Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-07-25
Modern Safes and Modern Burglars.

locks tor sales ana vaults were lnlnSs
upheard of. At that time the mer-
chant and the banker were content,
saws the Boston Commercial Bulletin,
to lock up their valuables in what they
termed in those days strong boxes,
safes and chimney vaults. What
caught the eve of the purchaser then
was the key with which the valuables
were locked up.
Many of our merchants and bankers
of today will remember that the size
of the lock and the size OF the key
were the essential points in the pur-
chase of receptacles for securities. In
purchasing a strong box or safe, each
purchaser was eager TO secure the
largest lock and the largest key posi-
ble. In many instances owners of
these KEYS, particularly bankers, were
obliged to have leather bags or cones
to carry the keys home at night, TIA"
KEYS in many instances being from SIX
to eight inches long, and weighing
from one 10 three pounds
This style of lock and key was IN
use for many years, and not until 1t
was suddenly discovered that powder
could be turned into the keyhole IN
the door by the hand and the door
blown open was any attempt made to
improve the art in locks Some of
these locks on light iron doors would
weigh sixty to seventy-hve pounds,
which in many instances would out
weigh the door which was being locked.
When the combination lock was.
perfected the merchant and banker
felt they had reached the limit OF me-
chanical skill in lock invention.
The burglar not to be batlled IN hIs
business, bsthought himself of how
easy it was to get into the cashiers
house at night, bind and gag the whole
household, and force the cashier to dl-
yulgo the combination of the money
vault, 20 to the bank and help HIM
self. This was done IN a number of
cases notably at northampton, Mass,
and Milford, y. H., in both places
nearly 100000 being thus obtained.
The burglars in many cases put the
bank officers to most severe and bar
barous torture before they would dl-
vulge the combination secret.
The burglar was now ahead of the
lock man again, and hence the lnycn-
ton of the celebrated time or chrono-
meter lock. This was the last and
greatest invention in the history OF
locks. The time lock is attached TO
the inside of a safe or vault door, and
having no communication with the
outside. is connected 10 the bolt work
on the door IN such manner that
when the door il closed and the bolts
are thrown on by handle or knob,
and the combination lock dials are
turned on the time lock goes on duty
Immediately, and no amount Of work
on the door or knobs will unlock the
door until such time has arrived for
which the lock was set has expired.
The time locks were constructed 20
that they could be wound to keep the
door locked from one TO 48 hours.
The time locks were 80 made that
there were movements in each case,
and if a handspring or haIrsPrlng IN
one broke, or If from any cause one
movement failed to operate, the other
would run on and trip the mechanical
device, and allow the bolts on the door
to be released.
The lock and safe makers, not con-
tent with this step in advance Of the
/ burglar, have further perfected the
locking machines by doing away alto
gether with combination locks on the
door and also with spindles or arbors
Of any kind. They now make a cafe
or vault door Of any thickness the
banker desires, and on the inside put
on from twenty to thirty massive steel
bolts. These steel bolts are connected
to what IL termed an automatic device,
which is in turn connected with tIm ,
lock having three movements, and can
be SET to run seventy-two hours. Any
one movement will succes.fullY operate
the automatic device.
For instance, q banker has a vault
door Of solid steel, Elk inches thick.
He wants 10 90 home at night or in
the afternoon at, gay, 4 o'clock; he
wants the safe to open. say, at 9 o'clock
the next morning This he accom-
plishes by simply setting his automatic
device with wrench, winds up bis
time lock to No. II, which means that
the lock is TO remain closed for seven
teen hours. He then shuts his vault
door and screws it il hard, with wheel