Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-09

CHARLES FIEBIG.
even no combination necessary, the
wonderful time lock performing the
operations of locking and unlocking
the safe mechanically.
Time Locks.
Ii was when safes were constructed
Of hardened chrome steel which Mr.
Burglar could not drill that time locks
were invented IL was the practice of
the burglar to get into the home of
the cashier of a bank, and by torturing
him and members of his family. force
him To reveal the safes combination at
the bank. While the cashier was held
the burglars would. with the combina-
ton forced from him, open the safe
and make away with the contents. In
order TO prevent this practice and to
protect the cashiers. the time lock was
designed. When the evenings work is
completed, the lock is set, and no one.
not even the cashier. can gain access
to the contents of the safe until the
hour at which the safe is set to open.
His game thus spoiled. the burglar
began the use of nitro-glycerine, a ia
blcspoonful of which, when connected
with illuminate fuse, will crack any
safe if the material is properly applied.
The Corliss people some years ago in
vented a round safe, SO constructed
that there is really ball within a ball.
II sufficient nitro-glycerine were en-
ployed. this safe would act as a bomb.
and not alone the bank building would
be destroyed, but the whole block.
Work IT Burglars.
In number of instances have
been called TO complete the work of the
burglar, where the explosion had
wrecked the safe. but had not opened
il. This occurred at Eldon. Iowa. at
East Moline, and at several other
places since | have been engaged in
expert lock work. Often | am called
to open safes OF dead men. There are
people so narrow minded that they
trust the combination to no one. A
stroke of apopleXy. or other sudden
death. leaves the relatives without
means of access to the safe, in which
are the documents of the dead man.
This was the condition in the cases
of the estates of Mr.. Schell of Oska-
loosa: Mr.. Gale of Muscatine; Mr..
Sherwood of Brooklyn, Iowa; Mr.. Ry-
der of Clinton. Iowa; and in the case
of August Rolls of Davenport. In ad-
dition there were numerous other SIM
liar cases in which | was called TO as
sist the relatives placed in this predi-
cament.
A-great source of profit to the ex-
pert is the man who tries to set his
l.~V, affl nar mt
it in the safe. forgets il, or puts the
lock together incorrectly. Recently l
was autographed To from Brooklyn.
Iowa. where | Was wanted Immediately
TO open n safe. When | arrived there
found an attorney and a lady client
anxiously awaiting me. The husband.
who had children by first wife. was
lying ut the point of death. His last
will and testament was in the safe. but
the contents We're unknown. He was
too weak and too close to death to re-
veal the combination of the safe con-
tanning the document. but he had made
the wife and the attorney understand
that he desired TO change the Will. |
opened the safe at / O'Clock at night.
and at once returned home. What was
done with the will do not know.
Money I'm Den.
4 novel case in which | was called
to open the safe of dead man was at
Queen City. Mo. a few months ago.
An old retired farmer had died. leav-
ing quite a young wife. He took the
combination of the safe 10 his grave.
He was an eccentric character. as is
shown by the fact that just outside OF
the town. a couple of blocks from his
home. he had built a den. standing
high in the air on supports. looking like
4 railway watering tank. A stairway
led TO this den; and there the old man
spent much of his time Here his safe
was located. No one knew that he had
much of value in that safe. but when
opened II cash and papers valued be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 were discov-
cred. An expert crook could have loot
ed the safe any night. and undoubtedly
some of them will be disaupointed TO