Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-12-14
Two Lessons from the Great Burg.
lArV

A0A y
Two lessons are forcibly taught by
the unexampled burglary in this city
on Sunday morning. One is addressed
to bank officers. The other is address.
ed to persons who deposit boxes of val
uables in banks for safe keeping.
This robbery of securities worth
nearly three millions of dollars from
the Manhattan Savings Institution in
daylight, on the principal street of the
chief city of America. teaches, or
ought to teach, bank officers not to in
trust the combination of their safe locks
to any one residing within or near the
bank building.
Let us assume that the janitor's state
ment is perfectly true, and that he re-
vealed the combination to the burglars
under their threat to take his life if he
refused. 1t does not positively appear
whether he simply gave. them the fig
ures or the combination, or was COM
PEELED to open the safe himself. In
most cases, however, an oral descrip-
ton of the combination would not suf-
fico. The burglars would force the
custodian to apply it for them. But
the difficulty of doing this must always
be vastly increased where the only per
sons possessing a knowledge of the
combination reside at distance from
the bank building. There would be so
much risk Of detection in conveying a
bank officer under dress even few
blocks in this city, that we doubt
whether the boldest burglars would
ever undertake such scheme.
OF course, it is entirely possible that
cashier, living up town, could be sur
prised at night by masked burglars and
compelled to tell them how to open the
safe of his bank down town. Ordinary
men cannot be expected to maintain Sc
orecy when their own lives are balanc-
ed against the property of others.
Heroes are not met with every day like
the New England cashier who died
rather than disclose to the robbers the
secret of his safe. But in the case we
have supposed possible, the opportuni-
ties of battling the criminals are almost
infinitely greater than where the custo-
dian of the combination is close by the
treasure. The element of time is al
ways important in such crimes. The
person assaulted can give the figures
Incorrectly without immediate detec-
ton; and unless the burglars expose
themselves to the excessive dangers of
taking him long with them, q great
deal of time will necessarily be lost in
going and returning. This delay, in
nino instances out Of ten, would prob
ably defeat the projected crime; and o
knowledge of this probability could
hardly fail to deter burglars from such
an undertaking.
Where, however, the combination is
known to person who sleeps under the
same roof that covers the safe, the rob.
berry becomes simple matter of quiet
terrorism. If the guardian is weak, he
yields as readily rs did the janitOr Of
the Manhattan Institution. Stronger
men sometimes resist for while, and
then give way. 1t is only one man in
ten thousand who will die rather than
betray such q trust.
The second lesson which this great
BURGLARY suggests is that it 10 unwise
to deposit valuables with an institu.
ton under circumstances which do not
make 1t respcnsible for their safe keep
ing. We know it 10 quite customary in
.nis city for people to leave boxes Of Sc
curities in the custody Of their banks
which assume the care Of the property
without charge; but the reported iocs
OF large amount held in this vay q
the Manhattan Institution we'll illus.
trates the risk such depositors rum in %
doing. A corporation Of persons tai.
ing pacpsrty on deposit without com.
psnaation iccuTs no liability for losing
such property, except in case Of srocs
negligence. whsGhef il was gross reg.
hgence or not ~ give The coobin.,ion
Of the safe 10 . weak old jsnisoe nay b.
. question; but. in any event. prudent
persons will prefer TO deposit their VAL
uables where they can b insured
agail.s1 ices from whatever cause.-N