Amateur Safe Cracking

May 12, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent

I love how the repairman insulted the attempted safecracking attempt.  It's enough to give a would-be criminal a complex or something.

And it's coincidental that I found this article after watching an episode of the old "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" program that featured an advertising man's publicity scheme to tout a seemingly impenetrable safe by allowing a famous safecracker to try to open it.  He couldn't open the safe either.  But the promised money inside ($50,000) that he would gain for himself if he was successful, disappeared nevertheless.  It seemed he had developed a more lucrative sideline after getting put of prison which entailed employing his daughter to help him pick some pockets.  The ad man was left with egg on his face when he discovered later that the envelope inside contained just blank paper. 

I doubt that the Menasha High safe ever had had that much cash in it, but it made for an interesting moment in the city's history and an even more topical photograph.