Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1915 — Convict Does Jimmy Valentine Act for Missouri [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Convict Does Jimmy Valentine Act for Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, MO.—"Jimmy” Ryan, who formerly registered from 8t Louis, hut who is now one.of the "guests” of Warden D. C. McClung in the state penitentiary, convinced the state officials the other afternoon that he had

not forgotten how to open safes. "Jimmy” proved to be another “Jimmy” Valentine of the stage, who nightly rescued a child from a safe, and he opened the Missouri safe in the same way, by feel of his nerve-exposed fingers. The safes in the house and senate had not been opened since the close of the legislature in 1913. No one knew the combinatioF Speaker Boyd and Senator Buford were in a- quandary as to what to do.

as ad of the safe openers here are in the penitentiary. The newspaper correspondents suggested that an expert on opening vaults could he “engaged" from the Missouri has tile. Warden McClung was requested to send the best safe-blower In his custody. A caucus was held in the “pen” and by an almost unanimous vote "Jimmv** Rvmi wag flfilflctftd to do the Job* “Jimmy” was motored to the temporary capital budding and was asked If he could open the vaults. "In a minute, If there is any dough in It,” he said. “Just open It," was th*. order, and “Jimmy" did it without a “Jimmy.”JH m'Mvmm «MPUB«L the cutteie, that sensitive The exposed finger tips, placed agaimrt tHe rim of the safe door knob, caught the fall of the tumblers and the door was easily swung open. “ * ‘