Evening journal., 1916-02-07
PENNSGROVE 'YECCS"
UP TO THE minute
Government Discovers Safe
Blowing Has Been Super
seded by Acetylene Lamp
STRONG BOXES
NO LONGER SAFE

TRENTON. Feb Interest Of un-
usual character attaches to the cases
Of the five crackers VINO VIII be
arraigned here within few days.
charged by the United States Govern
ment with attempting the robbery OF
the postoflice at Pennsgrove three
weeks ago. While the circumstances
attending their capture presented all
Of the thrilling features Of the bandit
battles fought with the James boys
and Younger gang, interest in the
clever work of Postohice Inspectors
Furniss, Holtby, McVickar and
Wynne, participating in the roundup,
is accepted, officially, as secondary to
that created by the discovery that
practically so per cent Of the strong
boxes and modern safes now in use
are little more than worthless as
places of security for cash and valua-
bic papers.
This, conclusion was forced upon
the authorities when it was discov-
cred that these latest, up-to-date
cracksmen were equipped to use the
most powerful means developed by
science for penetrating solid walls OF
armor plate and forcing the heaviest
of vault doors without the aid OF eX-
plosives. by a method as noiseless as
sure J. T. Cortelyou, lnspector-in-
charge of the Pennsylvania Division,
is said to have frankly admitted that
hereafter the work of protecting bank
vaults and postOfIice safes will DC
much more difficult than in the past
The adoption by the cracksmen OF a
scientific method i'm substitution for
! the rough work done with nitro-gly-
cerine and dynamite. makes him far
more dangerous individual whose ac-
tivities must be curtailed- by means
/ involving such seemingly impossible
things as preventing his purchasing
equipment. through the keeping OF a
record OF the sale of all apparatus
similar TO that found i'm the outfit
taken from the Pennsgrove gang.
MeltS Like Butter.
When the gang was run down after
midnight battle with the POstofiice
Inspectors and police. who surprised
them while at work, their equipment
was found TO consist Of an elaborate
portable plant for generating the
oxyacetylene flame. This is the one
agency against which armor plate,
which no diamond-pointed drill will
so much as dent is unprotected. Sub
jeoted to its terrific heat it melts like
butter cut with hot knife. and with
in an incredibly short time. Further
more. in the hands OF practical men
it can be directed to do its work in
any direction and within any pre-
scribed limits, Thus, it is possible tC
, attack a vault door and melt out q
! piece just large enough for the pur
post intended I'm the case Of The
, ordinary safe this would mean the
b cutting off of the hinges or cuttini
J out the space around the combination
J plate.
With the hinges destroyed, a jimmy
would often do the rest, while witt
the combination plate and knob re
} moved the tumblers securing the door
could easily be thrown by hand. ST
, rapidly can such work be accomplish
/ cd by this method that the thickness
: Of The protecting plates and the mas
siveness of the hinges makes littl,
{ difference in the time required. Tn,
, ordinary Office safe could be forced
in from Is to 20 minutes, the vaul
door Of the average country bank il
e an hour, while in the case Of the NOR,
lpretentious vaults, with a suficien