Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1885 — A Safe-Blower’s Kit of Tools. [ARTICLE]

A Safe-Blower’s Kit of Tools.

“How’d you like to go into the safeblowing business for awhile,” said the Police Lieutenant, “just to make it lively for the boys?” “First rate," answered the reporter as he thought of the possibilities of escape. “Enumerate the tools necessary, and the rest will be an after consideration." “The best way is to show you a list of tools caught with a good gang of thieves* a few years ago. They had several grip sacks, and we found a complete set of tools for safe-blowing and burglaries. There were self-cook-ing revolvers of 32-caliber and a quantity of cartriges to match. The tools were formidable implements of the craft, such as the pusher, for opening combination locks, extremely rare and expensive; the jimmies, in three sections and five feet long; a bellows worked by the feet; a lot of half-inch hose and tin tubes for powder to be forced through in blowing open safes; very fine powder in flasks, and a lot of nitro-glycerjne and atlas powder, in cartridges, so arranged as to be exploded by electricity if desired. Then there were coils of water-proof fuse, a fur muff to deaden the sound, and a gossamer to hide the rays of the light; pocket dark-lanterns, a thin spatula to open window fastenings, an adjustable wrench, a bit stock, dozens of drills of silver steel wedges ranging from three-fourths of an inch to four inches in lengths. For coercion and defense you will need two new-pattern revolvers and a pair of improved handcuffs, a map of the United States anil Cook County; a machine for cutting out door locks, and a bottle of whisky. Get those and you will have as fine a kit as the best of ’em carries, and I’ll guarantee to give you a year in the Bridewell if I only succeed in finding the tools iu your possession.” The reporter weakened, and it is likely the new enterprise will fizzle out. — Chicago News.