It was picked by Pettitt and Hall, of Boston, with what is known as the smoke process. =1851. HOBBS PICKS BRAMAH AND CHUBB LOCK.= In 1851 Mr. A. C. Hobbs arrived from America, picked a Chubb lock before a committee, and picked the Bramah lock, winning thereby the 200 guineas that for 50 years no one was able to claim. Mr. Hobbs offered 200 guineas to anyone who would pick his lock. An engineer named Garbutt, known as an expert, took up the challenge, and failed after trying thirty days. =1855.--YALE PICKS HOBBS' LOCK.= As an additional element to this controversy, in 1855, Linnius Yale, Jr., discovered how to pick the then celebrated Day and Newell Parautoptic Bank Lock. It was of American origin, and was known in England as Hobbs Lock, but was the invention of a Mr. Pyle. Yale also discovered that he could pick the best Bank Lock--the Double Treasury, which he himself had designed. And eventually demonstrated that any lock having a key hole could be opened by any expert with the necessary skill and time at his disposal. Accordingly Mr. Yale proceeded to develop the combination or Dial Lock. =1870.--SARGENT PICKS YALE LOCK.= The general use of this lock led to the controversy in the United States in 1870; and the Yale lock was picked by James Sargent, of the firm of Sargent and Greenleaf, a lock inventor, a leading maker of Bank Locks, and the inventor of the Time Lock. 1905.--HOUDINI PICKS SARGENT LOCK. Houdini bearded the lion in his den by escaping from a Police Cell in Rochester, N. Y., which was securely locked with one of the Sargent and Greenleaf Locks, placing himself on record as one of the great lock pickers of the world. Of the thousands of locks he has picked all over the world, the following police certificates places him among the historical lock pickers, in fact, second to none. POLICE HEADQUARTERS, ROCHESTER, N. Y. U. S. OF AMERICA. We, the undersigned, certify that we saw Harry Houdini, the bearer of this note, stripped naked, searched, locked in one of the cells at Police Headquarters, and handcuffed with three pairs of cuffs, also strapped with a strap extending from pair of cuffs and buckled at the back. He removed the cuffs, unlocked the cell, got into an adjoining cell and returned with his clothes on. After unlocking the cell in which he was first placed, he had to unlock the cell in which his clothing was left. This was witnessed by the following persons, at Police Headquarters, this city, December 4th, 1905. J. C. HAYDEN, Chief of Police. Mr. James Sargent personally complimented Houdini on his rare skill. They became friends and spent hours together exchanging lock opening secrets.