Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-04-23
FEW BANK CROOKS LEFT
THE BURGLARS INGENUITY DROVE
HIM CUT OF BUSINESS.

Mechanical Devices Outwit Skill - Conn
pelled Now TO Go Back TO and Follow
Petty Thieving-The Modern Safes Will
Resist Dynalnite-The Electrical Alarm.
The modern tIrglar alarm not only
renders it utterly impossible for one
to disturb a vault protected with II
without detection, but it also gives
signal at the first attempt to raise
window, file bar or enter e door.
So thoroughly does it protect the de-
positories of great wealth that 1t has
defied all of the wonderful skill OF
the cracksman, until today the teW
living experts of that class of crooks
are found either in abject poverty or
devoting the genius which brought
them millions twenty years ago TO
the practice of crime of the most petty
character. One can scarcely fail to
notice the utter absence of great bank
robberies during the past five or ten
years. A few have been successfully
performed in that time, but with one
single exception the money was OBJ
tainei during banking hours from the
cashier as he glanced down the bar
rel of a six-snooter. The exception
was when stranger engaged bank
cashier in conversation while he
hooked out roll of bills with the aid
of piece of wire from under the Off
cial's nose.
The electrical burglar alarm Of to-
day, the great modern safes, which
will even resist dynamite, are the re-
suit Of a series of bank robberies ex-
tending over. a period of twenty or
thirty years, which were conceived
and successfully carried out by band
OF criminals, many of whom are alive
today. Strange as it may seem, these
men have driven themselves out OF
business. The almost fabulous wealth
which they stole made the invention
of mechanical devices which would
outwit their skill necessary, and they
came in the course of time, until today
robbery like that Of the Manhattan
bank or one like that Of the Ocean
bank in New York city, where over
a million dollars in money and securi-
ties were carried away, is wholly i'm
possible without collusion with the
custodians Of the vaults. Even then
it is doubtful if one could be success
fully carried out, no matter how
mucn care was employed, for expert
ments have shown that even the men
who safeguard the vaults of the great
banks of the country, by surrounding
them with a network Of wires, cannot
go through these silent guardians
without giving an alarm.
Twenty years ago a bank robbery
with proceeds up in the hundreds OF
thousands was possible, but could only
be successfully carried out by men of
brains and skill, who mad the patience
to study their enterprise veil before
entering upon it. Bank officials were
not one whit less vigilant in. those
days than they are now, but the brain
Of the crook had gone ahead of tae
brain of the honest man, condition
: hard to understand today, when the
very reverse is the fact. Few people
have any idea of the amount Of study
put into job by the cracksman be-
fore any real attempt to realize is
made. One of the best living illus.
trations of the old school of crooks
is Macmillan Schoenbein, better
known to the police of the world as
Count" Max Shinburn. After defy
ing the vault and safe makers Of the
world and looting banks in this coun-
try and abroad for an aggregate gain