A SALE, SAFE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1935, Page 5

A SALE, SAFE

WHEN THE HANDLE JAMMED

JEWELLERS’ SHOP COMEDY

MELBOURNE, January 10

A “safe that was too safe”, provided Melbourne with a topic of talk for a few days, and a highly competent locksmith with an exceedingly difficult job. On Now Year’s Eve a firm of jewellers locked away a quantity of valuable jewellery and gems—the cream of their display—in a big English safe, hitherto distinguished for its massiveness and the precision of its working. The key was turned in the normal way. The handle was raised, and the automatic slides fell into place. On Wednesday, when the staff returned, the handle jammed, and resisted all the artifices of those who had dealt with it for years.

The best of Melbourne's locksmiths was calk'd in. He tried gentle persuasions without result. He tried electric drill and it- broke. He tried another, and that broke too. He worked on the iob for three days, and several mere drills and other L-struments were snapped. A hole several inches square appeared in the door of the safe, hut the door itself was immovable. More instruments were obtained and the locksmith settled down to the epic struggle of ids career. Explosives could not be used because of danger of damaging the jewellery inside. It was not until the fourth day that the safe was opened. There was a .sigh of relief from the owners when at last the door was swung open. The locksmith's difficult task was a tribute to British steel, but rather than risk a recurrence of trouble with a .safe lock that proved too safe, the owners decided to go to the expense of putting in a new Jock of a different design.