The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-01-16
GUARDING THE PRESIDENT.
Extraordinary Precautions to Secure the
Safety of the Chief Magistrate.

| If any person should enter the White
House grounds from the south, and
saunter ever so carelessly toward the
rear door of the mansion, he would be
confronted, as if by the merest chance,
by two plainly-dressed and quiet-ap-
pearing men. Should the curious visitor
persist in moving closer to the I'M
| guarded door, the two men would be
more watchful and alert, and should
the visitor stroll into the doorway he
would find himself quietly asked to
leave The scene is one which can be
witnessed daily from certain windows
of the Navy Department which over
look the house. Indeed, the attention
of Post reporter was called, yesterday,
by a Navy Department official to two
men sitting on bench in the grounds
of the mansion. There was nothing in
their general appearance to awaken
special interest. Watch them for
few moments, " said the official
The reporter complied with the re-
quest. All that could be seen in the
grounds were two Notwithstanding
individuals lolling on a bench, seem
ingly caring nothing for their surround
ings, and enjoying in calm peaceful
! ness the winter sun which poured down
rats nIifu rays upon Jfrln cs5s 4 y, =
: leafiess trees. The scene soon changed
! 1t was evident that the men on the
settee had some other object in life
!, than basking in the sun. Several mer
! entered the grounds. They looked
81 around them in what seemed sus
picious manner; but all strangers in {
lgreat city might be arrested on sus
lpicion, their anxious and searching
r eyes being the only evidence agains
g hem. The listless men on the sette'
N assumed watchful attitude. The new
m Omers approached the rear entrance
= d the White House. The men on tn,
le sttee arose. The visitors came neare
aud nearer to the mansion, and as the,
/. Oil so the men whom the reporter hat
m talen for two oilers walked brisk,
e. toward them, and, upon reaching tn
ID reG portico of the house, stood still
" and awaited results. The stranger
je proved to be strangers indeed, thei
r onlT purpose being to catch glimps
of The rear windows of the eXecutiv
er malsion. The gentlemen of the settle
slowly returned to their place of rest
I'd andagain became almost inanimate.
id THAT looks strange to you, does
or notg' said the official, after the mel
S. had retaken their seats. ''Well, tina
h. same farce has been enacted man
. times day for several weeks. w
have all Watched those two men, an
have come to the conclusion that the
are detectives appointed for the pun
pose of experimenting cranks or dyna
u miters who might attempt to effect a
entrance to the White House throug
a its rear and unguarded entrance.
7, understand that one of them is Collins
d the old Waterman about the grounds
|, and the other is ex-Detective Coomes
l. thi1 k the dynamite conspiracies hav
II had some effect upon the mind of tn
d President or his subordinates, and tn
d actioTs 81 these two men are in ODE
!. diencP to orders"
g efta NIB b. LET vi .5a r, n
Department official, called on an officer
of the Government who has some con-
nection, in his official capacity, with
the public grounds in the city, and re-
quested information relative to the
duties of the two men whose strange
conduct he had just witnessed.
80, they are nothing buts ordinary
watchmen,' he replied collins was
all riddled with bullets during the war,
and is not very strong. We thought it
advisable to employ another watch
man to assist in handling drunkards
and other disreputable people who often
wander into the grounds.
But you know" added the official.
after a moments pause, IAN ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.
| We do not know what may happen. We
have been told to trust to the honor of
the American people. We have done
so heretofore, and what has been the
| result? The deaths of Lincoln and
Garfield by the hands of assassins.
The Americans are a good people, but
there are cranks among them, and we
\ must prepare for the cranks. The rear
entrance of the White House has
always been unguarded. One watch
! man has patrolled the entire grounds.
N Under the present circumstances the
Wife OF the President might be the aim
OF many demented creatures, and it is,
therefore, considered wise to throw all
the safeguards around it possible. If
any cranks, drunkards or dynamiters
get into the White House they will
have to run a very severe gauntlet. y
Washington Post