The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-05-21
he PLAYED BURGLAR
BIT He DID IT lNNOCENTLY AND
DID IT ARTISTiCALLY AS WELL

The Plausible Scheme by Which
Safe Expert Was Fooled and Used
by O. Trio OF Notorious Cracksmen
to Get Mt Their Plunder.
To the man whose shingle bears the
Inscription Safe Expert" and whose
little shop, not far from the great dry
goods district. contains full assort-
ment Of implements for the forcible
opening of safes, the writer said,
Would you be well qualified to play
the burglar"
"Yes," said the little keen eyed man,
running his fingers through his scant
hair refectively. "I once did play
burglar. In fact, played the star role
in a safe cracking enterprise. was
the innocent means by which whole
sale house was robbed of several thou
sand dollars which had been taken in
too late in the day to be banked.
81 was in business then in another
city. l was sitting smoking at my
shop door about o'clock one evening
when q messenger boy came with q
note on the letter paper OF a well
known house asking me to come at
once with my tools to the Office Of the
firm.
The Office was lighted up, and
portly. PROSPEROUS looking man sat ut
a roll top desk, while two clerks,
perched on stools, were working at
some books.
az am MIR. - said the portly one,
giving the name of the head OF the
firm. Something has gone wrong with
the safe; and l want you to open 1t.
The combination is 6-27-45. but some
thing must have broken inside, for it
won't open, and we have got to get
some books out Of the safe tonight
LAS tried the combination which the
man had given me he explained that he
had locked the safe when he went out
to dinner and was unable to open 1t
when be came back.
"It was one Of those alum filled
safes, and suspected rust had done its
work inside.
Nothing to DO but drill it open,'
said l.
$50 ahead said the portly one, and
don't keep me here any longer than you
can help
with that he turned to his desk. and
I worked away unsuspectingly. There
was dead silence except when the man
at the desk spoke to one or the other
of the clerks about some account. and
the tread Of the policeman on that beat
could be heard as he passed the Office
~ did not realize until afterward that
] was working out of view Of the pass
ing policeman. for the safe was behind
the bookkeeper's desk. but the shades
were up and the man at the roll top
desk and the bookkeepers could be
plainly seen from the street.
81 got out my bits. adjusted the
brace, and soon steel was biting steel.
but the sound Of the ratchet was drown
cd by the click Of the typewriter. for
the portly party began debating to one
of the clerks as soon as began drilling
the safe. When thought 1t all over
afterward, it occurred 10 me that this
was to cover the sound OF my opera
tons.
I'm half an hour l had hole in the
front of the safe, and little manipu-
lation got the tumblers into place. and
the door swung open.
Here you are. SIR said l. and the
portly man came around to the safe.
livery neatly DONE he said. You'd
make good burglar
But the sound Of the ratchet would
bring the cops, said l.
"'True.' remarked the man. and.
drawing out a roll Of bills. he handed
me $40.
"Is that right? he asked.
"'Quite right replied. Shall come
in the morning to fix the safe?
NO said he. 4 will have the max
ers of the safe attend to it.
las ! gathered I'D my tools the port
]y man directed one Of the clerks to
get out the books that were peedeo.
and be went back to the desk.
~ trundled back to my shop. meet
ing the policeman at the corner, ana
while Twas standing chatting with
him the trio came out Of the office.
"'You can come down an hour later
than usual in the morning. said the
portIy man as he climbed into ham
som that had rolled up to the office,
and. shouting the name of well
known club to the driver. he pulled
the doors to and was driven away.
before noon the next day the po-
liceman whom ! had talked with and
a detective came into my shop.
".That was Il neat job you did last
night said the policeman.
".What? ] asked. the nature or the
work had done not yet dawning on
me.
The looting Of IS safe.' said the