Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-07-17
CAN OPEN ANY SAFE.
A Little Explosive and a Little
Horse Sense.
ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE JOB
Startling Evidence Of Bogus Claims by
Safe Manufactures Explains Recent
Outbreaks Of Bank Burglars.

There is an enterprising citizen of
Chicago who can open any safe ever
built, and his achievements go to show
that while the days of the monster
vaults and 15.inch safes are here, the
burglar proof article is yet to come.
A little nitro. glycerine and mechan-
ical talent demonstrate that the aver
age safe is as full of flaws as COINS
Financial School" The up-to-date
burglar keeps just ahead of the safe
builder. When the latter discovers
device whereby he increases the power
of resistance in his wares, the burglar
is sure to bob up with device to over
come the resistance. The expert safe
opener, working within legitimate
lines, is another thorn in the side of
the builder.
William @. Clark, of Chicago. is an
expert. When bankers desire to test
the burglar proof qualities Of safe
they engage Mr.. Clark, and he tears it
to pieces before their eyes with kit of
tools that does not weigh twenty
pounds Mr.. Clark is a wonder il
his way. There never was safe.
blower that could give him points on
opening safe.
He is small man with dark eyes,
light, iron gray mustache and talent
for getting inside Of strong boxes. He
said to World reporter: "The many
successful bank burglaries that have
taken place during the past few months
appear to have raised very serious
doubt in the minds of many bankers
regarding the claims Of the manufac-
turers of burglar-proof safes. 1t is evil
dent that the burglar has solved the
problem of successfully reaching the
contents of the latest improved safes.
The Illuminated or plate construction
does not appear to offer any more re-
sistance than the old iron type, and it
makes no difference whether the safe
has the square or the much talked of
screw door.
Papers almost daily give an account
of burglaries which read something
like this: The cashier in opening the
bank for business this morning dis
covered that burglars had entered and
robbed the bank last night. Loss $780,
900 to 100000. The safe was COM
pletely wrecked. People sleeping
within thirty feet of the bank were
not awakened by the explosion. The
work was undoubtedly done by pro-
fessionals.
1.-THE illustration of the wreck of the
Coldwater (Mich.) bank safe shows
how successfully plate safes are opened
by professional bank burglars. The
burglars got 100000. This safe was
attacked from the top by nitro glycer-
inc and drills. Another illustration Of
the work of burglars is the safe of the
Franklin Grove Bank, Franklin Grove.
Ill. This was opened and from $780,
900 to $50, 900 stolen. The third illus
tration of the work of professional
burglars is the safe in the Somonauk
Bank, Somonauk, Ill. In this in
stance the burglars secured $40. 900.
Gan investigation of these burglaries
shows that the burglars finished their
work Of entering building and open
ing both vault and safe in from two to
three hours. The safe in the Franklin
Bank was a flrst-class, modern, bur-
glar-proof one, with time lock, walls
four inches and door four and one-half
inches thick, and with a steel chest
inside three inches thick.
During the year 1892 fifty three
banks were robbed in the United
States. and the loss sustained was $2.-
900, 900. The question is often asked
how it is possible for such formidable
safes to be shattered and torn apart
without injuring the building or
arousing persons sleeping in adjoining
houses. The safe manufacturers evade
the question by stating that the bur-
glar discovered weak spot in their
safe. or that he is more than an equal
in the mechanical art. They claim
that such improvements as a cutoff
spindle. automatic locking and anti
dynamite devices and packed joints
help to make the safe absolutely bur-
glar-proof.
"This is all bosh. The plain facts of
the matter are that it always was and
always will be a mechanical impossi-
bility to make burglar-proof safe out
of plates fastened together with screws
and rivets. This statement is based
on hundreds Of successful demonstra-
lions that have made upon the differ.
emit makes of plate safes during fifteen
years experience. Burglars furnish
even stronger evidence by the ease with
which they wreck the plate safes.
MANY of these safes can be opened
in very short time and with very
simple tools. have opened a. plate
safe six inches thick, tapped the burglar
chest, which means twelve half.inch
paltes to remove, and the only tools I
used were six wedges, one blacksmith q
chisel, one sledge and one jimmy. The
side was striped off the safe in less
than two hours with the help of one
man. This asfe came out of bank in
Pittsburg, Pa. and was considered
burlgar- proof by the makers.