The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-09-23
SKILLFUL SAFE BLOWERS.


Tho Clever Work Of Two Expert
Cracksmen.
BY Their knowledge Of the MstAods
Employed In Burglsrixing safes
They secure . Prise Of Ons
Thousand Dollars-
Some time ago firm announced In
the papers as an advertisement that 1t
had produced an absolutely burglar
proof safe, and to back up the state
ment offered the sum of one thousand
dollars in gold to anyone who could
get into the safe in the time usually
allotted safe blowers, says q writer in
the st. Louis Globe-Democrat- The
money was to be placed inside the safe,
and it became the property OF the
openers the moment the feat was ac-
complished. This challenge was al
lowed to 20 unnoticed for some time,
but finally one day letter was re-
ceived from New York city, written in
q disguised hand, in which it was pro-
posed that the writer and his comrade
should make trial at the safe, but the
arm must agree to grant immunity to
the authors of the proposition, as the
climate of Massachusetts had not been
to their liking for several years. The
missive was signed by Teddy the
Piper" and an immediate reply was
asked. The firm, anxious to put the
safe to practical test, made all neces-
sary arrangements with the New York
gents" and immunity was to be
granted them If they should be sue
cessful. A day was set for public
trial, and promptly at nine o'clock In
the morning two nattily-dressed young
fellows stepped off the train and asked
to be directed to the offices of the COM
pany. They carried nothing about
them except small hand bags, which
they seemed to guard with special
care. A number of citizens and rival
manufacturers had been invited to the
test, as the inventors felt confident OF
the impregnability of the safe and
wanted to get the benefit OF the ad-
vertisement- The young men were
ushered into the Office and the terms
of test were announced. The New
Workers were to be given one hour in
which to do the work, and no unusual
noise was to accompany it. Nor were
they to have any other assistance than
is usually afforded to the practical
safe blower The one thousand dollars
was placed in the safe and it was
publicly guaranteed to them should
they be successful.
At eleven o'clock sharp Teddy the
Piper" and his pal went to work.
Their first act was to remove their
shoes and coats. The latter were
placed in front of the safe to drown
the noise of footballs The next thing
was to open their handbags, out of
which drills, chisels, ''hog- g-jawed"
screw, powder and fuse were taken
The hog-jawed screw was the first tool
taken up. It was a peculiar instrn-
ment, having two thick, heavy jaws
like a bulldog. The jaws were con-
trolled by q screw of terrific power,
easily worked by a short piece OF steel
which could be inserted into notches.
That part of the instrument containing
the notches resembled a wagon hub
without the spokes- The whole affair
could be taken apart and put in
handbag no larger than those usually
carried by ladies. This tool was set on
the floor and its iron jaws placed
around the knob of the safe. The two
men worked with the greatest quiet
and rapidity, one laying out the tools
oli
screw placed on the knob, it was rap
idly frightened up, and inside OF two
minutes the knob was literally dragged
out by the roots. 1t came with a slow
wrcnching noise which must have
reached the hearts Of the manufac-
turers-
No time was lost, however. One
of the men had the powder and fuse
ready, and the former was inserted In
tie hole. The coats were picked up
and thrown over the front of the safe
to smother the noise, the fuse was
lighted and the operators stepped be-
hind the safe. In moment there was
a mufled explosion and the entire
front of the safe was split open in
Jagged crcases- The whole system OF
bolts and inner machinery was ex-
posed to view. A few raps with a
chisel and Teddy gave the bolts a
sharp jerk. They responded to his
touch and he swung open the door.
Reaching in he seized the bag OF coin
and In few minutes the professionals
were ready to depart
AS Teddy was about to leave one OF
the firm asked him: "Can safe be
made burglar-proof?"
"Yes," replied Teddy.
"How?" the manufacturer asked in
pleading tone.
IF would tell you that my business
would be gone," replied Teddy, and
bidding the party polite good-by he
and his companion left the city on the
next train. The Job took just twenty
minutes.
Singular Insanity.
1ro1. Alfonso Carpentieri, the famous
pynecologist of the University of Ma
pies, became suddenly insane a few
days ago. He imagined that he was
av;ro from starvation and thirst and