452 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



produce an instrument that will pick this lock, shall receive 200 guineas 

 reward the instant that it is produced " 



I remarked, "I certainly did not observe the terms of your challenge; I 

 supposed that it meant something, but I see that it does not. The public 

 suppose that you offer to give 200 guineas to any one who will pick that 

 lock. Now, you will either have to say that, or I will make you take down 

 that sign." 



It so happened that on the following day the London Times had an article 

 describing a case of jewels belonging to Hope, the banker, and in the 

 course of the article it was stated that the case was secured with one of 

 Chubb's locks; the remark being added, "If we understand the matter 

 rightly, an American gentleman throws down the gauntlet and offers to 

 pick both Chubb's and Bramah's." Tliis questioning the security of the 

 locks was too much for both, and Chubb and Bramah each published- a let- 

 ter in reply; Bramah's letter closing thus: " If the American gentleman or 

 any other person will pick our lock he shall receive' the 200 guineas 

 reward." 



With a paper in my hand containing this statement, I called at Bramah's 

 establishment and demanded an opportunity to test their lock, and, to avoid 

 all disputes, suggested the appointment of arbitrators, to make arrange- 

 ments and decide upon the fairness of the test. This proposition was 

 acceded to by them, and Messrs. John Rennie, Dr. Black and Prof Cowper 

 were appointed. The lock offered for testing was a large padlock with 

 eighteen slides, the keyhole being five-eighths of an inch in diameter, and 

 the drill pin one-fourth of an inch. Thus the space around the drill pin 

 was only three-sixteenths of an inch in width, and was divided into 

 eighteen sections, allowing very delicate instruments only to be introduced. 

 In their ordinary locks, the spring to press the sides up is of a strength of 

 from one to three pounds, but in that lock it was of a strength of fourteen 

 pounds, and* the great difficulty was in getting instruments small enough 

 to enter the space, and, at the same time, sufficiently strong to overcome 

 the pressure of this spring. It took me fifty-six hours to prepare the 

 instruments and open the lock, after which I locked and unlocked it three 

 times in one hour, in presence of the arbitrators. After the lock was 

 opened, the owners fell back on their original challenge, saying that the 

 offer was for any instrument that would open it, and I had used instru- 

 ments. But the arbitrators decided that I had complied with the terms 

 made with me, and that the money must be paid. It was accordingly paid, 

 and I, perhaps foolishly, took the gold down to the Crystal Palace and put 

 it into my case. In all the articles that were published on the subject, 

 there was only one that scratched me. The Chronicle remarked that Mr. 

 Hobbs had opened the Bramah lock and received the 200 guineas, and, with 

 a true Barnum touch, had exhibited the gold. 



In England, as well as in this country, all sorts of people — lawyers, doc- 

 tors and merchants — are constantly inventing unpickable locks. When I 

 was there I received one day a letter from Mr. William Brown, of the firm 

 of Brown Brothers & Co., requesting me to call upon him. I went quite 

 elated, thinking that I w^as going to sell the firm a lock. After talking- 

 awhile, Mr. Brown told me that he had invented a lock, which he proceeded 



