The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09
BURGLARS VERSUS LOCKS.
4 hattie or YEARS IN WHICH fHH
LOCK mas FINALLY

Evolution of tho Marvellous Co%ntrivanos
Tint Sow Guards Vaults and Safes
Against the lnronds Alike of Skilled
Cracksmcn and Dishonest Custodians.
The years 1873 and 1874 marked an era In
tho evolution of locking devices for burg.
lar. proof safes in tho United States and Cana.
da which eliminated in a con. plete change
from prc-oXistinE methods. Prior 10 that
key locks had been improved TO the utmost
point. reaching the climax Of excellence in the
ingenious and intricate mechanism Of the
magic bank lock- invented about forty years
ago by Linus Yale. Jr. Combination locks
had almost entirely SUPERSEDED key locks as .
means for locking burglar-proof vaults and
safes. and for u time these were deemed Inn
pregnahlc: but II lit e later James Sargent OF
Rochester. y. Y. der. onstrated his c.:::ty to
pirk the best combination lock then on the
market. For that demonstration he received
$l.OuO from the lock maker.
Being a practical mechanic with inventive.
genius OF n high order. MIR. Sargent at once
set abou. the invention and manufacture, OF .
combination lock that he himself could not
pick. and the result was n "ontrivance which
was adopted by the leading safe makers OF the
country and later by the United States Treas
sury Department. Associated with him al
partner in the manufacture Of this lock was
Col. H.. $. Greenleaf. As a consequence OF
Sargent's invention. safe and vault burRlarnl
were compelled to devise new and more desc
perate methods. and after trying various excl
pcdtants. they very generally adopted what
became known as masked burglary" as thel
most feasible plan that suggested ITSELF. 1nl
carving out this method. n gang, OF maskod3
and armed desperadoes would act in conjunosa
gag. ging, n bank official. taking him to hisj
bank and compelling him by threats. or tor.l
cess crowned their early efforts and the meth.j
oi became alarmingly, prevalent throuGhoutl
dians OF funds fecnme exceedingly apprehen.
sivc. and their families and friends were In .
T REUSED d ft" {" SGmpr S" with the : a ,SM a Di1lsl Of .S Ehe
%raptors laid the penalty OF their refusal with
For n time makers OF burglar: proof cons.
trivanccS were bafied in their efforts to dssA
yise ~ adequate remedy. Bankers we're ind
and manufacturers Of hitherto burglar rooki
safes were amazed by this new danger with
Again ;Nlr.. Sargent Jeanne to tho iescua. yHcj
devoted himself day and night to developingl
is com'T'ing,i"nN could not q en- until, the pre-:
deternlined time Tor uu unlocking, Within a few
% Msihn !F sEstd '%s t IF the s' FS4t. Of ac tns p RFsse'slII m 4.
i9r use. Til .tyie Of time Jock is Still il. vogue.
locks Wa made. because bankers and otthers
agreed that it w"ul d be better to huv. Irme locks
aud combination locks separate and indepen-l
dent. nut Sill acting in conjunction so far as
controlling the bolt work Il the vault is con.
crrned' Thu latter plan has been adopted
Safemakers we're timiJ about. accepting so
Experts in burglar. proof york were reiuctant
to advise and bankers were fearful about lock-
ing ' the ms sGtsr ard az tE y" IntSs 80 9d 54iHSt I nsitser t ,hhsS
until an appliance, protected from all. outside
c%ontro! ly the walls Of the safe, should release
the safe bolts AZ an appointed time and again !,
render the combination locks available for
opening the dC"rs. For II long time no one
the safeguard. Meanwhile" mus.. ID burglaries i
werS besominG more frcrq9onI. .t
a recognized, authority, in burglar proof SCI
"urities. made a]cIitlrhl examination OF the
for two DAYS, was still unable to make up. his
mind to stake his reputation upon The adop;
criticism was: We'll. it is ali verv line in theo-
ny ana design and is eminantly adapted to the
3 ISnKsr sn snd in EE vi Tna r"t T ,H . nTdy, doubt tHns.
Sargent reiterated his assurance that its adop-.
ton was inevitable and that the time lock-
lc:E Of III" aa.. 70 Ills Mr.. Cady "rreeriiHeadr:s
yMr. SarSent, when yo4 sell one TO q banker.
Cady was an enthusiastic advocate OF time'
loi TX Man, InI * e r' m@ Ssrr. :" w. .p,d e hi his o qsa, Tim.
lock ever ,rurrhasel Gv banker to the First
National Bank. at Morrison. Ill. making the
;ess of the Invention was assured; and ere
long salemak"rS began to equip their new
OF %' ssle WIN Th 's'" sar !Er talo as W a me@e eeaHge sd3n mo.sI1
70 banks ana to the departments Of the United
states G"ysrYmcnt, hut ne Iemand soon be-
yidunis having the custody Of vaIuables, re;
uu,iTing lurElar-nro1t safes followed the lead
~ the bankers and the Government. !
The 'rSt time lock had two movements act:
ing in r"nlunctiCn and had n running time Of
70 forty-cight hours. :Icn to s~iXty-siX end a.
little later to seveuty-twu hours. the %presents
AMI ? eVrn 10 ou r"nti"H tl1rie lock f lsSTs - now madea
,Etrh movement Is ample In ~its.1t'for the per-9
three or iOnr movements which n lock NAV
contain, tn" only objects in Il plurality OF moved
ments being increased security against a lock-
out in case one movement should become dis I
hhled. and the advantage OF not being obliged TO |
'eas" using the lOrk in tho ~eventof accident tod
movement locks each ni">emept, is entirely
sspnrqte and in,!crendent and each can be re-
time tn" US" Of The lock while tive movements
are operative. &
lock. asid," from is protection against outside >
invasion by burglars, il the safety it affords to
imrossil!. for them 10 comuly with the de-
mands - burglars. It also furnishes security
nloyees or hv others VINO may have gained q"
knowlr1re Of The combination Furthermore.
which the safes were found uRinJured ard
locked. INST as they were on closing, has al.Y
most entirely ceased since the introduction of
Wh"n %u"rlars Income convinced that It is
safes ont Of banking hours. the otllccrs are SCI
cure against their assaults, Even il taken to
u bank. an official ran demonstrate that there
IS IL time lock on III" safe bN calling the atten-
tlon If his kidnaupcrS to the ticking Of the
timer. In one instance. several wears ago. .
time lock had been attached after banking
hours, and the safe Iork"G up tn omen at a GER
t3ln hour the next morning. The hank peo-
Die had no slsririCn OF amy me hIrditated at.
TENN 10 rob il: hu' thar night a gang OF
masked burglars secured the cashier and took
him to the ami. where tho leader ordered him
:" omen, the safe I9Vr He assured them that
he 'oull not ouen ~" safe a"canSe II was pro-
,ertrd by 4 time lock, This they, refused to
believe. telling him that the leader had been
in The bank the day lcrure. had Seen the door
standing open and no tim" lock on Il. He
told them that it had been nut OF onlg that
evening and that if they would rtace their ears
against the door they wouhi hear il tick. The
leader listened IS directed and .thrning to his
pals said:
ITS no use. hovs. here's another six weeks'
rob. gone t. hell" and they hastily left the
cashier 10 congratulate himself on n very
fortunate coincidence,
Zach lime lock has q lock aud kew. so that