Evening star., 1928-03-18
THE VANISHING SAFE
By Carret Smith

empty as the day 1t came from the
factory; $4,000 in securities and
money had vanished
II " X
MEANWHILE a week before this
1V1 startling climax, a we'll dressed
! Suave man, giving the name of Daniel
Mercer, leased small Office In a de-
cadent building In the lower wholesale
district. He wanted 1t for a month
only. he explained to the not too par
ticular renting agent. as he was carry.
ing. OH a temporary mail campaign for
| the sole of Arkansas guSher oil stock
and presented seemingly satisfactory
credentials.
Then he consulted tho superintendent
| as to where he could secure some
secondhand Office furniture, including
o safe.
Taking the addresses thus obtained
he started out, ostensibly on 2 shoppinS
expedition. But he ignored the list
completely. going direct to the office1
of the manufacturers from whom Gild-
ersleg had bought his Inflated strong
box.
To the salesman he gave the name
OF Thomas Gunther Of Philadelphia
After some study Of the stock. he pur-
chased an exact duplicate of Glider
sleg's safe. paving for it In currency.
You may hold 1t till l call for it,
he directed. I'm moving my offlce
from here to Philadelphia end am en-
| gaging a truck to take 1t down. The
truck will call for the safe"
Two days later Daniel Mercer en-
! tered the Office of the superintendent
! Of his building
II struck bargain in secondhand
| safes" he remarked. Advertised and
! found one out In Jersey. It belonged
to man who dropped dead one day.
They cleaned out THE safe and locked
| It, Then II turned cut the dead man
was the only one who knew the combi-
nation. So I bought 1t cheap. as is.
and have got to get an expert to open
1t. Know anybody that's good?"
II the makers are here in New York.
they'd be the people TO go to-" the
superintendent suggested.
Hanged II know" Mercer said.
after moments thought "All safes
look alike to me. and 1t didn't occur to
me TO rote who the maker was. There
must be mon who do safe opening on
any kind CT safe. aren't thcre?"
Again they went to the classified di-
rectorv and found a number of such
experts listed. After several calls.
Mercer struck a man who agreed to be
at his Office promptly at 4 O'Clock the
! following Thursday afternoon Mercer
| then made the necessary ARRANGEMENTS
| for hosting outfit to lift the safe into
! his Office at o'clock on the same
! Thursday afternoon.
This settled. Daniel Mercer repaired
to the Club Turina and the private din
! ing room dedicated TO the Hogan gang.
Mercer had barely removed his wig
and false mustache end resumed the
nersonality of Dircls Hogan when Jack
Freeman arrived. followed by Flash
Doane, Pete Raynor and Whitley Gra-
! ham.
Well" Hogan told them. every
things ell set. Well pull the trick
| Wednesday night. Now let me tell you
| the dope, This can't be any fly.by-
night job. The bulls have got mean
! eye on us. They're watching Glider
sleg's place close. We've got to get
away without any suspicion and have
a days start before the Jobs discov-
| cred, or they'll track u.s. It would take
hours and lot OF noise to smash that
box omen and we couldn't risk that,
/ even II we got 1t out of the building
] o. K. And We don't want the expense
and risk OF taking on a sixth man to
work the combination. Nobody out
side you four has anything on me or
ever will. And we've got to take no