Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-29
Burglars and Kits.
some of the Outfits Which Cracks
men Carry Cost Immense
Sums of Money.
description of the Tools and Manner
In Which They Are Used.

burglars art:
There are in this country Just about sn
even score of men whom no bank vanIt
or safe, however strong, can resist. To
reassure society, I Will say that more
than half of them are safe behipd prison
bars. Safe breakers have more than kent
pace with improvements on safes, includ.
ing time locks, chilled steel chests of eight
or nine thlckn esses. and electric protect
I've attachments. Their tools are made
by some of the finest mechanics an iu-
ventlve geGiuses of the world. full kit
of the most approved modern safe-work-
ers' tools costs about $4,000.
The modern safe-burglar is an exceed
1ngly keen, intelligent man. n can open
safe with all modern improvements in
from ten minutes to two hours without
the aid of explosives, and by only slight
ly defacing it. Sometimes he leaves
scarcely q mark.
A frgt-class modern safe whether large
or small, generally has double outside and
inside doors, with steel chest in the
bottom, forming really safe within a
safe, the inside one being the stronger,
The outside door is usually either "stuff-
ed" or skeleton" The Inside one is
made of eight or nine sheets, of different
temper, of the finest steel. These sheets
are bolted together with oonIcal bolts,
having left-hand threads, after which the
heads of the bolts are cut off, leaving
what is virtually solid piece of steel,
which no drill can penetrate. The best
locks are of the combination type, with
tlme-lock attachment. In both cities
and towns safes containing the most
valuables have an electric alarm attached.
Any amperipg with it will communicate
to the owners of the safes guardian,
which in cities is either an electric pro-
tectIve bureau or central police station.
Weeks, and sometimes even months are
spent In putting up job of magnitude,
and often q number of smaller jobs are
doue to carry out one where the proceeds
may run up into the tens of thousands of
dollars.
Keys are fitted so every door which
stands between the street and the bank
vault by means of a thin sheet of brass,
as near IS possible the same size as the
key hole, and covered with thin coat of
carbon, which may be applied with a
match. dozen entrances may have to
be made to the bank before it is finally
robbed. A Key is fitted first 20 the outer
door. This course is continued until
keys are had of every door leading to the
vault Having the Waterman and Of
fc:als of the bank down fine one of the
last things to do is to select favorable
night.
Then the bank burglar proper appears.
He has usually three assistants. The
gang never ap pears until the night of the
robbery, and then not until IL or IL
O'Clock. If there is Waterman his habits
and disposition have been carefully
noted, and, having access to the bank by
keys, IL is an easy matter TO surprise and
overpower him. sorrow" is next planted
outside or in an upper window, if there
be one, to give him notice, by means of
signals or cord reaching to the workers,
of the approach of patrolmen or
chance passecs by. A regular code of
signalsis used, to tell when to cease oper-
atoms and seek cover, and when to resume
work.
Next is brought into use the simplest
an6 yet strongest and most complete
tool for the purpose. II is six inches in
length and two inches in diameter at one
end, tapering to nothing at the other. 1t
is made of Muchet's tool steel, the best
in the world A second wedge shaped
tap works inside this tool. When this tap
of many tons. "This tool, "the persuad-
err" is inserted in the most minute crack
or drill hole, and, properly blocked at the
right time, will force the strongest safe
door pen with sound no louder than
an ordinary firecrackr will make. The
cutter and inner doors open, if there be q
time lock on the chest, small dynamite
cartridge is placed opposite, a decorating
frs f5ob tol ba
The jaring caused by the explosion,
which makes noise scarcely as loud as
a pistol shot, disarrapges the wo rks of the
time lock- which runs down and is useless,
the clock running down with exactly
clocks sound when it is doing the same.
The heavy outer door of the vault being
closed scarcely an audible sound reaches
the street.
Where drilling is necessary light
com pact machine, which fits the combi-
nation handle, and which rapidly drills
small hole above the water rim of the
combination aial plate, Is used. small
steel breach is then inserted and the
combination knob turnei until the tum-
bIers are brought into position, thus per-
hitting the "dog" or the bar to drop.
A turn of the handle shoots the bolts
back and the door swings open.
If the operators find on entering the
vault that the steel chest is an improved
one, they theI proceed to 'strip" it.
Sheet after sheet is taken off until the
work is exposed. This is done by using
"crow," which is sectional-that is, it
may be extended or contracted, as may
be necessary. To an ordinary observer
the "crow" looks like the bay which holds
the emanhole" plate of steam boiler in
place, and is worked on precisely the
same principle.
Should it be necessary to "wedge" a
safe open a modified form of the old
"drag" is used. 1t is light but rigid and
strong steel bar, sectional, as to suit diff
ferent sized safes, and for ease in trans
portation, which clam ps the outer side of
the safe. Through the bar is run screw
headed bolt with ball joint at one end
for receiving wedge. On the other end
Is worked a railroad wrench, used by
track hands for tightening rails, and
which can be procured from any railroad
section house. With weighing and block
ing no door can resist this iDstrOment.
Sometimes miniature railroad "jack,"
such as engineers carry, is substituted.
A heavy cieat is firmly fastened in proper
position and placed on the floor. The
wedge in The crack, the 'jack" in place,
the result is but question of time.
Mechanics have maxim that "ihe best
machine is the simplest" SO, In protect
ing cafe, the simplest means is the best.
Police Superintendent Walling, of New
York city, about fifteen years ago, when
was almost an every night
instructed banks and business
men to place their safes and vaults in
plain view of the street, and to have
light burning brightly in front of them.
With this addition he r,Iays UnsQrDagS-