Security by Obscurity

"peterwn" snipped-for-privacy@paradise.net.nz> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com... I hope I do not upset too many by posting this:

Dear old Pal

Received your letter to-day all right. Glad to hear from you so soon. So you are thinking of doing business and you have also got another room. Sorry you cannot get a job, but I suppose something will turn up before long. I hope the Mrs. is getting on good. Well, Bill, re stick of lollie and the way to use it: it is a thing you can use easy - you ask how much to use, well, Bill, a little will do the job alright, ¼ of a stick is quite sufficient to open the largest safe, about this much jelly. See that you get it in the hole all right: of fact the more you get in the better the result: of course lay it down on its hinges leaving the lock upwards so as when it receives the shock the bolts will drop and when you have stuffed the jelly in the hole get about an inch and a half of fuse cut it on the slant, the end that you put in the detonator like so [Here was an explanatory drawing]. Then square the top of the detonator on the fuse No. 2. No. 1 fuse if the detonator will not go in the hole put some jelly on the outside of the hole - stick detonator on it - hold together with clay, putty, soap or some sticky stuff. When this is done cover tank over with sacks, horse-covers, or any other rubbish you can collect about the place so as to deaden the sound. Then you are ready to light the fuse - it will only take the 1½ of fuse about 4 seconds to explode detonator. Then try the lock. If not successful repeat the dose again. Well, Bill, if you do the job, I hope you are successful: good luck to you and before you do it, can you depend on your accomplice - make sure he is staunch. Well, Bill, I hope you will excuse the pencil & bad writing and be sure to destroy this note at an early stage. Well, I think have said all at present hoping to hear from you again whenever you are successful or otherwise believe me your old pal. - C. B.

Detonator push fuse in square detonator around fuse bite with teeth will do but be sure and not squeeze bottom of cap. - Good luck, Billie. </Quote>

Billie decamped before blowing the safe running into the hands of the police. C.B. was convicted of being an accessory before the fact. He unsuccessfully appealed on the grounds that the prosecution had to show that he was aware of the specific job that Billie was going to undertake. The above letter was reproduced in the appeal judgement R v Baker (1909) 28 NZLR 536.

You should post this to Riffy's attention. He is under the impression criminals don't use exlosives on safes.

In 1909, you could buy dynamite over the counter at about any hardware store. You could order rifles and pistols by mail order. You could order hypo kits through sears and robuck good story though

goma.

I was 14, long ago and got sent down to the local hardware store to pick up stuff for my brother in law..

went in, the guy knew me, had it sitting on the counter.. 14 sticks, 20 caps, and 2 rolls fuse.. I stuck caps in pocket and went out the door..with a sack in each hand.. and NOBODY said a word in those days..

--Shiva--

In Coober Pedy (a few hundred miles north of the Woomera rocket range), South Australia, you can buy it from the local supermarket as long as you have a blasting license. There are many mom and pop opel miners there who live in 'underground' houses. Mining is forbidden in town limits, so people are for ever digging out to 'extend' their houses. Tourists can buy a copy of the poster forbidding cinema patrons taking explosives inside while watching movies.

You could buy dynamite over the counter with a drivers license in many states until shortly after 9/11.

Carrying caps in your pocket and/or at the same time or in the same vehicle with secondary explosives is why additional laws now exist to protect fools from themselves. Thanks for F'ing it up for the rest of us.

that law came a LOT later..cant buy that stuff any more now without a LOT of gov intervention...LOL

--Shiva--

Yes you can. You simply apply for a federal permit from BATF. Anyone who can legally buy firearms under federal law can get the permit since the requirements are essentially the same. Even before a federal permit was required federal law and common sense strictly forbid carrying caps and secondary explosives together from point of purchase as you describe and the reason is as obvious as why you don't ever stick blasting caps in your pocket. Had you tripped and fallen hard on them that would have been all for you, especially back when caps used Hg(ONC)2. Worse that many #6 or #8 caps going at once could injure a bystander who's only crime was being in your vicinity.

sure.. you can legally BUY.. IF you can find a SELLER.. that is something that is not used any more as such-consider it 'old technology'...and around in my area, its 'not stocked' now YOU might be able to go down to your local 'supplier' and still purchase, but that doesn't make it such that everyone everywhere can.

--Shiva--

that is

Hardly. Various types of dynamite is still used all over the country everyday. Pretty much anywhere ANFO based explosives aren't suitable or TNT is overkill. ANFO will always have price advantage but sometimes it isn't powerful enough or can't be used because of water etc.

..and around in my area, its 'not stocked'

I have never seen any area where commercial explosives were not available. They are still used all the time. I will bet I can find a supplier within 50 miles of you at most. if there's a quarry around they blast. If there is construction and they run into rock they blast. Binary explosives, like the old kinepak can even be shipped mail order since they are not classified as an explosive until mixed.

LOL, 3 good friends had blasting licenses.. they NEVER used that stuff any more.. there is far better now..

but, that is NOT the subject of this discussion-thats 'new technology' which IS used a LOT around me.. its shipped in here by the semi loads in fact.

--Shiva--

What "stuff"? The only "stuff" in what you quoted is "explosives".

What are you talking about? The subject of this particular topic of discussion as I recall was how the patron saint of fools was looking out for you when you shoved blasting caps in your pocket and trotted off to take your best shot at winning a Darwin.

which IS used a LOT around me..