Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-02-23
A TALK WITH A BURGLAR
MEANS AND METHODS USED BY
SUCCESSFUL CRAcKSMsN.

How a Man who Has Done Time TOT
Safe Breaking Operates-He says i""'
to open Safes Is Comparatively EASY
xv,.L-r,,,s and Money Spent on Tools.
Did Won ever meet real live flesh ana
blood burglar? | mean man VINO mas
made living by cracking other peoples
safes, by HOUSEKEEPING and robbery
who has ..done time in various prisons
and who is under police surveillance
everywhere he goes9 The man with the
cast iron countenance, the shifty eyes
and the hunted look?
or course, no. You would shrink
from such society. Yet there is GER
tain novelty in the sensation. Such men
pass you on the street and leave no more
distinct impression than the touch OF
bank president who has absorbed the
money of his depositors, and is yet at
large unexposed. 1t is only when you
are brought face to face with the bur-
glar in dark room, with his blinking
bullseye shining in your face and the
cold muzzle Of his pistol pressed against
your temples. that the sensation Is ex-
perienced in all its blood curdling in
tensity. And | feel sure You would
rather be excused from such meeting.
To have an old friend "on the force
say to you suddenly some day: "Would
you like to meet burglar? Here he is
now," and raising significant finger
draw plainly dressed and shambling
figure from the passing Broadway throng
into a back room and say. "This man is
bank sneak and burglar" That con-
veys different and perhaps more agree
able sensation. And that is the sensa-
tion have just experienced.
EASY WORK TO OPEN ANY SAFE.
"When'll you fellers let up on n MANI
was the first and rather plaintive in
quiry of the ex-convict. His face took
on an innocent and woe begone look.
The policeman addressed him familiar
| Iy, asked him what he was doing on
Broadway and string of questions;
rot severely. but rather inviting con-
uuclt0 dIo W hCh tAo
man found he was not wanted, and that
a newspaper man was his other auditor,
he talked glibly. He had been reading
q recent interview with well known
safe manufacturer.
| "There isn't bank vault or safe lock
made" said the burglar, THAT can't be
opened by an expert. became an
| o1ant ~ tho 1,1cipaco vyhi1a in tha ON.
ploy of a safe manufacturer picked
locks as legitimate business from New
York to San Francisco. Every safe
company has men who can do the same
thing. The first thing bank official OF
anybody else does, when the safe lock
| gets out of order, is TO send to the manu-
factory and they send an expert who
opens the safe. The ordinary combina-
ton lock is easily picked. There are
time locks which cannot be worked SO
easily, especially modern ones. Some
combination locks have micrometer
proof attachment. That? Why, it's an
arrangement which is supposed to pre-
vent the successful use of the micrometer
little machine which can be attached
to the handle of the lock and has an in
dictator which shows the thickness and
variation of the tumblers.
"Some of these cheap combination,
locks have a bell-like sound or click and
these can be easily read And some com
binations run in grooves and can be de
tected at once, You might as well have
house door lock and latchkey on cafe
as one of them. The latest and best com
bination lock gives out no sound what
ever, and, while it may be opened, il
would take an expert a good deal Of
time. There is good deal of sameness
about the old style combination locks
and when you get used to them they are
as easily opened as street door.
BADLY MADE SAFES.
"While the modern bank burglar must
be and usually is an expert on combina-
lions, he by no means relies upon that
A dozen years ago could open any lock
within forty-five minutes The improve
ments have been such, however, that
that method cannot longer be depended
upon. 1t isn't true, as stated in this safe
manufacturers interview, that the safes
operated upon successfully by burglars
are simply fireproof safes, and that nc
so called burglar proof safes are being
cracked. All that formidable looking
array of bolts you see on a burglar proof
amount to nothing if you can pick the
lock- The two side bolts are the i'm
portant ones. The others catch the eve,
but don't make the safe any stronger.
| tNThp wei pbt of tnntarin1 10 NOT CO, Co..
midable to burglar as the quality, and
there is much poor material put into
safes. Now, there is weakness in al.
most every safe, and 1T is the burglar
art to find it out. Some have better
steel in the back than in the front, and
sometimes the steel is tougher and bet.
ter tempered in one part than another.
| can tell at once as to the hardness and
thickness of steel plating I've had
drills, however, that would 90 through
anything. | could put hole through
two average steel plates in thirty min
ntes. The skill and genius that have
been expended upon burglars tools is
something extraordinary, and the pains
that are taken sometimes to lay the
foundation of great burglaries or a sys.
TEN of small ones would be astonishing
TO honest people.
Il know of case where valuable
safe was purchased for the experimental
work. For instance, several country
banks may be found using the same safe
by the purchase of one of the same kind
anu make the experts had an indefinite
time to study out its weaknesses, They