Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-12-01
Rather a Neat Job


NV profession isn't a popular one.
There is considerable prejudice against
1t. don't myself think it's much worse
than a good many others. However
that's nothing to do with my story
Some years ago me and the gentleman
who was at that time connected with
me In business-he's met with reverses
since then, and at present isn't able 10
get out-were looking around for JOB,
being at that time rather hard up, as
Won might say. We struck small
country town. amt a-goin to give II
away by telling where it was, or what
the name IL 1t was. There was one bank
there; the president was a rich old
duffer: owned the mills, owned the
bank, owned most of the town. There
wasn't no other officer but the cashier,
and they had boy, who used to sweep
out and run of errands.
The bank was on the main street,
pretty well up one end Of it-nice, snug
place. on the corner OF cross street,
with nothing very near it. We took our
observations and found there wasn't no
trouble at all about 1t. There was n
old Waterman that walked up and down
the streets nights. when he didn't fall
asleep and forget it. The vault had two
doors: the outside one was chilled iron,
and a three wheel combination lock
the inner door wasn't no door It all !;
Won could kick 1t open. 1t didn't pre-
tend to be nothing but fireproof, and 1t
wasn't even that The first thing we
done. of course, was to fit key to the
outside door. As the lock on the out
side door was an old-fashoned Bacon
lock. any gentleman in my profession
who chances to read this article Will
know Just how easy that job was, and
how we did ii.
This was our plan: After the key
was fitted / was to 60 into the bank,
and Jim-that wasn't his name, Of
course, but let it pass-was to keep
watch on the outside. When any che
passed he was to tip me whistle, and
then I doused the glim and lay low !;
after they got by, l goes on again.
Simple and easy, you see Well, the
night as we selected the president hap
pened to be out Of town; gone down TO
the city, as he often did. / got inside
all right. with a slide lantern, breast
dr,I. a small steel Jimmy, a bunch Of
skeleton keys and a green baize bag, to
stow he swag. l fixed my light and
rigged my breast drill, and got to work
4. III q fsx-anr
Probably a great many OF our read
ers are not so well posted as me about
bank locks, and l may say for them
that a three wheel combination lock has
three wheels in II. and slot in each
wheel. In order to unlock the door, you
have to get the three slots opposite to
each other at the top OF the lock. OF
course. IL you know the number the lock
is set on you can do this; but If you
don't you have to depend on your In
gently. There is in each OF these
wheels small hole, through which you
can put wire through the back of the
lock when you change the combination.
Now, If you can bore hole through
the door and Pick up those wheels by
running a wire through those holes,
why, you can open the door. hope
make myself clear. ! was boring that
hole. The door was chilled iron; about
the neatest stuff l ever worked on !
went on steady enough; only stopped
when Jim-which. as l said, wasn't his
real name-whistied outside. and the
x~stchu,an f.li5led nv Rv-and-by when
Ia got pretty near through. I heard
Iim-so TO speak whistle again.
stopped. and pretty soon / heard foot
steps outside. and I'm bowed, II they
didn't come right up to the bank steps
and | heard key In the lock WIS
so dumfounded when heard that that
you cnuld have slipped the bracelets
right on me. ! picked up the lantern
and III be hanged IL 1 didn't let ths
slide slip down and throw the ligh
right onto the door. and there was tn'
president Instead OF calling for help
as I supposed he would. he took a steI
inside the door. and shaded his eye:
with his hand and looked at me.
knowed I ought 10 knock him down anS
chr out. but I'm blest IL could. wa.
that surprised.
who are youT" he says
~Who are your says l. thinking tia
was an Innocent remark as he com
menccd 1t. and a-tryins all the time 9
collect myself.