Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1881 — Skilful Lock-Picking. [ARTICLE]

Skilful Lock-Picking.

In the window of Messrs. Bramah’s shop in Piccadilly, London, had been hanging for nearly half a century a padlock of their ordinary make, to which was appended a painted board, offering a reward of two hundred guineas to any one who would succeed in making an instrument that would pick or open it. The exact size of this memorable lock was as follows: Width, four inches; thickness, one and a quarter inch; over the boss, two and three-quarter inches. The cylinder was two and a quarter inches in length by one and a half inch in diameter. Negotiations were opened in proper form, and an agreement was drawn up, binding both parties to the following conditions: The lock was to be enclosed between two pieces of wood, and secured to a wall in such a position that only the keyhole and the hasp were accessible. The true key was to be' sealed up, and not used until Mr. Hobbs had either picked the lock or abandoned his enterprise. An iron band, sealed by himself, was to cover the keyhole when he was not at work. Thirty days were allotted him for the performance of his task, and three gentlemen of eminence in the scientific world—viz., Mr. George Rennie, Professor Cowper, and Dr. Black—were appointed to act as arbitrators between the parties. All these preliminaries being adjusted, the lock was removed from the window to an upper room of the establishment, and Mr. Hobbs commenced his operations on July 24th. Some little misunderstanding as to the terms of the agreement, which rendered necessary an appeal to the arbitrators, caused a suspension of the work for some days; but on August 23d Mr. Hobbs showed the lock with the hasp raised, and shot the bolt backwards and forwards in the presence of Dr. Black and Professor Cowper. The true key, being afterwards applied, was found to work as usual, which proved that the works had not been injured and the lock had been truly picked. The time actually occupied was spread over sixteen days, and Mr. Hobbs was in the room with the lock exactly fifty-one hours.