Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-07
DIVISION OF OPINION
Whether or Not They We're Profess
sional Cracksmen.
MODERN METHODS EMPLOYED
Business Men Become More Watchful
and They Have Better Police
Protection.

Police department officials are anxious
10 capture the men who attacked the two
safes in the city during the past few days
There is no way of telling whether the
work was done by professionals or anna
tours, and unless the burglars are captured
the police Will never know any more about
them than they did before the two bust
ness places were visited In some respects
the work done In the Office of Mr.. Berry
indicates that it was done by professionals
In other respects It has the earmarks of
the novice. Local policemen never heard
or professional men emptying -four upon
a floor and working In 1t while opening a
safe. nor did they ever hear of professional
craftsmen carrying of part of the safe or
trihing thing such as a camera because
they failed to find money.
ihere may have been method in that
put, SAID police official to a Star re-
poftef, they may have carried off thu
camera and knob of the safe for the req
son that they desired to have II appear
.hat the work had been done by persons
other than professionals 1t would have
been an easy matter for them to have
thrown the proceeds of the robbery into
the river and still leave behind them The
deed" ~ N0i'1'i''eu 'ho
II has been some time since professional
sate men nave operated in this section In
deed, the police officials say there are
very Few of the professional safe men who
are IN the field now. Years ago such men
were rather numerous, but business houses
are taxing SO many precautions that 1t is
Almost impossible for the crooks to blow
safes In establishments where any great
amount of money is kept Years ago when
mere We're no burglar alarms, electric lights
ana but Few watchmen. the task of attack
ing safe and getting Ii ready to he blown
was an easy matter.
Modern Methods Effectual.
Modern methods of protecting tho steal
money-holders and better police protection
made up combination that put most of
the safe blowers out Of business and made
1t so difficult for the others that they
were forced to join what the police call
yeggmen. This class is composed large
~ OF hoboes' and their operations are
confined chiefly to safes in railroad sta
lions and country stores and post offices
When they select safe a man ahead goes
sometimes two. to get the lay of things
about the vicinity of the building In which
the safe is located and ascertain what
police protection the people enioy They
also study the time tables of the railroads
and know just what time they can board
a passenger or freight train after they
because of these precautions that safe blow
ers manage to commit robbery and DIS
appear so suddenly. Seldom do they af-
tempt to make q haul until they have OBJ
tanned and studied a map of the surround
Ing country IN order that they will know
every avenue of escape. Such. criminals
invariably appearin the vicinity of the scene
OF a contemplated robbery dressed In ont
fits to give them the guise of tramps and
1t is not an uncommon thing for them to
enter and rob a clothing store to get new
outfits.
When a safe robbery has been committed
the authorities hear of tramps having been
seen about the village or town and tho
crooks are SO described in messages sent
out to the police departments throughout
the country. While the police are looking
for tramps they are likely to pass the
well-dressed criminals and pay no atten-
ton to them. While such robbers are al
ways looking for money, they are almost
as well pleased If they get any quantity OF
postage stamps. No trouble is ever ex-
perienced by them in getting rid of stamps
at almost their face value.
A Typical Case.
Il remember case in which hundreds OF
postage stamps were used by three men
who stopped at a country village somo
years ago." remarked detective to a star
reporter Three weIl-dressed young men
stopped at the village hotel and remained
over night after they had made a haul at
coutry post office some miles away. They
told the proprietor of the hotel that tney
were post Office inspectors and that Trey
always received their pay in stamps Thelr
bills were paid in stamps and 1t was not
until after their departure that the hotel
man learned of what had happened TO a
post office in a neighboring village. II was
then too late for him to be of any assist
ence to the authorities. but he was
forced to surrender the stamps, as there
was no way of identifying them
Story by Inspector Byrnes.
Former Inspector Byrnes of New York
tells an interesting story OF a safe robber
who served time in the Eastern penitentt-
airy. He says in his book upon criminals
that 1T was said OF the prisoner:
Give him twenty minutes alone with a
safe and he can open the most intricate
tell him merely the name OF the safe maker
lock that ever was devised and If you will
he will tell you instantly all the parts IN
the lock and give you diagram of its
mechanism He never breaks a lock; he
simply finds out inside of twenty minutes
the combination In which it sits. opens the
safe and takes out what he wants and re-
locks 1t, and when the owner returns ne
finds the safe apparently just as he left II.
To accomplish his work he needs, in addi-
ton to his quick wit and mechanical hnowl-
edge, three ordinary wires, which he forces
into the lock about the handle in such a
way that the number OF the combination IS
reduced to twenty-fouf. He reasons 4 that
all persons In locking safe make 4 GER
tain number of moves. and knowledge OF
this fact enables him to further reduce its
probable combinations to two three
movements. These two or three movements
he finds out by actual trial. which consuilts
the greater part of his twenty minutes IN
the case when the safe is in an apartment
that Is In full view of the street he drops
a little quick lime on the floor. pour5 Wa
ter on it and the steam that arises effec-
tuaily cloaks the windows. In three in
stances he unlocked safes, distracted the
contentsfi relocked them and made off n
the time that the men who were in charge
of them were at dinner"
Probable Destination.
The men who operated in this city lew
days ago. 1t is believed. left here and Wen.
to Maryland for the purpose OF robbinS
safes In small post offices or stores. Early ;.
In the week they robbed the safe IN the
wholesale grocery store OF A. Lehman, 10
and IS D street northwest. They next ap.
appeared in Georgetown and the police
thought they had Jared so badly that they
would go into Maryland or Virginia. Two
days after the Georgetown safe was opened
two robberies were committed at railroad
stations in Maryland not thirty miles from