Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-05-08

Oh the desert is bliss. tho the simoons may
II away from the fellow that snores
-ROchestcr Onion.
GUARDING A BILLION DOLLARS.
Tho Money Stored in Wall Street and vi.
cinity-How 1t Is Protected from Burg
lars and Thieves-Dctectives at Balls
and Psrties-Some of tho Old Timers.
81 suppose there are stored in the
banks and safe deposit vaults in Wall
street and vicinity not far from 81 900,
10000" said Mr.. Robert Pinkcrton to
q reporter for the Mail anil E1press as
he sat in a comfortable easy chair in
his Office in Exchange Place. II may
be triie out of the way in my esti-
mate, but not very much. The protec-
ton of all this wealth requires the
services of large number of men in
addition to the usual mechanical and
electric devices employed for that pur-
pose. The bulk of this large sum of
money is stored in the vaults of safe de-
post companies. The vaults are built
of fire-proof and burglar-proof ma
tcrial. and are made as secure as mod
ern invention will allow. They are con-
nected by electric wires with the near
est district telegraph Office. Armed
watchmen pace to and fro in the rooms
upon which the vaults open. These
men are required to give signal over
the wire al stated intervals during
the night, in order to prove to
the proper authorities that they
are faithfully attending to their
business, and that nothing of an evil IA
lure has happened. If the signals are
not given an armed posse of men are
at once sent to the vault in question.
In addition to these watchmcn there are
other watchmen who patrol the street
in front of the building in which the
vaults are placed. Private watchmen
and detectives are also on the lookout
Tor suspicious persons. You would
think the precautions 1 have already
mentioned would be enough to protect
the property, would you not? There is,
however, one more protection. Police
from the several stations down town
pass along the streets at intervals dur
ing the night, and keep careful watch
of the strangers found on their beat.
In the morning. when the vaults are
opened and large amounts of specie,
stocks, bonds, ETC., are taken out, de-
tectives accompany the messengers to
and from the offices to which the prop
erty is to be conveyed. l am of the
opinion that it would be difficult mat
ter for an armed mob to force its way
into any of the great deposit companies
vaults, for few men within. we'll
equipped with rifles and cannon, could
defy an army of dcsperadoes.
NO GOOD BANK ROBBERS.
care there as many professional bank
robbers now as there were formerly?"
inquired the reporter.
Il don't believe there is the making
of regular gang of first-class bank
burglars among all the thieves of this
country" replied Mr.. Pinkerton. Near
ly all the old professionals have either
died or have been arrested and put
away in prison, and the younger men
don't seem to have the ingenuity of
their predecessors. Look at the noted
bank burglars who have been caught
and shut up within fifteen or twenty
gears. There's Jimmy Hope, who was
arrested in California for ro5bing the
Manhattan Bank of this city; Bob Scott
and Jimmy Dunlap, the Northampton
Bank burglars; Roary Sims, Charley
Bartlett and Eddy Mcclure. released
from prison two years ago, after being
in Jail for fifteen years for lifting the
Bowdoinham Bank, in the State OF Maine;
George White, alias Bliss, for partici-
Pating in the robbery of a Concord
On. h. bank; Langdon w. Moore, alias
Charley Adams. who cracked the safe
of private banking-house in Boston;
and finally. but by no means least, Max
Schoenbrun, one of the most successful
burglars who ever lived. After crack
ing the safes of the Lehigh Coal &
Navigation Company and the Ocean
and West Maryland Banks he escaped
from this country and went to Belgium,
where he was arrested and sent to pris-
on for term of fourteen years. Besides
these | might mention Joe Chapman,
Ike Marsh, Charles Bullard and others.
Many of these men were hunted down
by detectives from our offices. The
young burglars are now exercising their
skill upon jewelry safes in different
parts OF the country. They have met
with such success that the jewellers of
the United States have been compelled
to organize themselves into the Jewel
ers' Security Alliance for the purpose of
mutual protection.
DETECTIVES AT PARTIES AND WE'D
DINGS.
''Are detectives employed to protect
ladies' wearing diamonds at parties or
the theater?
Eyes. it is customary for wealthy
ladies 10 employ detectives to guard
them. whenever they appear in public
wearing costly gems. You will find INV
men at nearly every fashionable we'd
ding. reception, party or even funeral
that takes place in this city. They 90
to the weddings dressed as guests, and
mingle with the crowd without attract
ing attention. They watch the expen-
sive gifts presented to the newly-mar.
ned pair, and have care lest well.
dressed thieves succeed in slyly remov-
ing the diamonds from the dresses of
tho dear friends who may Be present.
Detectives must b eharp, quick and
level-headed if they arc to amount to
in criminal work. Our agency
takes no cases involving family matters.
Much of the work done by us involves
the looking up of the habits of clerks
in banks and business houses, and the
Of express companies Who