The San Francisco call., 1910-07-17
The San Francisco Sunday Call

IQG DAN fIduCloCO SS@-S-s'y
the Italian quarter could the fiddler never wou'o
tire of ~Funcul Funicula; the cook hurt instead o.
helped the old mans digestion, and the wine naS-
tened rather than retarded the inevitable
When Tony died the friends We'd with eacn
other in giving him costly funeral Awful cursins
began when three wills submitted for prooate-
The fiddler had the one of latest date and the sur
rogate told the claimants under the others to pre-
sent to the fiddler any bills against Cavaiazzi Tor Ine
choice dishes and the wines
All three accompanied by their lawyers aad s1oo
from Little Italy went the vault to see the
fiddler take the savings bank book and then the
procession moved to the bank The hddlers attor-
ney made out withdrawal slip for S1,lS5 we VIII
draw the interest later" he said
LOCKED IN THE VAULT
Handing back the slip and the book to the attorney,
the teller remarked that the Cavallazz account
showed a balance of something less than So When
the bank watchman assisted by the police, had
quelled the riot 4he bank explained that Cavai-
lazzi, beginning with deposit of 500, had with
drawn and redeposted this amount frequently, until
the credit page OF the book showed total of SllSo
OF deposits and that then the willy Italian had torn
out the page upon which Withdrawals had been en-
tered the result being that the book, if not closely
examined. seemed to show an unbroken account tor
the aggregate deposited And that very morning the
fiddler had paid the safe deposit company years
box rent of Cavallazzis
To be locked involuntarily in the impenetrable
darkness of modern air tight and sound proof vault
comes pretty close to the rugged edge of tragedy.
But if rescue be timely and effective the victim or
the experience may learn to smile over it.
Before vault is closed for the day with the COM
L Il se 81 To
make sure that no is within At o'clock of a
recent Saturday afternoon, hours after brg
vault had been closed, vault manufacturers expert
working on the outside of door not often used
thought he detected unusual noise in the mechan-
ism. He laid his ear close, listened while and
heard it again.
He mentioned the circumstance to the manager,
who had remained late attend his letters. but
the official laughed and went to his club At 4
the expert thought he heard the noise repeated He
alone with the watchman-
Strange sensations began to possess him Suppose
there was some one locked in the vault. The time
lock would release the bolts till Monday morning,
and the air in the vault would not support human life
more than eight hours His mind began to work rap
idly Taking a hammer he tapped one, twice, thrice
the door at which he at work. His ear was
pressed to the steel. Was there not knocking
the other sde faint but distinct?
He struck the steel again, twice, once, twice The
unmistakablc-twice once, twice. He
leaped the switch that turned the electric light
in the vault then to the phone. His swift message
went in dozen directions: There's locked
in the vault here. Come your life!"
In half hour the vault surrounded by COM
pany officials and safe experts They understood fully
the gravity of the "It would be possible 20
open those doors, with dynamite. 20 hours
said the safe expert, "and the first discharge would
kill human being inside There is possible hope
unless get himsto lift the time lock clutch
that holds the bolts till Monday morning. How in
Gods convey that idea to him?"
Three hours of effort anxious consultation, keenest
suspense followed. Every FIVE minutes they signacd
with rappings and the replies back. Were they
coming feebly? Was the air nearly exhausted
Was it possible that the would study the dial Of
the time lock apparatus and reach the conclusion in
dependenty that he could release the bolts by lifting