The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-16
The Risks OF Keeping VaIuableS In
Bank Vaults.


shows that among the loSers arc persons
who had deposited their securities with
the bank for safe keeping. While the
small sectional vaults which banks use
for their own secures may be burglar
proof yet It Is not expected that banks
will build really burglar proof vaults in
which to keep, as q matter Of favor, their
friends boxes, though VIC believe our
neighbors In the Western Bank, ut the
corner OF Fourth and Chestnut streets, in
the improvement and enlargement
making Of that building, have In con.
temptation safe.room with special refer.
ence to the safe keeping Of boxes. At
present the various sale deposit compan.
les afford the best protection to those who
wish place Of absolute security for
their valuables. In this city we have
several, the vaults Of which are
OF immense strength, and ore furnished
with every improvement ingenuity can
devise 10 render them perfectly
sale. The oftlnors Of the companies
are also well known as men Of undOubted
integrity and ability. These great bank
burglarles must tend to impair tho trusts
OF the public In bank safes and in saving
banks, in watchmen and In detectives
More vigilance and energy 1t is seen is
needed to protect us In person and prop.
erty against our dangerous classes "
There seems TO be no absolute protection
thus far in banS vaults and the stock OF
bank watchmen against the skilled bur.
glar. When bank Is once selected for
robbery there is rarely failure. Occa.
sionally we hear Of unsuccessful attempts
and OF robbers fleeing without booty, lcav.
ing their costly tools behind them; but
they are exceptions OF not more than one
in five or ten. Thus fur in the history Of
sale deposit companies, in their speciality
of holding safely the deposits Of their Gus.
toners, they have been, we believe, an
entire success: certainly those in this city
have been. There has been no robbery
nor loss from any cause OF any c0usidera.
BILE amount in any one Of them. This
safety is not alone because the buildings
and vaults Gro strongly made, but they
are numerously guarded There arc too
many persons all the time, day and night,
about the building to be overcome by
either corruption or by force. SO far as
known there has never been an attempt
against any OF the safe deposit companies
in this country, nor Is there likely TO be
while there are so many more valuable
points presented by imperfectly protected
banks, with numerous customers boxes,
received and held as personal favors to
their respective owners. These boxes arc
held without any acknowledgement Of
liability on the part Of the bank in case
OF loss. But, leaving out OF the question
this point Of liability on the part Of the
banks, 1t has always seemed strange to
the casual observer that the banks would
consent to receive boxes, the contents of
which to them were Of unknown value,
without any sort of profit. Why take the
risk Of liability 10 make good their loss for
no consideration? And not only no consi.
deration for the care and risk Of keeping,
but their very possession is an induce.
ment and temptation TO robbery, as be.
ing less securely guarded, the additional
amount Of easily obtained booty Is incen.
tive to greater effort. But for the fact
that the bank recently robbed at Balti.
more was known to hold largely OF pri-
vate depositors' boxes, with their rich con.
tents, possibly there never would have
b0en made any such expensive and labo.
rious attempt to rob 1t as there was. The
amount obtained from the boxes belong.
ing TO individuals Is reported some five
times larger than that obtained oI the
banks funds. Those boxes were the bait
that induced the burglars TO make the at.
tempt upon the halt protected bank. Sim.
ply the obtainment Of the 500, 900 or $7O,.
900 lost by the bank, in the eyes Of close
calculating burglars would not have been
deemed sufficient to cover the cost, labor
and risk of such an undertaking. They
understand tho rule Of chances too well
for that. But, as removing the last ex-
cuse OF tho banks to becOme receptacles
for boxes, the Controller Of the Currency
has officially said the banks have no right
TO receive such boxes, with or without
reward, and the impression Is so general
as to the truth of this decision, and that
the banks are responsible for any loss,
except in special and peculiar cases,
the bank officers generally find it most
prudent to settle claims for the con.
tents Of plundered boxes without 20.
ing into the courts. 1t is hoped
that there may be united action OIL
the part oil our banks in q positive re-
fusal to receive any box or other thing
OF value Of any individual, except 1t
be deposit Of money or acceptance
for collection, received in the ordinary
way Of business. 1t being seen that such
boxes and their valuable contents are q
temptation inviting to burglary, is good
and sufficient reason why bank stock
holders should insist that bank officers
shall avoid the danger by resolute and
general exclusion. While every precau-
ton should be made to head of unwel
come intruders, every place liable to such
visits should have as little booty on hand
as possible. AS to this Baltimore robbery
the bank and its vaults offered the
least possible resistance. The vault
Is described as built of brick, aud lined
with one plate Of wrough iron only ono.
half an inch thick. Here the customers
tin boxes are kept, inside OF what might
be called an old boiler. AS is shown by
the results this iron had over one hun
dred holes drilled through II. Banking
institutions must realize that burglary has
become a business, and that they must
keep up with the times by providing
themselves with modern projection, and
not tempt burglars by keeping their val
uables In "old pots and kettles" Owners
Of boxes will also see the manifest imprO-
priety of forcing them on the care Of
obliging bank officers. Tho risk Is very
great.