are Int hgent
and not infrcquently Ingenious mechanics
Who would command the highest wagcs In
hons, pursuits. and tho-e memhsrs of
gang who-s part % 'job- u l. 10 rccon-
noi.er ths ground have the bcaring. appsar-
ance AMI manners q well.todo business men
who's prc-snce Arouni hanks and gruat mer'
camille establishments would not excite tho
least Suspicion The practical safe hroaker
stuiies the latss, mechanical invcuiions In his
limo with as much intelligence AMI spplicatlon
a. the safe builisr. and cKIsrisncc teaches
that the cracksman frequently ouivits tho
inventive gsnius of tho legitimate mechanic
whlls the work - the burglar must %
cour~, - adap,si % tho circumstances %
each Tart. ctilAr 500. there arp certain Tcculi.
aritles q n0,sl crackunen BY means u
whirh erTsrienoed det~-tives arp enabled 90
ssy with almost absolute certainty who PER
pstraici Tho crima Thcrv arv burglars who
wUuh nrver enter tho houss by any other
way than The scuttls In tho root. choosing an
aijaocnt vacant 90 partly occupisi building
a. . starting point; others viii sneak into
hOuse an 4 ksrp thcm-.lvr. concealei until
the time fur their wurk has arrival; rlll
others prvfer entrance by the basement OF
suns roar window no, sufficiently sccurci
with grating Doors which arv merely boltci
from the inside offer no, tho slighssi obstacle
10 tho professional burglar. A simple and
nol.sle-. trial will a. once show him tho
location u the holt With . nDs be- hs
bors q hole not moro than an eighth o. q
aiih q an inch near tho bolt, pushs- through
q loop % thin bu, strong silk or fshing line,
AMI by msAns % pllAbls stssl tap. usually
watch spring material. hs knows how %
fAs,sn Tho loop Aruuni the knob % the bolt
A quick pull u sufficient % move tho bolt In
the slot THIS opsration ts Tor fins work In
hotsl. or fashionable rrslienccs
Tho safe brraksr do.- not as.oclats with
tho-s who 'crack- storr Cor the purpo-s q
stealing bally goois lie rvprv~ents tho
artstocracy of tho profession. and u.s forcs
only when u Ia absolutely nsoe~.ary. Com
hlnAiions q safe- have often tc.n learnei
by this cla~ q cruoks through obtaining Ac-
cs~. b. the prrmlsss after buslncss hours.
removing the dial ~ tho combinations, ft-
ting a sheet - tinfoil 0vcr the latter. AMI ~
placing The dial Tho legitimate of-,ning 90
closing q tho safe naks- tho impru-sions q
le,tcrs or numlsrs on tho soft foil sought to
L. oh,ainei by ths burglar. ~ . sccond
Wait the dial 10 rcailly removed, AMI Tor tho
erTsrt one glAnoc at tho foil Il l.ficient %
apply the combination. which ofsns tho sAfe
without forc-. Dl-or,ioring the combination
aftsf the robl.ry, - that The safe cannot ~
oJsnei again fur houS, Ia a favOrits m~,hoi
% tha burglar 30 gain time Tor esoaTa IL
force Il rrIuir~i tho mechanical burglar has
quite Formidable array % tools-hls "kii."
a. b. calls H. Tho complsts Lit contain. an
air pump. putty. To-dsr o. dynamite. fu-s,
---;ionAi jimmy. steel driIls. diamond drill.,
copIsr Ani sic.l fAo~i sleigs-, lamp anil
blow plpe. jackscrvw, w~igy.. syringe, hrace
with bor sliis, feel -crvw drill, s;e,l PUNCHES,
small bellows. skslcton keys. nipI.rs. DARK
lantern, tsine. AMI scrrW eysA
TIE most dangerous % this outfit Il the
s.coni power In mechanics-ths s-ruw. Ths
msthoi u-si In brcaking oy.u tho safe In
Henry W. King s. Co.'S establishment, for
instance, Il . practical illustration % tho
power u the scruw Ia this cas- the turg.
lAr fpi riggci . braco against the vault
door. Theu they drillsi hole through the
door hear the dial, cut thrvai into tho hole,
Ani inssrtei what "a termsi female screw.
Into tho latter they nttsi the jack-rvvs,
provided With a handle large and strong
enough fur two men % work az tho turning.
Tho jAckscrrw went IN until IL struck the CON-
blnaiion Then tbs trsuiend0us force u the
formiiAbls burglArs' tool came into play.
The entire combination was broken %. In
soms casss the forcs Il not dlrrctsd against
the combination, but against tho hack plate.
% tba safe door. usually tbs weakest part q
The euiirv strlciur. Somcthing must give
when tho scrvv cums- into play. AMI either
the hack o. the front plate IL for~od cut -
o. position sufficiently to admit the sectional
jimmy. which. toguther with the ~olgc, or
"widiy,- fnishc. the work Of bodily tsaring
asundsr the most lmprvy~i burglar proof
safe
To escsriAln whether there Il . watchmAn
on the prcmlsss to b. visited the professional
burglar has avery simple but effective strata
gem lIe forss piece u thinly shaved
whAlebono bc,wccn the doors % al eIits and
tho outer casings % tho doors II the whals-
bone Il stlll Ia its plaos In the morning at tho
usual hour o. opening for business the door
has not been opensi by any cue A watch
man In loaying tho premiss In the morning
wouh naturally canss the whAlebons 30
spring to the ground Tho u, % twins %
the burglar 10 Iust a. important ~ tho tsle-
graph l. 10 the public. one of the frs; GteIs
taken by the burglar after efecting an en-
trance Il 10 fAstsn one end q twine D. some-
thing near ihs safe, ana run the other end
out b. the ouisidc man. who watches, to give
the signal n IL l. safe 10 keep on working. %
keep quiet Tor a time. OF % come cut at onoa
The outs.der scatters leans OF sand along tho
slsAswalk for some distance near the plAoe ~
operation - that no per~on approaching can
walk without being board -Chicago TimeN