Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-11
EXPERT THIEVES.
How Safe Robbers Ply Their Trade
Successfulfys

/
How Safe Robber. Ply Their Trade
Successfully.
WHAT ARRANGEMENTS ARE NECESSARY BkFoRE BE-
GINNING woRK-rHk TOOLS rsEp-How Build
INGs ARE WATCHED AND BSTERkp-woRk ON THE
sAFB-RENINlsCRNcks OF A DETECTIVE.
'The safe-blowers are having pretty good thing
| OF IT." remarked a detective to a STAR reporter
"ln what way" asked the reporter
why he answered, 'they are breaking safes all
over the country II was only few days ago VI ,t
they paid visit to this city. Then they visited
Norfolk, Va, only last week and made big haul
"How do they manage TO commit til sc robberies
and then get away safely?" asked the reporter.
Easily enough, replied the detective. "Persons
VINO do such work are not 'chumps by any means,
When they seect place to rob they know from
careful study almost where
EACH POLICEMAN WILL BE
at the hour they select, and you'll never mad him
In the neighborhood when the safe is blown, Then
when the plumber is secured they always have a
place TO secrete IL where the police would hardly
thnk OF looking for 1t until they have a chance 10
jump town with IT,"
when they reach a town IN which they intend
10 90 job, how Is the scheme worked:- asked the
reporter.
'.rhey first walk through the town. replied The
detective, land select business house. one OF
the gang goes into the place during bu iness hours
and asks questions OF one OF he clerks. While
uoing 50 ne is carefully watching all the interior
arrangements, and takes particular notice OF the
safe TO see whose make IL is. IL h cannot learn
whether any amount OF money is kept In the safe
or not be will ask for the change of large note.
say $50 bill Then he notices the surroundings,
aud when the findi visit Is paid he knows exactly
the lay OF the land. In the meantime, for two or
tnree nights, ne and his companions will pipe OF
the policeman on the beat or the private watch
man. They learn the habits OF the latter and
is 90 another portion Of the beat. After talking
the matter over the burglars are satisfied that the
place Can be worked and they wait for good op-
pOrtunity.
A RAINY OR WINDY NIGHT
Is usually selected. The members OF the gang, say
four In number, will visit the neighborhood. They
know about where the policemen are and while
three OF their number keep guard, one man forces
an entrance, which can usually be done by means
OF Jimmy. After an entrance Is effected a spool
OF nne BLACK tw1ne play the next Important part.
THE rwINE SIGNAL
II the buil ling Is situated on the corner the
twine IL run through the keyholes of both the
front and sido doors. The end In the store is al
tached to one OF the men at work, while the other
end crosses the street and is held by one OF the
men on guard. II any person, whether an officer
or ctlzen, apprt aches, thr confederate pulls the
string and warns those inside OF the danger.
| themselves While the cop cttizen walks over
the string. When the danger Is over, The String is
again q, pulled and operations on the safe are re-
show about the tools used by the burglarsi,
Queried the reporter
"A hrst-class operator needs but few toolsto en-
ter any building and open safe. In the first place
large Jimmy Is needed to force an entrance 10
the building. They usually carry also what is
called sectional Jimmy. Ii Is made In several
pieces, and when put together is very heavy. Each
can carry portion OF II and put II together when
the premises TO be worked are reached ana IT
VIII then open any door ever hung To a building.
once In the building it is necessary to have a
brace, with the various sizes and shapes or bits,
TO assist ia
DRILLING THE SAFE,
and he must also have the necessary steel
punches. The man who does the drilling is a me-
chanic and knows the weak points In the various
makes OF safes, for he has made them study.
The hole is usually drilled above the lock, Tor the
mechanic always knows W .ere 10 strike an import
ant fastening. AFTER the hole Is drilled through the
safe door one OF the punch sis used, and with the
assistance OF the sledge hammer the lock Is made
10 gtTe way and drop 10 pieces The wedges are
tnen USED until an opening large enough for a
Jimmy is made, and the burglars are able to open
the safe without the use OF an explosive. In many
instances, however this mode OF getting into the
SAFE faIlS and then IL Is necessary
TO USE EXPLOSIVES.
Many burglars prefer the us Of explosives posi-
bly, because they are not well enough up In the
business to open safes without them. In such
cases the hole Is drilled that The explosive can
placed against the Jock. The hole thus drilled is
1iled with the explosive, dynamite being generally
used, and then the cap which Is about the size Of
42-caliber cartridge, Is Inserted and set on. This
causes the lock 10 iall and the jimmy is then used
to force open the door.
RIPPING sAFrs
sometimes safes are opened by what they call
ripping" continued the detective. "The operation
Ia commenced with q very fine wedge and larger
wedges are used until the ripper can take hold and
rip the strips OF binding about the door, and the
operation is continued In this way until the door
this way requires good deal OF time and labor, but
the operation makes but little noise and there are
less chances OF being detected"
A CLEVER ROBBERY.
u remember, /" continued the detective, ''one OF
the cleverest safe robberies ever committed There
WIS an immense safe kept In the office, which was
In the rear OF large establishment. There were
large plate-glass windows and doors, and there
was apparently no way OF entering the office IN
less the large windows were smashed or the door
broken In, and then there was private watch
man on tue outside who could see everything ia
tition and stained glass SO that from the outside
the safe could not be seen. The burglars forced
an entrance TO the adj lining building and went 10
wall and entered the second floor
Of the building in which the safe
iess.y as possible the tioorine was removed until
spice large enough for a person to get through
was cleared. A hole was then punched through
noor below IL woul not do Tor much OF the
clustering to fall, and If large hole made
the Waterman would see. They mad guarded
against those difficult s, and made an arrange
ment similar TO Chinese parasOl which they nad
covered with white muslin. This was pressed
through the small hole and opened. The ha udle
was then drawn through, and the umbrella-liKe
arrang ment spread over the ceiling, covering
ana plaster were then removed, and instead OF
dropping on the floor every Thing was caught by
the umbrella, and was remove and thrown on the
floor. The hoIe being made the burglars
WATCHED THEIR CHANCE
and when no one was about they lowered them
selves one by one and entered the once and sue
ceeded in opening and robblng the safe. In the
morning the store was opened as usual and TO the
surprise OF the clerks the safe was found empty.
The premises were examined, but no one was able
to mud where the thieves had enter,d until or
10 o'clock, when porter visited the Storeruom up-
stairs and found the hole In the floor.
BALTIMORE ROBBERY.
"There was O bank job done in Baltimore some
ten or fifteen years ago." continued the detective
(which was a neat piece Of work. TWO men rented
apace on South street adjoining the Third National
Bank and opened q brokers' Office On the wall
next to thu bank was hung large map, which was
conveniently placed there 10 conceal the operations
OF these two men. They were very free with their
money, and kept q quantity or silver coin on q
Shelf adjoining the show window. One day
one of the bank officials noticed the money
gested that screen be put up across
the window to hide the coin from public view. The
kind suggestion WAS complied with, and the next
day the screen was put up. This just suited the
brokers' for they were working their way through
the wall toward the vault, and with the screen TO
the day as well az night. The bricks and mortar
taken from the wal were carried out In satchels
at night The work continued Tor several days,
and finally the vault was entered. The safes we're