Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-08-02
SKILL OF BURGLARS
In SAFE BREAKING
Nitro. Glyce rine Poured into Grew
ices Tears Dood From
rAstenin6s.

the shrewdest professional burglar
in this country were formerly makers
of safes. who knew every combinatio1 I
and trick of the trade, and are skille J
in the use of the most modern took
and have thorough knowledge of the
weak points of every safe on the mar
ket. For many years safe breaking
was carried on with great success.
The time lock and the combination
lock put a stop to great deal of this
activity, and then an arrangement was
made whereby, even if the hinges were
sawed off, the door still remained
locked. 1t almost seemed as if the
burglars had finally been foiled at
every point, when nitro-glycerine
made its appearance, says the New
York Times.
Burglars were quick TO see that
this powerful liquid, which is still the
active principle of guncotton and
dynamite, put nearly all the safes on
the market at their mercy. But it re-
quires the highest mechanical skill and
a great deal of experience and knowl-
edge to use nitro-glycerine upon a safe
successfully.
Very few people are aware, however,
how simple are the instruments need
ed by the modern burglar in openinga
safe with nitro-glycerine, and just how
he proceeds to business. His outfit
consists of few pounds of putty, a
sufficient quantity of nitro-glycerine,
a hammer and perhaps couple of
thin wedges. With these, and fuse
and matches, he is ready to "negoti
ate" the so-called burglar-proof safe,
and the degree Of his success depends
almost wholly upon himself.
A very short time is needed in which
TO blow" a safe. The first thing done |
Is to make a careful inspection of the
upper door jamb of the safe. No mat
ter how tight-fitting and carefully adj
juster the door of safe may be. il is |
claimed that it is impossible to make |
1t so that wedge hardly thicker than |
a razor edge will not find entrance. |
few taps with hammer drive in the
opening which may not be any bigger
than thin sheet OF paper. The wedge
is driven further, a thick wedge is in
serted, and this is followed. perhaps,
by still thicker one, each wedge only
receiving few dull blows until finally Il
the opening between the door and the
wall of the safe is perhaps a sixteenth
Of an inch wide. Leaving the last
wedge in place, the burglar now turns
to his lump Of putty and goes to
work on the bottom OF the safe
ioor
The minute crack here where the
ioro and the safe meet 10 carefully
outted up along its whole length. and
he line Of putty is continued up for
about foot on each end along the
'ides of the door. The burglar with
lis putty next makes n "cup" at the
op OF the door directly facing the
opening made by the wedge. When the
up is finished he fills il up with nitro
'lycerine. This slowly percolates
through the thin opening made by the
wedge and as soon as the cup has emp
led itself it is filed again. Now. what
Iappens?
The nitro-glycerine does not simply
lSappear in the safe among the books
nd drawers. 1t slides down the ton
4 the door at an angle of 45 degrees
nd follows down the inside of the
oor. Instead of resting on the bot
ON of the safe, the nitro-glvcerine
olIows the steps" into which the
oor rs fitted. Here the nitroglycer-
ne collects, the putty on the outside
I the door preventing its escape.
The burglar keeps pouring in nitro .
Iycerine by the aid of his "cup" until
t believes that the interstices be-
'een the bottom of the door and
he safe are full of liquid. making a
yer under the door at an angle
about forty-fve degrees. The
ne Is then ready to be blown"
hich merely consists in setting off the
'prosive' SO powerful is nitro-glyc.
me that it wrenches the door from
: place and leaves the inside of the
Ne the - II