Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-01-06
LATEST BURCL AIRS
TOOL DISCOVERED
''OId Man" With Four Legs
Fashioned by Prisoner.
QUIETLY RIPS SAFE KNOB.

Marks Found After Robbery In Mich
igan Trust Company at Grand Rapids
Spoke Volumes to Detectives-Weiehs
| Less Than Ten Pounds, but Does Job.
| Sometimes Soup Is Needed.
Grand Rapids, Mich.-A few years
ago mechanician fashioned 4 few
strips of steel at his home forge, and
the grotesque creation of this man,
who is now serving time in the Ohio
penitentiary, was christened "old man."
and by way Of distinction he was spo-
ken of us having four legs.
When top story men worked in the
Michigan Trust building here on a re-
cent Sunday and tore out the combina-
tons of two safes and shot another
with nitroglycerin the "old man. with
the four legs left his imprints on the
safes. Where his feet had been
planted were four deep dents. Those
marks spoke volumes to the detectives.
Only expert safe crackers use the
''old man." The man whose brain gave
birth to this ingenious tool fashioned Il
most powerful and useful implement
for the craft who use explosives and
drill steel safes for Il living when some
commonwealth is not feeding and hous-
ing them in exchange for safe crack
ing job or some other depreciation.
A piece of steel fashioned into the
SemDlance of a narrow horseshoe is
the framework of the ''old man." There
is just enough room between these
strips to enable the ''old man to drop
over the knob of safe -Four holes
drilled in the "old mans frame fur
nish the foothold for the four legs.
The holes are threaded with a fine
thread, as are the legs.
Once the "old man fastens his grip
upon the safe knob the legs are screw
ed into the holes. The close threads
on bolts and hole give the "Old man"
tremendous purchase power, and with
a monkey wrench the legs are screwed
down.
In moment they are fast and the
''Old mans" back is bent to the task.
SO short and pOwerfrl is his frame
and so closely set are his legs that
there is no chance for him to bend at
his work. The combination commences
to give, and as the jaws of the wrench
twist the legs in deeper the knob is
slowly torn out Entrance to the safe
then is easy. and the inner compart-
ments. once barred are easily batter
ed in.
The "old mans right hand aid is a
self fed drill, which can be fastened
into the "Old mans frame as easily
as one Of the legs. An extra hole is
drilled into the frame. and into this
fits the threaded bolt that holds the
drill steady and in place. But the
drill is used only where the charge Of
''soup," or nitroglycerin, is resorted to
in blowing the safe.
In this case the yeggs faSten the
"old man" securely on the safe knob.
The drill is placed, and the yegg then
feeds the steel drill as he turns the
handle The bolt which holds the drill
to it's work and which is fastened into
the cold mans" frame is one piece,
while the drill is set inside of Il thread
ed bolt that pushes it forward with
the regularity the yegg uses in drilling.
After the hole is deep enough the
soup is administered, and the hole
is covered with wax and Il fuse attach
ed. Office rugs are thrown over the
safe, and the yeggs step to one side as
the fuse is fired. The real yegg uses
just enough soup to accomplish the
work of wrecking the safe without
blowing the doors through wall or
making unnecessary noise.
The last job done in which the "old
man and Il charge Of soup were
used was sufficient just to pull the door
from it's steel fastenings and hurl the
combination out. Pushing back the
bolts was nothing, and with q kit OF
special tools the yeggs soon entered the
strong box.
The latest jobs credited to the "old
man" with the four legs are those at
Flint, in which much loot was taken
from a bank; the VermOntville post
office and the United Light and Rail-
ways company's offices here, in which
the "Old man. was clamped on three
safes
, One Of the most complete yegg out
fits in captivity is in possession Of
Director Of Safety A. A. Carroll, who
has the ''old man" with the four legs.
Included i'm this outfit are drills Of
various sizes. threading tools, skeleton
key, "soup'' guns, wax, chisels and
sundry articles. The outfit was taken
from a pair Of yeggs who were cap
tured by Director Carroll, but who fled
after they jumped their bail bonds.
SO complete was the tool nodded by
the inventor OF the "old man" that the
police assert no added inventions have
come to make such an instrument more
useful.