The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-03-27
Itpw s6FEs ARE HRoKEN.
Jan Authority IN burglary Gives arFcwfxu
structive Points.

The Boston Herald gives an interesting
account by Pittsburgh authority In the
! burglars art:
There are in this country just ebOus,an
seven score Of men whom no bank vaultor
safe, however strong, Gun resist. To reas-
sure society," will say that more than half
of these are safe behind prison bars, Safe
breakers have more than kept pace with
Improvements in safes, including time locks,
chilled steel chests Of eight or nine thick
nesses and elective protective attachments
Their toolslare made by some of the finest
mechanics and inventive geniuses Of the
world. A full kit of the most approved
modern safe-worher's tools costs about
| $1,000
Themodern safe burglar is an exceeding
ly keen, intelligent man. He can open a
safe having all the modern improvements
in frontier minutes to two hours without
the aid Of explosives, and by only, slightly
'defacinglt. Sometimes The leavessoarcely
"a mark
A first class modern safe, whether large
Tor small, generally has double outside ah6
inside doors, with steel chest IN the bot
tom, forming really safe within safe,
the inside one being the stronger. The
outside dooris usually either "stuffed y or
skeleton" The inside one is made Of
eight or nine sheets, Of different temper, 81
the finest Steel These sheets are bolted
together with conical bolts, having left
hand threads, after which the heads of the
ibolts are cut of, leaving what is virtually
ia solid piece Of STEEL which no drill can
penetrate. The best locks are of the cOn-
bination type, with time<lock attachment.
I'm both cities and towns safes containing
the most valnables have an electric alarm
attached. Any tampering with it will COM
smunicate the fact to the owners qor tbs
safes guardian, which in cities is either an
electric protective bureau or "a central pc
lice station. Weeks, and sometimes even
months, are spent in putting upa jop Of
magnitude, and often number Of smaller
Jobs are done to carry out one where the
proceeds may run up INTO the-tens of tbCs-
sands Of dollars.
Keys are fitted to every door which stands
between the street and the bank vault by
means of thin sheet of brass, as near az
possible the same size as the keyhole, aud
covered with thin coat of carbon, which
may be apphedNwitha match. A dozen'on-
frances may have to be made to the bank
before it is finally robbed. A keyis Atted
first to the outer door. This course Is
continued until keys are had Of every
door leading to the vault. Having the
.watchman and officials of the bank down
fine, enc of the last things TODD is tOseleot
a favorable night.
Then the bank burglar proper appears.
He has Usually'three assistants The gang
never appears until the night of the rob
berry, and then not till eleven ,or twelve
O'Clock. If there is Waterman, his habits
] and disposition have been carefully noted,
and, having access to the bank by keys, it
is an easy matter to surprise and overpow-
fer him. A ''crow" is next planted outside,
or in an upper window, If there be one, TO
give notice, by means of signals or cord
reaching to the workers, Of the approach az
patrolmen or chance passers-by. A regu-
1arcode of signals Is used, telling when to
cease operations and seek cover, and when
ito resume work
Nextis brought into use the simplest ana
yet strongest and most complete tool for
the purpose. 1t is six inches in length and
two inches in diameter at one end, taperirg
to nothing at the other. 1t is pear shaped,
and thread extends from end to end. It
rs made of Muchet's tool steel, the best Siu
the world. A second wedge-shaped tsp
works inside this tool. When this tap IS
screwed home it exerts spreading force of
'manytons. This tool, -''the persuader," is
inserted III the most minute crack or drill
hole, and, properly blocked at the right
time, will force the strongestsafe door open
With sound no louder than an ordinary
tire-craclSer will make. The outer and
| I 10. l..
} the chest, small dynamite cartridge is
placsd opposite, decorating fuse lighted
and the outer door closed. The jarrinR
caused by the explosion, which mal1esAR
noise scarcely as loud as pistol shot, dis
arrange the works Of the time lock. which
runs dow1 and'is useless, the cleck running
down with exactly clocks sound Whenrit
us doing the same. The heavy outer door Of
the vault being closed, scarcely an .audiDss
sound reaches the street.
when drilling is necessary a light, cona-
pact machine, which fits the combination
dial plate, and which rapidly drills small
hole above the water rim of the combination
dial plate, is used. A small steel breach Is
then inserted and he combination knob
turned until the tumblers are brought into
position, thus permitting the 'dog' or ban
to drop. A turn of the handle shoots tl8e
bolts back and the door swings Open
If the operators find on entering thevauit
that the steel chest is animproved one, they
then proceed to ''strip'' it. Sheet after
sheet is taken of until the works are ex
posed. This is done by using ''orow,'
, which is sectional-that is, it may DO OK.
tended or contracted, as may benecessary
To an ordinary observer the ''crown looks
, like the bar which holds the smanhole
plate Of a steam boiler in place, and d
worked on precisely the same principle.
Should it be necessary to ''wedgei a safs
, open, a modified form of the old ''drag'' ID
: used. 1t is light but rigid and strong
! steel bar, sectional, as to suit different
sized safes, and for ease in transportation,
which clamps the outer side of the safe
Through the bar is run a screw-threaded
bolt, with ball JOINT at one end for rel
! ceiving wedge. On the other end is worke
a railroad wrench, used by track hands ID
| tiphteninp rails and which car ha r,roc,, ~