South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-15
A Poker Chip and a Parrot
By Robert Carlton Brown

IF there's anything wrong DIX an
inside job. that's sure" commented
the police sergeant left in charge
with three Of his men. while the
burglar insurance Inspector who
had received the alarm from the
Manhattan National rushed of 10
summon "A superior officer who held
xeys 10 the front door Of the bank.
Ten minutes later the burglary
insurance manager arrived. blown.
IN a taxi The door was unlocked
and the men filed In. Lights were
tnrned on. but no skulklug figure
showed itself There was no sudden
explosion Of "a revolver. not "a sound,
not another person IN the big bank
Ing room besides the group that had
just entered unless the limp bag OF
bones by the safe door could De
counted
The inspector approached the
body and turned it over with his toe.
revealing the terror-hXed face of
Summers bank Waterman.
The officers and inspectors hud-
hled together about the safe. star
inE stupidity from the body 10 the op-
en- masonry door The sergeant
stopped 10 look through the heavy
stone doorway opening into the
vault which contained the safe
proper.
What's that" ne cried, as he
caught "a quick motion and a CLINT
of light iu the dim interior His
gun flashed as ne lcveled 30 and ne
was about 90 fire when the burglary
Insurance manager knocked up the
iron. crying. That's the safe itself
It's one Of the new whirling safes
The light thar startled you was re-
hected by the spinning wheel the
safe itself 10 whirls like top after
IL is wound up and set 10 stop AT a
certain hour ia the morning It's
absolutely burgIarprOOf Even the
motor that runs IL and the time-hck
regulator are inside IT, We cam all
be mighty thankful the safe is still
whirIing THAT shows she hasn't
been opened.
What's the dope queried the
puzzled police officer. look up dis
trustfully. 81 never heard of . spin
n'rE safe
its new invention the n am
ager FASTENED 20 explain. Cx1minn-
III, intricate lock ou tho vault dou.
10 see how 10 hdI been cFened. ICES
iust been Installed hero You SEQ,
the safe is completely enclosed i'm
tins vault Of masonry. I'm the I'd
lays a good eOpher matt could melt
arv steel safe door vI.L AN ele-trc
current or forced drought lamp. II
ne could get 80 the doc itself FMS
wEirling safe YOU So has q motor
inside 70 keen 1T WHWIGg so yOlr
gopher man can't keep his electric
drill or blower directoc on any one
spot. Hence it's impossible for him
10 melt or bore his way in"
There's no way of stoppin' e..
then p" queried the police officer.
p0king his finger hu toward the re-
volving mass of metal
Here the manager jerked the
officers arm back by his sleeve.
You've heard of people having their
fingers neatly nipped off by electric
fans2 Well. this safe viii do the
trick. only a thousand times as we'll
You've got 10 be"
Look Here's where they got
him." came an interrupting cry from
"a burglary insurance cali man who
had been examining the body Of
Summers.
And here's" a police officer
who had been scanning the floor
urched heavily forward. blood rush
ing 10 his apoplectc face as he
stopped 20 pick up small object
from beside the safe. The thing
was notified red and green. badly
quarters OF an inch square at the
top and two inches long, AT the bot
tom chung clotted blood
"A nnger. huh grunted the
burglary insurance manager jump
ing 20 his feet and thrusting his Gag
err face over the policeman's should
CT.
Yes It's a thumb"
Look" cried the call man. on
his knees beside the night watch
mans body. Summer thumbs
gone
Bit OF. probly," said the inspect
or STOPPING 10 examine the hand
the call man held up. "Plucky suy,
that summers, Probly put up a
stin night fore the petermen got
him" He pushed the corpse Of the
Waterman musingly with his broad
toe. As he did so a bunch OF keys
came 10 light The manager pounced
on them.
What's Summers doing with keys
70 the vault that contain this safe 81"
ne cried.
The inspectors jaw dropped and
he looked dazed. the tall man let
the thumbless hand fall back 20 the
door in his establishment
Il said from the first il was an
inside job. remarked the police ser
geant with intense satisfaction
That's how ne lost his thumb. 3"
added the manager. deity hitting the
KEYS in the vault door Got his
hand in the way Of the safe, IL clip
ped the thumb ~ He should have
been more careful considering the
fact that be was clever enough TO
make keys 20 no this door.
But ne couldn't have undertaken
the job cried the call man Here S
a hole In the back OF his head. it's