Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1895-05-10
CIR ACKED ON A WAGER
How SAFE BREAKING KEEPS PACE
WITH SAFE MAKING.


Bnni omcials Spectators at IN interest
Ing Performance Hammer, Battery. bet
onating Caps and NitrogIycerin Did 1t.
Three men blow open safe in broad
daylight at Pullman a few DAYS ago and
escaped arrest The job was done in the
presence Of 3j or 80 well known men,
including William A. Pinkcrton. but
istcad Of lodging "A complaint with the
police or even attempting to stop the
performance they heartily applauded
its successful termination.
The job was a practical demonstra-
tion by "A maker Of new style safes that
the bsst q certain old style forms are
not burglar proof. Tho safe experiment
ed upon came from hank at Efinghan,
Ills, and was the subject of an inter
oSting wager.
The banker said he could now defy
the thieves who have ON more than one
occasion made rich hauls in that local
ity This was laughed at by the new
style safe man, who offered to pay the
bank $40 a minute for all the time it
took him 10 open the safe by the latest
methods Of scientific burglars. AS the
estimated time was 80 minutes the bank
or didn't like TO sacrifice 81 500 safe
for 1900 and declined the offer.
This drew out anothor-that the bank
should buy new style safe and turn
over the old one in part payment, the
value Of the latter 20 be fixed by the
time il took 90 open it, II the job were
done in three hours or less, the bank
was to get $50 II one minute more
than three hours was spent in the task,
the price would be 81, 800. This salts
fled the banker, and the suspected safe
was sent % an experimental station at
Pullman.
In the safe blowing case in question
small hammer, AN electric battery,
few decorating caps and ten ounce
vial Of nitroglycerin did the work.
The cashier of the bingham bank
first examined the seals and satisfied
himself the safe had not been tempered
with, and then the fun began. When
the head safe blower, a delicate looking
young man who unhesitatingly admit
ted he had been in the business for 3
years, drew the bottle Of nitroglyccrin
from his pocket and carelcssly tossed il
on the desk, most Of the guests made "A
break for tho door. But this same young
man coolly said nitroglycerin never
went of without cause. He didn't mean
il, but the harmless fib made the men
feel easier and they watched the subse
qucnt proceedings with much interest.
IL desired merely 20 open this safe
| would pour half Of this fluid into IL
and touch il of, " said the demonstrators
as he again reached for the nitroglycer-
in. but don't want to smash it into
smithereenS What l am after is TO show
the faulty style Of construction by strip
ping the plates apart one by one with
out using tools or making any>percepti
BILE noise. This will take considerably
longer than the mere blowing open Of
the safe would. but am confident the
work will be- done inside Of three hours.
The chief safe blower hit the door Of
the safe two or three smart blows with
the hammer and a chunk Of the metal
was broken of Into this crey .ce tea
spoonful OF perhaps a little more Of the
nitroglycerin was poured
Despite the assertion Of the maker
that the safe was iInpcryious to explo-
sives in any form, the liquid fast disap-
peared in the crack Then a decorating
cap was stuck over the crevice with a
little putty, the electric wires were Mt
tached. somebody pushed the button,
and there was a report like that of a
small popgun.
The first result was not satisfying 10
the spectators They saw no signs Of
the attack, but the demonstrator smiled
and said the next charge would start
something, and il did. twenty-five
charges of tcaSpoonful or so each were
used. and all the plates Of the big screw
door were stripped off one by one.
Some of the plates We're warped and
broken and all the screws which held
them together were snapped OFF like cot
tom threads, many Of them being blown
into minute particles. The job was done
i'm just two hours and fifty-Seven min
utcs, and all Of the spectators SO certi-
fipd -Chirayn Trihuup