Amador Ledger-Dispatch, 11 September 1908 — GUARDING OUR MONEY [ARTICLE]

GUARDING OUR MONEY

How tho Treasury Vaults at Washington Are Protected.

WATCHERS DAY AND NIGHT.

Always on Duty and Always Prepared to Shoot to Kill — Never Has a Dollar Been Taken From Them by

Foree — Ono Daring Scheme.

Not a dollar has ever boon taken from the United States treasury by force.

Perljnpa tlm nearest approach to looting the vnulls of tho treasury was tho time Martin Hrondfoot had his plans about perfected. This wus bnck In tho eighties, nnd the plan wns to get Into tho building by moans of tho grout Hewer which runs under und near tho treasury and ig known as the Fifteenth street sower mid which grows larger us It enters the I'otomoc about turecquartors of a mllo from tho White House.

Isroad foot's plan, as developed after his nrrcst, was to get Into the building, crack the safes and place tho inonoy In Inrgo rubber bags and float them down the sower to the Potomac, whore his pals would bo In waiting. These bass were found in his room when he wns arrested, and secret service men hnd often seen him wulklng along tbe shores of tho Potomac near where tho big sewer empties. This sower Is about nine feet in diameter whore it passes the treasury. A man could easily make his way up* the sower through a stream of water which under normal conditions Is only about twelve inches deep. By entering the tunnel or sower ut the river the journey to the treasury could be made by keeping a sharp lookout. When the man or rueji in the 1 sower reached the Fifteenth street sewer nothing would separate them from the gold coin and bullion except about eighteen feet of earth and not too secure stone wall. It was Brondfoot's scheme- to dig his way through this obstruction and to let the eartb float or wash down the sewer. It would not have taken one man more than two weeks, working only at night, to have made an opening large enough for a man to crawl through. Of course Broadfoot knew the exact location of the vaults, and when he once reached them he would have had no> trouble in getting the gold coin and bnHlon. It was evidently Ms purpose to- fill the rubber bags with the precious stuff and float them dewn the sewer to the river, where- 'they would be looked after by his confederates. This was the only really well laid plot ever made to loot the- treasury, and Just why Broadfoot iras never given a trial has never been knofrn' to the public. He was an Intelligent man. and suspicion was first aroused against him by his frequent visits to the money rooms and vaults and by the questions he asked watchmen and messengers as to the hours of duty, when the time locks closed and what time they opened, and all such questions. That he could have successfully carried out his plans so far a» getting into the building and the vaults are concerned there is no question, for men have been In the sewer and conduits who say that it would have been easy work. The most difficult part of the job would have been in getting away with tbe money and bullion, for if would have required hard work to secure it and get away. About the only chance would have been to bury it somewhere in Virginia, for if it had been placed on boats it would have been easy to recover it.

It Is the opinion of the secret service men that many celebrated cracksmen have from time to time contemplated the conversion of a few million treasury notes to their own use, but after careful study t»iey have decided that the undertaking was too colossal In character. Secretary Folger when ho assumed his duties was not slow in deciding that the treasury was not properly and safely guarded. There was not an electric alarm In tho building, the watchmen were isolated and had no facilities for calling help, and the safes were of tho old time lock and key sort,' scattered almost all over the big building. The secretary went to work to bring übout a proper condition of affairs. He had the watch system completely changed and reorganized, putting them under the strictest discipline. Elaborate and extensive alarm systems were installed. The old safes were replaced by modern steel affairs with time locks and intricate combinations. The gold and silver vaults were fitted with steel casings and time locks, different parts of tho combinations being distributed among various officials, so that tho vaults could be opened only with the concerted action of all of thorn, nnd then only at tho stroke of the hour for which the time locks had been set. But without a perfect system of watchmen to guard tho safes tho treasury could be easily robbed, for the most perfect safe ever made Is not proof against tho professionals.

The watch force of the treasury Is perfectly organized, nnd tho least Infraction of rules means a layoff or discharge. The men seem to realize the heavy responsibilities resting upon them, and they aro careful almost to a fault. Tho wutch Is divided Into three reliefs, the tour of duty lasting for eight hours. However, tho watch does not anticipate an uttack by robbers, hut they are prepared for any emergency, aud they will not be caught napping should one ever lto made either »it night or by day. Each watchman Is a regular walking arsenal, aud tbe InHtruetlons aro to ohoot, and shoot to klll.-Los Angeles Times.