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About Athens banner-herald. (Athens, Ga.) 1933-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1965)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1965 Master Locksmith Athenian Bill Downs Cracks Safes - Legally - By PENCE MIDDLETON Banner-Herald Writer Bill Downs is a safecracker, but the police never give him any trouble. He isn't a master criminal, though. He's a master locksmith, and his safecrack- ing is perfectly legal. Downs, who moved here from Atlanta to open Downs Lock and Safe Co. in Alps Shopping Center, naturally runs into some bizarre and amusing situations in the unu- sual line of work. Perhaps the funniest job Downs handled was installing a lock on a refrigerator door for a 400-pound woman who just couldn't resist food. Downs said he gave the keys to the woman's husband. Downs says his job never seems routine. He is confront- ed with a different problem almost every day. He changed an apartment lock five times in one day for a couple who were separated. The husband asked that the lock be changed to keep his wife out of the apartment. Then later in the day the wife called and asked that the lock be changed to keep her hus- band out. This went on all day, Downs JAMES (Dick) ROBERTS Promises "THE FIRST WARD WILL HAVE ITS SHARE OF PAVED SIDE WALKS AND STREETS OR THERE WILL BE NO PAVED SIDE WALKS OR STREETS IN THE CITY OF ATHENS." Vote For James Roberts OCTOBER 13 PAID POLITICAL ADV. STRONGEST SUPPORTER OF THE AMERICAN HOME Across The Nation almost 64% of its homes are owner-oc- cupied. Savings associations, such as ours, provided 44% of the money used by home buyers in 1964. Currently ten mililon Americans are buying their homes with funds borrowed from a savings association. Home ownership is one of the safe- guards of American freedom. Home financing is our business. See us when you plan to buy or build. SAVE BY THE Not the 10th... the 10th is Sunday A Non Business Day, You Have A Day's Grace to Put Savings to work. So Remember- Save By The 11th 11th. Athens Federal Savings and Loan Association LI 6-0158 And Lumnk in Hancock THE ATHENS BANNER-HERALD, ATHENS, GEORGIA Couple Escapes Disaster Oglethore Sheriff W. T. How ard said a vehicle driven by Clyde Burroughs of Crawford went dead as it approached the rossing, with the front end of the car protruding over the track. A married couple fled from their stalled car on a railroad track in Arnoldsville Friday night seconds before a train crashed into the vehicle, hurling it high into the air. Re-Elect HENRY J. MORTON Councilman FIRST WARD Democratic Primary Oct. 13, 1965 Your Vote and Influence Will Be Appreciated (Paid Political Adv.) защ, ние не плау one of his workers at the apartment to await further developments. Five years ago in Atlanta, one of Downs' employes was cracking a door lock for a customer when an old lady walked out of the next apart- ment. Taking the locksmith as a burglar, she held a shotgun on him until police arrived. In another episode late one night, two elderly, unmarried women in Atlanta went to the movies. When one of the la- dies returned, she realized she didn't have her key. She called Downs. Downs said he opened the door four times, but each time it closed by itself. He thought it was the wind until the other woman came out of the room saying she thought it was a burglar. One of Downs' workmen took a 10-mile ride on a train while he was working on a di- ner-car door in Atlanta. When he realized the train was moving, it was too late to get off. Downs is often summoned to help police investigate a safe-cracking. He determines whether the job was done by an amateur or a professional. A few years ago in Atlanta, an apartment house adver- tised that they would pay $10,- 000 to anyone who could crack their safe. The safe, sup- posedly burglar-proof, had the highest rating in the