San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-20
SAFE CRACKING.
HOW EXPERTS DO IT-SOME
HEAVY HAULS.

Safe Cracking Very Profitable and
on the Increase-Race Between
Safe Makers and Safe
Crackers.
The recent attempts and successes
at safe cracking in this city has natu-
rally set many a mind to thinking
over this matter, as to how it's done,
the risk the robbers take, and their
ups and downs in general.
OF safes, like all other impor-
tant articles, there are dozens of
kinds. that u.s., dozens of makes,
and a few of every brand, are to be
found in almost any important city.
There are two or three brands of safes
that have Established reputation,
and in consequence OF the same, are
said to have not taken out one single
patent during the last fifteen years.
On the other hand some safe factories
think they have found an improve
rlent every now and then. and are
continually patenting.
"The best safes are those that have
their mechanism at points remote
from the dial on the outside, that
have what we call cut off spin
de-" said Mr.. Warner, a lock
and safe man, to q LIGHT man,
yesterday I'm such case the
robbers are at sea as to the find
ing of the place where the bolts are
situated. The best safes now have
the mechanism protected by chrome
laminated steel plates 3.S or 1-2 inch
in thickness. each of which plate
consists of three plates of homogen-
Gus iron, and two plates Of black dia-
mond steel, firmly welded together.
But even these safes can be drilled
with copper bit and diamond dust,
it taking about ten dollars worth of
diamond dust and one and a half
hours of labor to drill through half
inch plate. Then there are some
safes made of q kind of hard cast iron
that is very brittle and very hard to
drill, called Franklipite. An expert
however, need not waste his time In
drilling this substance, as it is far
easier to break"
MANY of the old kind of safes.u
continued MI. Warner, "need neither
breaking nor exploding. If the men
who cracked JOske's safe had been
true experts they could have opened
it without the use of force. / can
open any and all such safes as this
one by trying the coin bination and
to the sound which the
produces, and L can thus
in short while catch the combina-
ton. Yes, sir, an expert can open all
such safes as the one cracked last Sat-
urday night, even the largest of them,
in less than sixty minutes time"
"Are there firms which manufac-
ture safe-blowers outfits, or don't the
men carry extra fine tools?" inquired
the reporter.
IAN expert safe cracker came the
reply, "can go into almost any hard
ware store in San Antonio, and from
the assortment of mechanics tools
On hand can choose a very complete
kit of tools, there being but one thing
lacking, pneumatic pump, and one
Of these could be easily made in any
city. This pneumatic pump has
been the means by which some
,f the most successful robberies
aver on record, have been
committed. Until very late, before
jhe smoke and dust proof safes were
made, the expert cracksmen would
,lose up with putty the crevices of
he safe door. with the exception of
,wo places. In one of these places
hey would rub their giant powder
which was as fine as flour, while at
he other they would work the pneu-
matte pump, drawing out all of the |
lir. This would naturally draw the |
iue powder into the safe through the |
revices, and when enough of the |
Explosive had thus been sucked in
0 the safe, the thing was touched
II, and thus one OF the greatest |
afe robberies have been perpetrated,
pom some of the best made safes.n
lis 1t not q great risk that the men
I'm in blowing SAFEST"
"Of course the men run an immense
isk, Notwithstanding that they are
IL the time posted as to the danger,
y parties outside. On account of the
anger experts never blow when they
IN open the safe by drilling q hole
nd changing the mechanism of the
'ck or breaking it, and when they
o resort to cracking, they never fail
cover the safe with heaps of wet
lankets, as that kills the sound.
hey would never think of opening q
Ife with a report that might be ,
card for blocks. :"
HAS safe cracking proven very G
'ofitable?" I
Well 1 should say that it has most v
rtainly proven highly profitable to /
10 parties who knew how to handle q
job that they undertook. Look at t
% monstrous sums secured by some [
the expert safe crackers. "Wby
nh AZ fhig ~ oTd ha |