New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
RATHER 4 NEAT JOB.
BY ONE OF THE PROFESSION"

ifOil Ine ArS0naut.
My profession isn't a popular one There is
considerable prejudice against it. I don't my
self think it's much worse than a good many
others. However. that's nothing do with my
story. Some years ago me and the gentleman
wao was at that time connected with in
business-he's met with reverses since then. and
al present isn't able to go Out-was looking
around for a job being at that time rather hard
up, as You might say. We struck small coun-
t-y town. amt a-gOin' to give it away by tell
ing where il was. or what the name Of il was.
There was one bank there; the president was a
rich old duffer; owned the mills, owned the
hank, owned most Of the town. There wasn't
no other officer hut the cashier, and they had a
boy who used 10 sweep out and run Of errands.
The bank was on the main street pretty well
up one end of it-nioe. snug place, on the corner
OF a cross street, with nothing very near il
We took our observations and found there
wasn't no trouble at all about il. There was an
old watchman that walked up and down the
street nights, when he didn't fal asleep and for
get it, The vault had two doors: the outside one
MAS chilled iron, and had three wheel combi-
nation lock; the inner door wasn't no door al all;
You could kick it open II didn't pretend 10 be
nothing but fireproof, and il wasn't even that.
The first thing done, Of course. TO fit a
key t. the outside door. AS the lock on the out
sic :oOr old fashioned Bacon lock, any
gentleman in my profession who chances to read
this article Will know just how easy that job
was, and how We done it, / may say here that
the gentlemen in nay line Of business. having at
times good deal of leisure on their hands do
considerable reading, and particularly fond
OF a neat bit Of writing. In fact. i'm the way Of
literature, i have found among 'em-however.
This being digression 1 drop it, and go with
the main job again.
This Was Dlan: After KEY was fitted 1
was to go into the bank. and Jim-that wasn't
his name. OF course, but let il pass-was TO keep
watch on the outside. When any one passed
ne was TO tip me a whistle, and then / doUsed
the glim and lay low; after they got by 1 goes
on again. Simple and easy, you see. Well. the
night as We selected the president happened to
be out OF town; gone down to the city. as he
often did. / got inside all right, with a slide
lantern, breast drill, a small steel Jimmy, a
bunch Of skeleton keys and green baize bag, to
stow the swag. ] fixed my light and rigged my
breast drill, and got to work on the door right
over the lock.
Probably a great many Of your readers are
not so we'll posted me about bank locks, and
] may say for them that three wheel com
hination lock has three wheels in it, and a slot
in each wheel. In order to unlock the door you
have to get the three slots opposite 10 each other
at the top Of the lock. OF course, if you know
The number the lock is set on you can 90 thlss
but if you don't you have To depend on your
ingenuity. There is in each Of these wheels a
small hole, through which you can put a wire
through the back Of the lock when you change
the combination. Now, if you can bore hole
through the door and pick up those wheels by
running a wire through those holes. Why, you
can ol,en the door. ] hope l make myself clear
I was boring that hole. The door was chilled
iron; about the neatest stuff ever worked on
I went on steady enough; only stopped when
Jim-Mhich as 1 said wasn't his real name
ehistled outside, and the watchman toddled by
by and by. when ia got pretty near through.
heard Jim-sO 10 speak-whist,e again. i
s,opped and pretty soon heard footsteps out
side. and I'm blowed il they didn't come right
up the bank steps and heard a key in the lock
1 WAS SO dumfoundered when ] heard that that
YOU could have slipped the bracelets right on me-
I picked up my lantern, and lN be hanged If
didn't let the slide slip down and throw the
light right onto the door. and there was the
nresident Instead Of calling for help. as 1 sup
Dosed he would he took a step inside the door
ana shaded his eyes with his hand and looked
at me 4 knowed ] ought to knock him down
and cut out, but I'm blest il could, was that
surprised.
..NVho are you?" says he.
.syyho are you?" says q, thinking that was an
innocent remark as he commenced it and ATTY
He