Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-26

the United States are mechanics. who
have left the bench and wheel for the
more lucrative, IL less honest, profession
OF scientific thIeving 1t may be. here
after, that they will all be graduates OF
the schools OF electricity. II Is curious
thing that many Of the uses of high ex-
plosivos have first been demonstrated by
men who used them for nefarlous pur-
poses. II has been said that scientists
have occasionally obtained pointers from
thieves. 1t may be that this time mat
tiers are 10 be reversed and that the expert
cracksmen may get. II they have not al
ready had their attention turned to the
matter. a bit of information from
scientist which win lead them to wealth,
or, let IL be hoped. to Joliet.
In the mean time burglars nave not
been idle. They are still using the old
methods, drills and dynamite, or its
equivalent, and they have done some
pretty handy work recently. When the
government put Mr.. Rodman at work
testing safes for It's benefit all mis- expert
ments were put into a report with pic
lures The report became burglars
textbook. a good many of the bank
robberies which have occurred since were
perpetrated after the manner employed
by the government, though they were ac-
complished IN a much more bungling man
ner and with the accompaniment Of a
good deal OF noise.
When a bank president doubts the Sc
curity OF his burglar-proof vault and the
safe which stands inside, he Is likely
to communicate with the safe builders.
Nine times out of ten they will tell him
that his safe IS proof against the at
tacks of all the burglars In the land.
Not infrequenty the manufacturers VIII
tell the bank officials that II they can
Ts ~la,I 70 ha. 60 "a % q
specified time they will present them
with a new strong box.
When the report on the government
vaults was published many bank officials
wished their vaults TO be tested. and the
result was that there was many wreck
ed safe In the land and many
manufacturer who guaranteed that no
method known could result IN the opening
Of one Of his pets bad his eyes opened
with the doors Of his safe Mr.. Rodman
has left the army and now handles high
explosives OF all kinds in an expert way.
He Is an authority on such subjects, and
not infrequently big safe is dropped at
the door OF his office with the request that
he attempt to open Il. Not long ago the
First National Bank of Efingham, H.,
sent a safe TO Mr.. Rodman with the
request that he break into it If he could.
The manufacturers OF the safe had
claimed that it was burglar proof and
could not be opened under any circum-
stances. barring. of course. a knowledge
OF the combination, within twenty-four
hours.
The safe was made of chrome steel
throughout, except the innermost plate,
which was mild steel TO the depth Of IL
inch. The body was inches ara the door
8 inches thick. The outside plate of the
door and the whole exterior surface Of the
safe were / inch thick All the steps OF
the doors were said TO be absolutely tight.
$50 tight that no powdered explosive
powder, or dynamite, and no liquid explo-
sive or substitute of like consistency can
be put through the door into the safe or
passed from one step to another" The
door OF the safe was provided with
double-pov er automatic time lock. with
a Sunday attachment. A friend Of Mr..
Rodman had seen the safe in the Eiting-
ham Bank, and on his behalf had wagered
that il could be opened in three hours
time. In case of failure the bank was 20
be reimbursed for the full amount which
II paid for the safe. The expert was given
no opportunity TO examine the interior OF
the safe. The door was sealed before IL
left Enngham, and the seals We're re-
moved by the person who had placed
them after the heavy iron box reached
Chicago and was ready for the test The
steel plates of the door were nine, the
first plate being 1 inch thick and the
other eight 5-10th of an inch each. They
were bOlted together by screw bolts
placed 6 inches from centre to centre.
This treasure receptacle of the Efiilng-
ham Bank was taken TO the southern part
of the city, and was there opened in two
hours and fifty-seyen minutes by Mr.. Rod
man. II was placed inside a brick vault,
.i4aNnE
without any damage to the vault and
without any noise being heard outside or
the building in which the vault is placed.
Ten ounces of explosives were used, and
the plates were blown off one after an
other and the contents Of the safe re-
moved. Among other things found inside
was a guarantee that the affair was burg
lar-proof and could not be opened within
twenty-four hours.
Another safe was sent TO Mr.. Rodman,
and ii also was declared 10 be burglar
proof. IL had all modern attachment
pressure bars. tongues, groves, and tack
joints. 1t was one OF the best specimens
Of welded steel and iron construction,
with walls inches thick and doors 3 IL
inches thick, and II was provided with
combination locks governed by a double
movement time arrangement. There were
four make-believe burglars" employed IN
the attack upon this safe. The head
burglar was Mr.. Rodman, and the as
slstant burglars We're three expert me-
chanics Their tools We're two sledges
one jack, two wedges, one monkey
wrench, four horse blankets. a coil OF
rope, and half a dozen sticks Of wood
These were the tools which could be seen.
All the other necessary articles were car
rled In Mr.. Rodman's pocket. They con-
sisted Of a small brush, some sealing-wax,
a diminutive alcohol lamp for. melting the
wax, matches, a few corks, decorating
tubes, a funnel tube, leading wires deto-
majors. dynamite. and nitro-glycerine. All
of these things were In small quantities
Tho battery for firing the explosive was
carried in his hand. On the outside or
this safe were the words "Anti-dynamite
devices" practically defying the experts
20 make use Of these means In attempting
10 open 1t. Attention was attracted TO
the series Of three-packed joints. which,
in the builders opinion. evidently consti-
tuted an embargo against explosives, ana
70 the unusually close-fltting door.
The safe was closed. and locked and
the process OF charging il and wrapping
IL in blankets was begun. When the
charge was introduced the vault doors
were closed but rot bolted, and the
charge was fred The noise OF the ex-
plosion was no greater than would have
been made by the hasty closing of
door. When the vault was entered the
safe was found to be thrown upon It's
side with three OF its wheels knocked
Off. while the two outside layers of the
doors were ripped OF bodily and thrown
against the side of the vault The out