Year: 1879

Ingenuity-What Tools and Time II


Takes to Open Safe.


From the Brooklyn Eagle.l


The performances of the bank bur-
glars strike the community with alarm
ing effect, owing to their extensive
character. The thieves seldom attack
bank without first having possessed
themselves of some knowledge of what
is to be gained by success. The act OF
burglary is an investment from which
large fruition is expected. 1t costs the
burglars less thought as 20 how they
will cover their tracks than as to how
they will 90 through with the job of
getting at the bonds or money in the
vaults. Still, their retreat is frequently
as bold and audacious as their attack.


Allan Pinkerton has had a greater
and more varied experience with bank
thieves in all parts of the country than
any other living detective, and, it may
be added, has been more successful In
outwitting them, recovering their booty
and in bringing them to justice. Hav-
ing made close study of the burglars
and their ways and means, the result of
his observat:o ons can not fail to be in
structive to the general reader, and es-
pecially to all who place constant re-
lance upon the sSSSSrltv SS.r-,'ltv of safes and
their combinations. Mr.. Pinkerton says
one of the most common methods of
opening safes has been by drilling and
blasting with powder, gun-cotton and
occasionally nitro-glycerine. With the
ordinary fire-proof safes the common
drill is sufficient, but with chilled iron
and Franklinite, which can not be touch
II --...l - atool lr;1l diamond hncf and
emery are effectively used by the thieves.


1t has also been the practice to draw
the temper of hardened irons with the
blow-pipe, consisting of spirit and oil
lamp and bellows especially made for
the purpose. This is quickly done, after
which the safe may be drilled with a
common steel drill.


Astute burglars make practice of
acquainting themselves thoroughly with
all the particulars of the construction OF
safes, as well as of their locks, and some
safes have been opened by drilling out
all the riveting of the inner lining, and
of the bolts and lock which fasten the
same to the outer shell of the door, OBJ
tanning the position of these rivets by
exact measurement from the outside.


Some safes are so constructed as to
leave no receptacle for powder or blast
ing material, excepting in certain aper-
lures of the lock, but so well acquaint-
ed with their mechanism do the thieves
become as to be able, by measurement
from the outside, to know exactly where
to place their drills.


The most ordinary safes have been
made to yield to the ordinary jackscrew,
which is applied in two ways, either by
drilling hole in the door, generally
about three-quarters of an inch in di-
ameter, then with screw-tap cutting a
thread for slightly tapering steel
screw, which, by a lever, is made to
tightly fit into the hole. An attach
ment is then made with the screw and
jack, the latter being supported by q
rough frame, and held from the safe
with timbers placed against the jambs,
when the shell of the door is pulled out
by main force, breaking the rivets. The
other method of using the jackscrew is
to force the door inward, breaking it in
to pieces that are easily removed by the
"jimmy." When an abutment for the
jackscrew can not be obtained by plac-
ing timbers against q solid partition or
other object, a brace is obtained by Sc
curing long timber to the floor, and
blocking up the other end so as to be
in a position central to the door OF the
safe; against and between this and the
door the jack is placed.


Many safe doors have also been open
ed by means of wedges, principally used
in forcing off the frame around the PAN
els. Very fine steel wedges are first
used, then larger ones as the aperture
becomes sufficient to receive them.


A great many fire-proof safes through
out the country have been opened sim
ply with the pick and jimmy. With
safes that are manufactured of ordinary
plato iron, all that is necessary is, first
with several well directed blows of a
pick to make an aperture just sufficient
to receive the sharp end of the jimmy
in one corner of the panel, then with
the jimmy the iron is ripped and torn
the whole length of the panel and laid
back, exposing the filling. The latter
is picked out in few moments. The
bent end of the jimmy is then inserted
behind the bolt, and the same pried
back by main force, breaking the wards
in the lock. This operation has fire.
auently been performed in from fifteen
to twenty minutes.


Thieves have adopted a good many
ingenious ways of picking locks, and
some of them have attaint d delicacy
of feeling by which they have been able
to determine, with fine instruments, the
exact distance it was necessary to raise
each tumbler; but of late years many
of the locks have been especially con
structed with the view of foiling any
thing of this kind Tumbler locks, re
auiring large keys, have been opened
by forcing around in them blank stee
key, breaking the wards and forcing
back the bolt.


The combination of the dial lock Cal
be found out by placing under the bacl
of the dials small, peculiarly manu-
factured ratchet,s so that at every reverse
motion of the knob small puncture
made on a plate upon which it moves
or upon disk of paper especially secur
ed to it for the purpose of receiving
these impressions or pupctures.
celebrated burglar, in getting at tn
vaults and safes of noted bank, ha
two of these combination dial locks t
open, and did all his work in one night


1t is a favorite plan of some expel
thieves, in committing heavy bank rot


berries, to ascertain by watching wher
the cashier sleeps, cautiously gettin


access to his room at night, eithe
through an unsecured window or b
turning with nippers the key in his bee
room door, and taking wax impression
of the keys to his Office, vault and saf'
From these impressions exact duplicate
are easily made, and the thief then ope
ates at his leisure, making the attae
when he thinks the proper opportunii


has arrived to secure the greatest amour


of plunder.


A method which has been in practiC
/, for number of years, and very SUI


cessful one in opening vaults, is by s


curing an adjoining room and gettin


through the ceiling, floor or partitio


into the vault. II the vaults are irol


plated, the plating is penetrated in