The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-10

Precautions Taken by the Safe-Deposit Conn
panies-Preparations Against Mobs.
lada NH ia


Philadelphia Times.
cumulation in the vaults of the safe-deposit COM
panies of great piles of family silverplate, jew
ery and valuable property and papers winch the
householder about to depart on his vacation
of the police
Eve have now in our vaults said Safe Super
lntendent Clark, Of the Fidelity Insurance,
Trust and Safe-depost Company, yesterday,
some four thousand packages the value or
which could not begin to calculate. for don't
know what they are really worth. People VINO
leave their property in our charge rarely assess
them at their full value so thoroughly do they
feel convinced of their absolute safety Lately
we have added new precaution in the shape OF
shock for the possible sneak-theief."
do you have visits from sneak-thievesp
I'VE have had some For instance, you are
coming to visit your property. AS you enter the
gate to the vaults you pass the gate-keeper, who
recognizes you by the password. With you en-
tiers weil-dressed man who has just accosted
you with some simple remark about the weather,
to which you have replied in the same simple
manner, and the gate-keeper, thinking him
friend or yours, allows him TO 60 by with you
While you are examining, say some coupon
bonds, your supposed friend brushes document
on to the floor, apparently accidentally: lnyour
excess OF politeness you pick it up without look
ing at it and ask him if it is his He replies that
it is thanks you, walks off as If on other busi-
ness, and might escape from the building before
you could give the alarm. But the gate is closed
and can only be opened on the outside, and only
OF receipt of the pass word This gate is also
one OF our projections against mobs."
''Mobs?"
Eyes, indeed. An organized mob could break
into the building as far as that point. But when
that door is closed | can direct a current Of
electricity through its steel bars sufficient to kill
a man instantly BY the time il broken
down our safe doors would be closed and bolted
and then we wouldn't care for any mob. What
do people deposit with usl Oh we'll, it would be
difficult to say. We don't ask what are the con-
tents Of their trunks. We do not take furniture
l wish we did. l would like to make arrange
ments so that, when family are going abroad
or out of town, they should give us notice
and we would undertake the packing
and transporting to our vaults or warerooms OF
the complete house contents. Then, when the
family are coming back they should let us know
and we would replace everything as we found 1t.
Of course it would be great undertaking, but
it is only a small increase of duty and RESPONSE
bility after ALL Perhaps it may be interesting
to you to know that the findings on the desks,
tables and floor during nineteen years amount to
nearly S. 600 000 all through the carelessness OF
safe-renters. With the exception of an inconsid
cradle amount of bonds coupons and money, rs
well as diamond necklace and few watches,
the whole of this large amount has been re-
stored to its rightful owners"
1--WE receive for safe keeping" said John j.
Gilroy. secretary of the Guarantee Company,
registered and other bonds, deeds and mortgages,
coin, plate. bullion, jewery. clothing and other
personal effects, assuming all liabilities And
can assure you that our deposits are of the most
varied description We have a most perfect
system of Identification, by which it is almost
impossible for any ore but the right owner to
obtain possession of the property intrusted to
our care We have first of all a guarantee de-
livered to the owner and pass word known only
to the owner or such person or persons as he
may choose to tell it to to. Then we have as
complete a description as possible of the owner
and we require him TO sign his name.
Here is an example in point. A short while
ago lady came here and asked for certain prop
erty. She produced the guarantee and gave the
password. l thought recognized the face, but
still did not feel altogether satisfied in my
mind about it, got our description book and
then put this singular question to her:
"'You are not so old now as you were VIXEN
you deposited this property; can you explain
thisp
"'Oh yes she replied, it was my mother
but she is sick in bed so she gave me the pass
word and asked me to do her business for her.
"Of course that accounted for the strong like
ness which had struck at first. However
l had TO tell her that unless she produced
an order, correctly and fully filled out by her
mother, could not give her admission to the
vault
In both Of these companies buildings watch
men patrol night and day, fully armed, and their
faithful performance of their duties is insured
by detectors and electric time clocks. In a
thousand and one unooked-for and unexpected
places alarms police-calls and apparatus for
severely furnishing those imprudent enough to
lay their hands where they should not be-
are hidden. Fire is conbatted on the prn-
ciple that prevention is better than cure by a
method of heating by steam generated by boilers
under the street and isolated from the main
buildings.