The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-04-11
HOW SAFES ARE BROKEN.
An Authority in Burglary Gives a
Few Instructive Points.

IIy LII Lll0 DufSldF . dfG'
There are in this country just about
an even score of men whom no bank
vault or safe, however strong, can re-
sist. To reasure society, | will say
that more than half of these are safe
behind prison bars. Safe-brcakers have
more than kept pace with improve
ments in safes, including time locks,
chilled steel chests OF eight or nine
thicknesses and electric protective at
tachments. Their tools are made by
some of the finest mechanics and in
ventive geniuses of the world. A full
kit of the most approved modern safe
workers tools costs about $1,000.
The modern safe burglar is an ex-
ceedingly keen, intelligent man. He
can open safe having all the modern
improvements in from ten minutes to
two hours without the aid of explosives,
and by only slightly defacing it. Some
times he leaves scarcely mark.
A first class modern safe, whether
large or small, generally has double
outside doors. with a steel chest in the
bottom, forming really safe within a
safe, the inside one being the stronger.
The outside door is usually either
''stuffed" or 'skelton." The inside
one is made of eight or nine sheets, Of
| different temper, of the finest steel.
These sheets are bolted together with
cOnical 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 pene-
trate. The best locks are of the COM
binatiOn type, with time-lOck attach
ment. In both cities and towns safes
containing the most valuables have an
electric alarm attached. Any tamper-
| ing with it will communicate the fact
to the owners or the safes guardian.
which in cities is either an electric
| protective bureau or a central police
station. Weeks, and sometimes even
months, arc spent in putting up a job
of magnitude, and often a number of
smaller jobs are done to carry out one
where the proceeds may run up into
the tens of thousands OF dollars.
Keys are fitted to every door which
stands between the street and the bank
vault by means of a thin sheet of brass,
as near as possible the same size as the
keyhole, and covered with a thin coat
of carbon, which may be applied with
a match. A dozen entrances may have
to be made TO the bank before it is
finally robbed. A key is fitted first to
the outer door. This course is con-
tinued until keys are had of every door
leading to the vault. Having the
watchman and officials of the bank
down fine, one of the last things to do
is to select a favorable night.
Then the bank burglar proper ap-
pears. He has usually three assistants,
The gang never appears until the night
of the robbery, and then not till eleven
| Or twelve o'clock If there is watch
man, his habits and disposition have
been carefully noted, and, having &C
cess to the bank by key it is an easy
matter to surprise and overpower him,
A 'crow" is next plaAted outside, or In
an upper window, if there be one, to
give notice, by means of signals or a
cord reaching to the workers, of the
approach of patrolmen or chance
passers-by. A regular code of signals
is used, telling when to cease opera
tions and seek cover, and when to re-
sumo work.
Next is brought into use the simplest
and yet strongest and most complete
tool for the purpose. 1t is six inches
in length and two inches in diameter
at one end, tapering to nothing at the
other. 1t is pear-shaped, and thread
extends from end to end. 1t is made
of Mughet's tool steel, the best in the
world. A second wedge-shaped tap
works inside this tool. When this tap
is screwed home it exerts q spreading
force ef many tons, This tool, 1.-THE
persuader,n is inserted in the most
minute crack or drill hole, and, proper
ly blocked at the right time, will force
the strongest safe door open with q
sound no louder than an ordinary fire.
cracker will make, The outer and
inner doors open, If there be a time
lock on the chest q small dynamite
cartridge is placed opposite, detonat-
ing fuse lighted and the outer door
closed. The jarring caused by the ex-
plosion, which makes a noise scarcely
as loud as pistol shot, disarraAge the
works of the time look. which runs
down and is useless, the clock running
down with exactly clocks sound when
1t is doing the same. The heavy outer
door of the vault being closed, scarcely
an audible sound reaches the street.
When drilling is necessary a light.
compact machine, which fits the combi-
nation dial plate, and which rapidly
drills a small hole above the water rim
of the combination dial plate, is used.
A small steel broach is then inserted
and the combination knob turned until
the tumblers are brought into position,
thus permitting the dog" or bar to
drop. A turn of the handle shoots the
bolts back and the door swings open.
# the operators find on entering the
vault that the steel chest is an improv-
ed one, they then proceed to strip" it.
/ Sheet after sheet is taken off until the
works are exposed. This is done by
using ''crow," which is sectional
that is, it may be extended or contraet-
ed, as may be necessary. Ia an ordi-
nary observer the ''erew" looks like
the bar which holds the ''manhole''
plate Of steam boiler in place, and
is worked on precisely the same prin-
ciple.
i Should it be necessary to wedge" a
4 cof a Al n