Pick′lock.
A flexible or a bent wire or small rod, which avoids the wards of a lock and serves to open it. The illustration shows an expensive form of ward-lock used some years since on the strong-room of a bank. The wards are shown, surrounding the central key-pin, and from the appearance of the key, shown at a, it is evident that these wards must have been rather complex. A burglar employed an instrument shaped like that at b, having on one of its faces or sides a layer of wax and yellow soap; this instrument being introduced through the keyhole and turned a little way round, brought the soft composition in contact with the ends of the wards, and these ends thus left their impress on the composition. A false key was then made, as at c, which has a vacuity where there is a cavity in the true key; and by this instrument the lock was opened The flexible instrument d, by passing round the wards, might open such a lock. |
| Ward-lock with key and picks. |
