Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-06-11
HE PLAYED BURGLAR
BUT HE DID 1T lNNOCENTLY AND
DID 1T ARTISTICALLY AS WELL.

The Plausible scheme by Which n
Safe Expert Was Fooled and Used
by II Trio of Notorious Cracksmen
to Get nt Their PIunder.
To the man whose shingle bears the
inscription Safe Expert" and whose
little shop, not far from the great dry
goods district, contains q full assert
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 reAectrely. 81 once did play
burglar. In fact, played the star role
in safe cracking enterprise. l was
the innocent means by which a 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 8 o'clock one evening
when a messenger boy came with a
note on the letter paper of n well
known house asking me to come at
once with my tools to the office of the
firm.
1.-THE Office was lighted up, and
portly, prosperous looking man sat at
roll top desk, while two clerks,
perched on stools, were working at
some books.
81 am Mr.. - 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 it.
The combination Is 6-21-45, 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
"As 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 he came back.
at was one of those alum filled
safes, and suspected rust had done its
work inside.
Nothing to do but drill it open,
said l.
"'Go 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
1 worked away unsu ectingly. 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.
81 did not realize until afterward that
l 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
ed 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 it all over
afterward, it occurred to me that this
was to cover the sound of my opera
tions.
front of the safe. and a little manipu-
lation got the tumblers into place, and
the door swung open.
"1Iere Won are sir said l. and the
portly man came around to the safe.
".Very 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 n roll of bills. he handed
me 500
"Js that r;phtG, be asked
"sOuito right renIjed Shall come
in tbe morning TO fix the safeY
".No.' said he. Il will have the max
ers of the safe attend to it,
"As 7 gathered nm NV fools the mort
lv man directed one of the clerks TO
ret out the books that were needed.
and he went back to the desk.
"J trundled bocl, to nv shon meet
ing the policeman at the corner. and