The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-02-12
SCHEME TO BEAT
The CRAVE ROBBER
Wealthy New York Man is the
First to Use Burglar
Proof Coffin.
ARE WORKS OF HIGH ART
1t is Said to Be Easier to Break Int
a Safety Deposit Vault Than to
Rifle Ono of These Up-to-
Date Caskets.

800 LH
Date Caskets.
Chicago Chronicle: In this progressive
aSe invention keeps pace with the needs
pf humanity from the cradle to the grave.
The latest thing out is a burglar-proof
coffin, made necessary by recent raids OF
shouls upon the cemeteries and calculated
10 put those enterprising gentry out OF
business and deprive many budding doc
tors of subjects for dissection. 1t Is said
to be easier to break into a safety deposits
vault than to rife one of these up-to-date
baskets. It requires drills and dynamite
to effect an entrance. and even then tne
task is harder TIKI n breaking open the
safe OF a country bank, for there are no
cracks and seams in which to pour nitro
glycerin. They are too heavy to carry
away. unless there Is a large party OF
grave robbers, and the ordinary ghouls
would be likely to seek some task less
difficult than one requiring q Jimmy
and high-power explosives.
The depredations of grave robbers have
made these burglar-proof collins a neces-
sity, 1t Is said that medical colleges all
over the country. use 10000 human bodies
every year for demonstration in the dis
sectlng rooms. Not more than one-half
| this number are supplied by public insti-
tutions and morgues, where the corpses
are unclaimed. Consequently they resort
| to buying DOQlSS, ana Cne usual plISe "
one in good condition is $50.
Fear Ghouls Will Steal.
In addition to this there are many
wealthy persons who have a fear that
their bodies will be stolen and held for
ransom, as in the case Of A.. I. Stewart
1t was this fear that led Bronson b. Tut.
tie. a millionaire at Naugatucl1, Conn.,, to
arrange for the manufacture of a metallic.
burglar-proof coffin, in which he was to
be buried. Many persons were surprised
at the steps he took to avoid the desecra-
ton of his grave, but, as a matter of fact,
he probably could have obtained q caskee
of this sort ready made.
The first burglar-proof coffin, SO far IA
is known, was made in New York. 1t was
manufactured for Ferdinand Yznaga,
brother of Consuelo, the dowager duchess
of Manchester.
2 Mr.. Campbell, the maker of the coffin.
1.-THE theft Of At. Stewards body was
still fresh In the public mind, and 1t was
feared tl.at the same thing might be at
tempted with the body Of Mr.. Yznaga, who
belonged to a family of great wealth. We
received an order for q coffin that would
be burglar-proof as far as possible. The
casket was made in Jersey City, under our
supervision. 1t was of chilled steel, near
ly half an inch thick, cemented at the
seams and Theoretically sealed. Three
tumbler locks, absolutely proof against
opening by the thieves, were placed on 1t,
When finished 1t weighed more than half
q tom"
More Vault Than Coffin.
The burglar-proof coffin BOW manufac-
tured Is more property a vault. 1t is q
receptacle for the casket, and In some
cases Is large enough to contain the wood
en- box In which the coffin Is sometimes
encased. These vaults are of all sizes ana
are made even for the bodies Of children,
come parents wishing to guard against
!, the theft Of the bodies Of their little ones.
They are made of No. IL gauge charcoal
boiler plate steel. The ends
: are of heavy, tough malleable iron. They
are practically seamless; the only seams
, are at the ends, for the top and bottom
sections are all Of one piece. Before be-
, ing put on the market they are tested by
hydraulic pressure to see II they leak.
They are guaranteed to be air tight and
i, proof against moisture. The parts are
: riveted together with cold-pressed steel
rivets. all rivets being perfectly headed.
2 The top or lid fits into and over q deep
; fange and leaves no seam. But In order
to guard against the possibility of a crew
ice an electric cement Is used. and this
a becomes SO hard that it Is as difficult OF
entrance as steel. When the lid is put on
: it Is held tight by ten automatic spring
: locks that catch from the inside. These
a are so adjusted that they do not close I'M
, less the top fits perfectly. Once the lid Is
put OF the vault it is impossible to open
1t. Even the relatives may not again look
q on the fact OF the dead unless resort is
h had to explosives.
n Works of High Art.
f There Is nothing grewsome about these
s. collins. They are finished inside In white
Q enamel, applied over two coats of rust
proof, non-corrodable paint. The exterior
is finished in steel gray. There are eight
a heavy bar drop handles which are brass
plated and highly polished and Iacquered
Owing fD ifs construction the coffin Is
capable Of withstanding tons of pressure
and cannot be crushed by the weights OF
+ the earth. In some cases heavy nonu
a ments have been placed over them.
n Another style Of steel coffin has 81
l. opening only at one end, and through thi.
the body is inserted. The end plate Il
a then screwed on and so adjusted tina
"a only an up-to-date burglar can open 1t
There are two small holes In the end. II
la these q pump is inserted and the al
\. pumped out. The coffin then is filled witt
A. what Is know as preventative gas an
the holes are Theoretically sealed.
m Although the burglar-proof coffin /
comparatively a recent invention, 1t !
az said 1000 of them had been sold to guar
IN against the depredatfons of ghouls. Las
- year some Cleveland grave robbers ra
n across one In their operations. Theysv
es IDENTIFY thought it a hopelets task, for the
did not even try to open 1t; at least Their
al were no evidences of their work on til
en- paint. Neither did they take the troubl
ut to put it back into the grave from whic
e they had partly removed 1t.
If It is, the expectation Of the manufat
IT. turers OF the burglar-proof coffin that bt
fore many years grave robbing will /
an confined to potter's fields, for with grea'
nj er use the cost Of the collins. will /
nd brought within the reach Of all except tt
IN very poor.
nd
ity For Arts Sake.
Of Chicago Tribune: Powers, the sculpto
having put the finishing touches to h
nd Greek Slave" stood off and Inspected
,st. critically.
Tho "No," he said with emotion. IT shall n
ia attend the New York beauty show. tt
nth sight of the poor creatures would I'LL n
&C. with infinite compassion!"
Summoning a messenger boy. he sc,
back the complimentaries.