The morning news., 1892-01-21
HOW SAFES ARE CRACKED"
spike" Hennessey Tells Some OF til,
Secrets of Sis Trade.

Secrets of Sis Trade.
From the Neto York Commercial advertiser.
"Will tell you something about the
methods employed by burglars in opening
safes!" said the speaker. who was "Spiken
Hennessey, somewhat known to fame as a
skillful 'cracksman." "Well, you see Pm
not in the burglary business any mora. 7
forsook it when became an actor three
years ago, and l hardly care to telk about
part Of my life that would rather forget
altogether" Mr.. Heunessey was urged to
nn1osom himself, and finally, lighting a
perfeoto, the ex-burglar began:
Il started in the safe business when quite
young, and ssaid in it right along, with the
exception OF course of a few vacations which
certain bull-headed officials insisted on nv
taxing. 1t was shortly after one of these
vacations that had the good fortune to at
tract the attention Of Mr. Davis, who put
me on the stage. Now, as for opening safes.
there are more ways than one of doing it,
Just as there are more ways Of killing n DOG
than by choking him with butter. Banks
amt burglariZed very often, because it
taxes months sometimes to work up a Job
before you can 60 at it. When | was in
the business l never worked with more than
one man, who did the outside work. while
went in and wrestled with the safe.
we had signals made by tapping or
throwing sand against the window, so when
my pal would tip me everything was serene
I'd begin work with the drilling machine on
lhe vault door. 1t doesn't take long to cut
into the lock, and the next thing is to punch
out she dog that holds the combination.
sometimes It's dangerous to punch the dog
out on account Of the noise, in which case
you put taper tap in the bolt, follow it
with plug and cut thread through the
door. Then you screw a threaded bolt un-
til it strikes the detent, and by applying
wrench to the end Of the bolt YOU twist the
dog of without a bit of noise. Then
there's the big steel safe standing smiling at
you, and you are at liberty to go in and
daily with itn
"And how do you open a bank safen
anxiously inquired the reporter
We'll" replied spike" warily, there
amt so many knows how to do it, and those
that do amt shouting it from the house-
tops. l will say. however, that nearly all
improved bank safes are opened with ex-
plosives. The secret is how to get your
dynamite, gas, or whatever explosive you
are going TO use, inside the door, and all you
need is an instrument TO suck air and one to
blow. In five or ten minutes you can have
the charge inside the door, and then YOU
use a Illuminating cap or electricity to
touch hor Off You blanket the safe heav-
lly, let her go and outdrops tue door.
THE hard work TO an expert is not in
the actual blowing or opening Of the safe,
but in getting into the place where it is, and
in getting in at time and in such a way that
man can work unmolested by policemen
There are good many ways of opening the
common safe. 1t is easy enough to blow a
thimbleful of powder into the lock and burst
it of, or you can drill into the lock and then
force it. In case where the safe has
double doors you can drill behind the inner
doors, and insert charge sufficiently pow
erful to blow of both sets Of doors at the
same time.n
"Well. how about getting the charge ing'
aeked the reporter.
20, that's easy" answered "Spike."
"You just-but say. young feller, think
I've told you as much as is good for you"
And so saying the gentle "Spike" percolated
through the stage door.