The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-04-19

iron "blankS, and each one having
notches shade different from the
others. In the cheaper grade of night
latches one Of these keys is almost sure
tc prove duplicate of the one on the
key ring Of the householder, snugly
| inside in perfect confidence in his lock-
And after the house has been rob-
bed and no one disturbed the folks
say
81 cant see how they got in, the
door was locked and we found it locked
his morning."
The wise burglar takes care to close
the door behind him so as to avert
suspicion as long as possible.
Not all of the lock picking is done
by criminals. however. Some of the
most expert men IN that line are prac-
tical locksmiths and employees Of big
safe making firms, who have spent
years in pcering into locks and devils
ing methods for making them proof
against all attacks save those of the
keys intended for them. The battle
constantly raging between the makers
of high-power shells and the makers
of armor plate is no more steadily
waged than that between lockmaker
and burglar-that is, makers of locks
which cost barrels Of money, and are
intended to guard valuables, The So
called burglar-proof safe Of twenty
years ago would be laughed at by the
safeblower Of to-day. The time lock
doors of a safe deposit vault, with
their ponderous cranks and screw
thread mechanism are the highest type
OF the lock experts art. They are
supposed to be absolutely proof against
everything except earthquakes and
properly applied dynamite. But when
they get out of order and refuse to
open at the time appointed the lock
expert is sent for and after an hour or
two of gentle turning and twisting
and listening to the interior clickings
he swings open the door and the trick
is done.
Ordinary office safes are easy" for
the expert from the safe firm or even
an old-timer in the locksmith's busi-
ness. Quite often through some inad-
vertence the combination of safe is
unknown to the office force. Perhaps
the one man who knew it has forgot
ten it or has died suddenly without
imparting the secret. The safe must
be opened without destroying the lock
and the expert comes. After more or
less twisting of the knob and listening
to the tumblers, together with delicate
feelings of the resistance to the knob
as it turns under his fingers, he throws
back the bolts and opens the door.
Rolltop desks are a frequent cause
of trouble in this regard, as the owner
often locks his keys inside the "cur-
tain" when he draws it down for the
night. Next morning he sends for
locksmith, and when he sees how easi-
ly that deft individual opens the desk
he begrudges him the half dollar
charged for the job: Instead Of bring
ing with him an armful of keys to try
on the lock the expert takes from his
POCKET bunch of pliers made Of very
thin, flat STEEL These he slips under
the roll top, Immediately below the
keyhole, the jams being open. A slight
pressure of the handle brings the jaws
together and as they press in the lit.
tie projectors which keep the thing
locked the desk is opened.
The night latch is often opened by
burglars in similar manner. Usual
ly the door closes against thin strip
of wood nailed to the door jamb or
casing. Immediately inside this is
the bolt Of the spring lock, the bevel
side out. The burglar has thin blade
Of steel, like case knife, but not so
springy, which he inserts between the
strip Of wood and the casing immed-
ately opposite the edge Of the bolt
causing it to slide back, almost as cas-
lily as the pressure Of the key, and the
door is opened.