world. The safe company guaranteed it could not be drilled. Downs worked on the safe all day and all night before he finally cracked it. He said he didn't get his money because the company went out of busi- ness a few weeks later. In the Athens area, there is plenty of business for Downs. He said college students boost his business when they lock themselves out of their apart ments or lose keys to locked cars. Downs opened a cemetery vault in Athens this summer which had not been entere since the Civil War. For Continued Progress In City Government RE-ELECT DWAIN P. CHAMBERS COUNCILMAN FOURTH WARD Democratic Primary Wednesday, Oct. 13th (PAID POL. ADV.) છે. વિલો જ ઘડી કામ લ Banner-Herald Photo by REM Downs In His Role As Safecracker lock on a refrigerator for a 400-pound woman who couldn't resist food. Downs, whose shop is in Alps Shopping Center, has received na- tional recognition for his locksmith's "tricks of the trade." Bill Downs of Athens, shown above in his role as a safecracker, is a master locksmith who has opened many stubborn strongboxes in his time. He has done everything from helping police investigate safe burglaries to putting a Kiwanis Club Honors Newspapers a Georgia historian. He will The slogan for this year's ob- speak on "Georgia Newspapers servance is: "Newspapers and Newspapermen." Make a Big Difference in Peo- The purpose of National ple's Lives." Newspaper Week as defined by Edward C. Keefe, president of its sponsors, the Newspaper As- Kiwanis International, praised sociation Managers, Inc., is to the newspapers for their con- emphasize the partnership ex- stant efforts in securing an in- isting between newspapers and formed citizenry, and called their readers, and to stress the upon the 276,000 members of the unique role of the press in service organization to bring to maintaining and protecting the the attention of their communi- freedoms enjoyed in this coun- ties the important role being try today. played by newspapers. FOURTH WARD Democratic Primary Wednesday, Oct. 13th (PAID POL. ADV.) SCOOP! 103 Piece Hostess Set- Complete service for 8- 90 LOCK ON HANDLE FITS ALL SKILLETS AND SAUCE PANS You Get Them ALL at Sterchi's! $38% Corning Ware set purchased sepa totely-$14.95 COMPLETE 8 Pc. Set CORNING WARE 45 Pc. Set MELMAC dinnerware 50 Pc. Set INTERNATIONAL CORNING WARE SET INCLUDES 14 quart sauce pon end cover, Crodle for sauce pan. 1 quart souce pan ond cover. 1 quart sauce pon and cover. LOCK-on Handle. STAINLESS FLATWARE CHOICE OF TWO LOVELY PATTERNS DINNER PLATES SALAD 8 PLATES CREAMER COVERED SUGAR AAB AAA CUPS & SAUCERS PLATTERS OPEN AN ACCOUNT TODAY PAY $1. WEEKLY! SOUP BOWLS VEG HOW HERE'S WHAT YOU GET: 45 Piece Sat 80 Piece Set MELMAC FLATWARE Break-resistant, By International dishwasher Silver Company proofi 8 decora- made in America tod dinner plates 8 dinner knives. ... 8 cups...8 ...8 dinner forks saucers...8 salad 8 salad forks plates...8 soup ... 16 teaspoons bowls...Vega-3 soup spoons table dish... ...2 serving Platter... Cov- spoons 8 Piece Set CORNING WARE Includes 1% qt. saucepan, Cover and Cradle, 1% qt. saucepan and Cover, 1 qt. saucepan and Cover. Lock-on handle fits all FORKS 8 TABLESPOONS 8 SALAD FORKS ered sugar bowl ...Creamer, 16 TEASPOONS Sterchi's JEWELRY DEPARTMENT IT COSTS LESS AT- 8 KNIVES 000000000000000 "ULTRA PATTERN ROSE" wwwww Gleaming stainless steel-complete service for 8. Won stain or tarnish-never needs polishing International SILVER 2130 WEST BROAD STREET Co The Kiwanis Club of Athens will join in paying tribute to the nation's newspapers during Na- tional Newspaper Week, Octo- ber 10-16, club president Grady Oaks, said today. The club will honor represent- Iatives of the local press at its Tuesday meeting at 1 p.m. in the Georgian Hotel. The speaker for the program will be John Bonner, Director of Special Collections at the Uni- versity of Georgia Library, and
