The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-04-12
STYLES IN BURGLARY.
Safe-crackers Would Be Ashamed to BE
Caught Using Old Methods.

You see, there are two styles of safe
crackers, as we know them, the new
and the old, said safe expert to
San Francisco Chronicle reporter.
That's how the police get a clue in
working up case. The old-style
cracksman used powder. He first
drilled hole beside the lock and then
blew it off with charge of powder.
The improved method is to first knock
off the spindle and then drive the COM
bination 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 to-day are more
considerate than they used to be. If
they couldn't get in in the days of yore
they wrecked the safe just for satisfac-
ton. recollect singular affair in
the little place called Smartsville, up in
Yuba County. One night burglars
broke into the general store to tap the
safe that was supposed to contain at
least $4,000 worth of gold deposited
by the miners the day before. 1t was
an iron affair, weighing about 700
pounds. The rascals were afraid to
blow it open for fear of arousing the
town, SO they simply packed it off into
an adjacent canon, blew it open, and
took everything in sight. They only
got a few hundred dollars, though,
the gold having been secretly sent to
Marysville, where it was banked.
Several years ago the safe of a
wholesale commission house in this
city was ri1ed, and it was several
hours before any one could find out
just how the job had been done. You
know it is common thing for men
working in an Office to put their men,
orandums on the side of the safe.
Well, this one was simply covered on
one side with pieces of paper. The
burglars got in one night and soaked
off one of the papers and cut into the
safe. They could not finish the job in
one night, so they pasted the paper on
again and came back the next even
ing. Then they finished the job, and
pulled out everything of value in the
safe. When I was called in to solve
the problem 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 of it, and the safe-crackers had
an opportunity to do the second nights
work.
Nowadays, continued the expert,
merchants do not place the confidence
which they used to in steel vaults
They 60 to the safe deposits with theil
valuables. In many of the large
houses the safe is simply kept to pu
the books in to protect them from
fire. To save the box from mutilatiol
by burglars they post the combination
beside the lock and label it distinctly
In several places the notice reads:
"This is the combination. Do no
break the safe open, but follow the in
structions written hereon, and yol
will get in without trouble"
One gentleman has posted this card
"Our valuables are in the saf
deposit. Please don't get mad an
have fun with the safe"
Other do not lock their safes, even
They simply shoot the bolt.
When the building on Market stree
next to the Nucleus was being con
structed, shirt manufacturer doin
business in the latter structure wa
much disturbed over the safety of hi
wealth. He had safe, but he was nc
at all confident that it could not b
!. entered. One night he had $1,000 o
hand and was at loss what to d
with it. A bright idea struck hin
!, He rolled the money, which was all i
,, silver, up in bundle and placed
beneath the safe. Sure enough ths
very night the steel vault was opene
and the burglars got away with fe
, dollars in change. The mass of silve
!, was found all right under the cracke
safe