Morning journal and courier., 1893-12-18
SCIENTIFIC BANK BURGLARY,

Nftro-GIycerine a Ready Key 10 the
 Most Modern Safe.
 From the American MachinIst.l
 In opening a modern bank safe the bur glar puttiss up the entire joint or crack except for about an inch at the top and bottom. A wall of putty is then formed about the top crack, where 1t is uncovered, and two and one-hslf or three ounces of nitro-glyoerine poured into 1t. If the safe is not protected by felt or rubber 1t will require but three or four minutes for the glycerine to distribute itself over the en- tire joint of the door and drip out at the lower crack. An ordinary detonsting cap, such as Is used in exploding dynamite, is inserted in the upper well and the fuse lit. When the explosion occurs the door comes of. When the operation takes plscs in the vault there is rarely any noise more than fifty feet away.
 The burglar does not carry nitro-glyce- rine with him. He goes to 6 hardware store and buys @ few pounds of dynamite, which he breaks up in 6 convenient yes sel, as a wash basin, covers with alcohol, and allows 1t to stand until the glycerine has all combined with It. The alcohol and glycerine are then poured of and sn equal smoaut of water is added; the water and the alcohol combine, and the nitro-g -glycs- rtue sinks to the bottom, where it is ready for use.
 A bank in a western state had its safe To- cated within ten feet of the street window, thus making it visible to every one who passed. In front of the safe at night burned an arc light, while the safe door was arranged SO that Its opening would ring bell In the cashiers sleeping apart ments by means of an electric connection. After banking hours the burglar called oR the occupants, representing himself ss an inspector of the electric light company, thus gaining sccess to the top of the build ing, were he short-circuited the electric wires, and thus prevented the ringing of the cashiers bell
 That night, after the street cars stopped running, the burglar cut the trolley wire st two points about tix hundred feet apart. Taking one end of the piece between the two buildings and placing 1t in the cis- tern, the other end was connected to the electric wire, thus making ground" and | putting out the aro lights in the bank. The safe was then opened in less than | twenty minutes with nitro-glycerine and several thousand dollars taken.
 The chrome steel, of which the safe and | vaults of banks are now largely built, Is easily drilled by first heating the steel A basket of wire netting is made to cover 6 space of about six or eight inches | square, and this is wired to the side of the safe or door. It Is filled with charcoal, which Is ignited and hercs heat genera | ted by pair of bellows. In fcur or five | minutes the packet is removed and the heated spot allowed to csoI l. may then be drilled or cut like ordinary boiler iron. Once a hole sufficiently large to admit 6 mans arm was cut through 6 chrome-steel bank safe four inches thick In four hours, so that a mans arm was paced through and the locking bolts disconnected with wrench. In a little less than two hours ( smaller hole was cut through the back o the safe into the money vault and its con tents taken ont through the hole
 | The large vault door behind which th, safe Is placed is rarely blown with giyce. rine. It is generally opened by drilling brought of the outsIde plate and some ol the screws holding i. in place.
 | Glycerins being introduced into thest holes and exploded brought of the second plate, and this process was continued un til in twenty minutes the entire door wal lying on the floor in pieces The most CT petitions mode of taking cut round doors is said to be to drill an inch hole all but through the edge of the door and safe, ant to explode glycerine in this hole. In thil way the iointa between the plates of th, safe and door are opened out so that th, explosion of few ounces of glycerIne ir the crevices will bring out the whole doCl | at once.