Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-05
NEW STYLES IN BURGLARY.
Up-to.Datc Safe.Crackcrs Would BE
Ashamed to Use Old Methods.


You Gee. there are two styles Of safe
crackers. as We know them. tine new and
the old. said cafe expert to San Fran
cisco Chronicle sstorter. That's how
the police get clew in working up a
case. The old style cracksman used
powder. lie first drilled hole beside
cbargeof powder. The improved method
is to trst knock Oh the spindle and then
drive the combination lock back into the
safe. Then all the burglar has TO do is
to open the safe door and help himself.
The Spike Hennessy' style OF safe
burglar Is going out OF fashion. The
burglars OF today are more consid.
crate than they used to be. II they
couldn't get in in the days OF yore they
wrecked the safe just for satisfaction. /
recollect singular affair in the little
place called Smatlsville. up in Yuba
county. One night burglars broke into
the general store TO tap the safe that
was supposed TO contain at least $1,000
worth Of gold deposited by the miners
the day before. Ii was an iron affair.
weighing about 700 pounds. The ras-
Gals were afraid to blow it open for fear
Of arousing the town, SO they simply
packed IL of into an adjacent cannon.
blew it open and took everything in
sight. They only got few hundred dol
lars. though. the gold having been
secretly sent to Marysville. where it was
backed.
Several years ago the safe Of whole
sale commission house in this city was
rihed. and il was several hours before
anyone could find out just how the job
had been done. You know il is com
mon thing for men working in an Office
Ia put their memorandums on the side
Of the safe. Well. this one was simply
covered on one side with pieces u paper.
The burglars got in one night and soaked
Oh one OF the papers and cut into the
safe. They could not finish the job in
one night, 20 they pasted the paper on
again and came back the next evening.
Then they finished the job and pulled
out everything Of value in the safe.
When was called In 10 solve the prob.
lem Of how the safe had been looted
without touching the door. / lifted up a
book and saw the hole from the inside
Then one Of the young men employed
remembered having seen some white
dust on the floor beside the safe the day
before the money disappeared. He had
thought nothing II il. and the safe.
crackers lad AN opportunity TO do the
second nights work.
Nowadays. continued the expert. mcr
chants do not place the confidence
which they used to In steel vaults. They
go to the safe deposits with their valu
ables. In many Of the large houses the
safe Is simply kept o. keep books in "a
protect them from fire. To save the
box from mutilation by burglars they
post the combination beside the lock
and label il distinctly. In several
places the notice reads:
This IL the combination. DO mol
break the safe open. but follow the ia,
structions written Lercon. and you will
get in without trouble"
One gentleman has posted this card
Our valuahles are in the safe deposit
Please don't get mad and have fun with
the safe"
Others do no, lock their safes. even.
They simply shoot the bolt
When the building on Market street
next ~ the Nucleus was being con
structed. a ahirt manufacture doing
business In the latter structure was
much disturbed over the safety ~ hls
wealth. He bad esfe. but he was not
al all confident that II could not he en-
tered. One night he had ALSO 20
hand and was a, loss what to Do Nth II
A bright idea struck him. He rolled
the money. which vac al IN silver. up
Ia a bundle and placed IL herleath the
safe. Sure enough that very night the
steel vault vas opened snd the burglars
ct away ~ith = few dollars ia change
The n1sss n silver vas found Ill rieht
under the ssras ks.1 asfe