The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-02-26


es, small bellows, skeleton keys. nip
pers, dark lantern, Irvine and screw
eyes. The most dangerous of this out
ft is the second power in mechanics
the screw. The method used in break
ing open the safe in Henry w. King &
Co.'S establishment, for instance, is a
practical illustration of the power of
the screw.
In this case the burglars first rugged
brace against the vault door. Then
they drilled hole through the door
near the dial, cut thread into the
hole, and inserted what is termed fe-
male screw. Into the latter they fitted
the jack-screws. provided with ham
die large and strong enough for two
men to work at the turning. The
iack-screw went in until it struck the
combination. Then the tremendous
forse of the formidable burglars tool
came into play. The entire combina-
ton was broken off. In some cases
the force is not directed against
the combination, but against the
back plates of the safe door,
usually the weakest part OF the entire
structure. Something must give"
when the screw comes into play. and
either the back or the front plate is
forced out of its position sufficiently to
admit the sectional jimmy, which, to-
gether with the wedge, or WILDLY"
finishes the work of bodily tearing
asunder the most improved burglar
proof" safe. Explosives can not very
easily be used in cities for safe-blOw-
ing purposes, except in big establish
ments in outlying districts. The noise
would betray the burglars. Dynamite
is used for filling holes drilled around
the dial plate and exploding it in the
usual way by fuse; but there is
more complicated way of using explo-
sives-one which never failed to shat
ter any number of iron or steel plates.
1t is employed because the destruction
of the combination does not always
open the safe door. Ii the burglar has
time and opportunity the case of
country banks, where big sums of
money are kept at certain seasons OF
the year-he lays out his work elab-
orately.
Attached to his air-pump is piece
of rubber hose ending in a concave
piece of tin, through the center of
which and into the hose runs small
tin pipe. The crevices of the dOor-jamb
are puttied all around, except for a
few inches at the top and at the bottom
of the jamb. At the bottom the burg
lar applies the tin and holds it firmly
with his foot; at the top an accomplish
holds paper of loose powder. Then
the air-pump is worked. Its OPP
Grafton draws the air out of the vault
or safe below. while a sharp current
streams in on top, the draught carry
ing with it the loose powder. As soon
as sufficient powder is thus drawn in
between the iron frame OF the
opening and the jamb of the
door, a fuse is inserted into
the crevice, which is then puttied up
tightly. The explosion is always of
sufficient force to complete the break
| ing open of the door with a jimmy.
Though the expert burglar knows how
to deaden the sound of the defamation
by blankets, pieces of bedding. or sim
liar appliances. the noise is too great
to be risked in cities. where the police
or watchmen are supposed to be
| around. The old, time-worn opera
ton of surprising the cashier Of a
bank at his home and compelling him
to give up the combination of the
safe or vault in his charge is also anti
quated.
To ascertain whether there is q
Waterman on the premises to be visit
ed the professional burglar has very
simple but effectual stratagem. He
forces piece OF thinly shaved whale
bone between the doors Of all exits
and the outer castings of the doors. II
the whalebone is still in its place In
the morning at the usual hour OF
| opening for business the door has not
{ been opened by any one. A watch
man in leaving the premises in the
morning would naturally cause the
whalebone to spring to the ground.
The use of Irvine to the burglar is just
as important as the telegraph is to the
public. One Of the first steps taken
by the burglar after effecting an
| entrance is to fasten one end OF Irvine
to something near the safe, and run
the other end to the outside man, who
watches to give the signal il it is safe
to keep on working, to keep quiet for
time, or to come out at once. The
outsider scatters beans or sand along
the sidewalk for some distance near
the place of operation so that no per-
son approaching can walk without
being heard.