Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-07-02

The man who buys the most safes,
and some Of the most costly safes in
the world, is reformed burglar living
in Camden, N. j. This man, now he
come rich not through his criminal
trade, which he abandoned nine years
ago, but through the death Of Il
wealthy maiden aunt, still plies his
trade-but now upon his own safes,
spending thousands of dollars each
year in the purchase of safes and bur-
glars tools, which he uses merely TO
get the sensation Of triumph when the
doors swing open.
Our best customer" said Charles
M. Crane, traveller for an Eastern safe
ana lock company, is Il wealthy citizen
Oh Camden, N. j., who owns Il big
country place In South Jersey, down
below Woodbury. His picture is i'm the
rosucs' gallery, although he is and has
been for nearly 10 years safe from po-
lice interference. lleNhas a mania for
safe cracking, and works at it as an
ordinary man would at trade, and
tho pleasure he cvinccs when, by the
use OF simple instruments, he can
force open a particularly difficult safe
is great as that of Il discuvcrcr find
ing q new land
"Flftecn years ago our firm knew
and dreaded this man. He was then
perhaps the most skillful safe cracker
in the world-and the popularity Of
his work made him terror to men
with money, the insurance companies
and TO safe builders, who, as you
know, would rather lose fortune than
have one of their safes cracked. We
don't mind the cheaper grades, but il
one OF the flrSt-claSs safes of COM
panty is broken open it means heavy
loss in trace to the firm
I'VE heard of this man in several
ways. The popularity of his work
was that he opened safes scientifically,
using the simplest instruments, and
never explosives. He declares that
nitro is crude, and the man who works
with ii is an amateur. He participated
in threc big bank jobs, and the neat
ness with which he opened heavy
chilled steel combinations caused the
makers Of safes to sit down and think
how they could improve their wares.
lie never was caught but once, and
then the State could prove nothing
against him.
About nine years ago, when he was
at the height Of his fame rs n bank
robbcr, his mothers old maid sister
died and left him about 100000. He
retired from the bank robbing bust
ness for gain. although it is declared
that, even after he came into his for
tune. he assisted in big job and told
the boys to take the money and divide
it among themselves
Eight years ago | was sitting in
our salcsroOms when slender gentle.
manly looking man came in and asked
to be shown some safes. There was
something familiar about his face,
and, after showing him safe after safe.
the idea suddenly came to me that he
: rescmbled the printed pictures Of 49,
excused myself, stepped into
the Office, looked over our collection of
safe rola,ers photographs, and saw
that was right.
81 scarcely knew what to do, but
imagined that he simply was examin.
ing our safes, planning to rob one of
the same character somewhere WAS
puzzled when he stopped in front of
one of our round, steel cannon-ball
type of safes and examined ii curious
ly. 1t was Il make that we were just
beginning to put on the market, and
remembered that we had only made
three like it up to that time. 1t sud
denly occurred To me that IL would be
good idca to let him examine this
one carefully, then wire The owners of
the other two TO watch out for robbers.
laying traps for them If they attacked
that style of safe.
81 was staggered when he ordered
the safe sent to his place in South
Jersey, and paid several thousand dol
lars in cash for It. Then I imagined
that he was going to lake the safe
home and study it fully before at
tempting to open It's duplicates | even
went SO far as TO investigate. found
the two duplicates contained little of
worth TO tempt IL robbcr, but took pre-
cautions to warn the owncrs. Then |
slipped over into South Jersey To see
the customer. was slipping around
the neighbOrhood TO find out some
thing about the man and his habits
when one afternoon he stepped lin
and spoke to me. | was Il little abasll-
ed. hut managed to say: Il came down
to see how you like the now SAFE
'HCome up 10 the house and III
show you; he said. AS matter of
fact ! don't think much of IL. n rob.
bert could open 1t too easily You
think So said. swell, III just bet
you my months salary you can't
Make 1t n cigar and I'll do it, he
said
"Then he took me up to the house
and showed me the safe at the side of
his library, near the window.
"'You people never will learn to
build burglar proof safes, lie said.