The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-09-02
FARM HOUSES AS BANKS.
The Dangers Involved in Keeping Money
and Other VaIuabIes In Country Homes.

FARM HOUSES AS BANKS.
The Dangers Involved in Keeping Money
and Other VaIuahlss In Country Homes.
The murder of farmer and his wife
near ,Janesville, Wis, recently for the
purpose of obtaining the money boarded
IN their house is only one of several
hundred similar crimes that have been
committed in this country during the
past few years. A month rarely passes
that an account of the robbery of some
farmhouse or the murder of some of its
inmates is not published in this paper.
A prosperous or wealthy farmer who
makes practice of keeping large sums
OF money or other valuables in his house
generally lets the fact be known TO the
public. He is fond of stating that he
has no confidence in banks, repositories,
or other institutions designed for the
safe keeping of money. He advertises
to the world that he is custodian of his
own valuables, and that his house,
ordinarily his bed-chamber, is the place
where he keeps them. BY so doing he
invites robbers and burglars. who rarely
hesitate to take life if it becomes neces-
sary to do so in order to secure booty or
to prevent being captured. A house
breaker ordinarily carries a set of burg
lars tools in one hand and Il revolver
in the other. He has no more hesitancy
about using the latter than the former.
By the common law the house of
every man in city or country is declared
to be his .castle." As a rule, it does
not resemble a castle in the matter of
means of defense. 1t has no massive
walls of stone, no ponderous gates of
iron, no deep moat filled with water, no
bridge that can be drawn at night or in
times of danger. no protected place in
which armed sentinels can stand, no
alarm-bcll for calling assistance. A
farm house generally stands at quite a
distance from other dwellings. II is
not constructed with view of affording
security to life and property against
robbers or assassns. 1t is ordinarily
built of wood, and has numerous doors
and windows that are easily opened
from the outside. 1t rarely ever con-
tains fire and burglar proof vault or
safe 1t is not provided with means for
summoning assistance. No person is
employed to watch it while the members
. of the family are asleep. A dog may
! be kept for the purpose of giving an
alarm in case strangers approach In the
/ night, but the chances are that the
creature barks so often and on such
slight provocation that the inmates Of
! the house, if they are sound sleepers, are
! not aroused by its barking in times OF
| danger.
Such a building is not fit depository
for valuables of any kind. 1t is liable
! to be burned down, and can be easily
entered by anyone who has the courage
and disposition to do so. AS a rule, j
! is senseless to offer resistance. Sup
! posing that there are firearms in the
! house, the chances are that they cal
not be effectually used. Persons whit
are aroused from deep sleep by burglar
are not in a condition to fire rifles anC
revolvers. They will be dazed, Will,
their unwelcome visitors will be activ
and on the lookout. A motion or
noise on the part OF the sleepers will b.
almost sure to bring the burglars t,
their sides, when the pistol, dirk or ga!
will be used. The cases of torturin;
persons in farm-houses with view @
making them disclose where money ant
other valuables are secreted are numer
Gus. In repeated cases robbers afte
plundering a house and tying its in
mates have set it on fire, with the in
tention of destroying all evidence c
their crimes. The instances where tn
inmates of a farmhouse have been abl
to defend themselves against deter
mined burglars, to shoot them, or t
frighten them away are exceedingl
rare.
Every year when the time arrives fo
starting fires in stoves outside the kitcl
en- we hear of large quantities of ban
bills, deposited in stove-pipes and ovens
being destroyed. They were placed i
these receptacles for safe keeping b
some member of the family, VIII
neglected to inform the others. or VIII
at the time of lighting the fire forge
about it. The grain-bin and corn-cri
are sometimes used as repositories {
the money saved by farmers. The
often serve a useful purpose, but occa
sionallv the money is devoured by farr
animals or vermin, or is hauled off
market with the grain. The practice c
burying money in the cellar or garde
or of secreting it in some crevice bt
tween the walls and plastering of tn
house is far more common. In som
cases the money is secreted so well tina
it is never found by the person who hi
it, or by his relatives for whom it wa
saved. Sudden death, mental derang'
ment, or loss of memory may prever
the treasure from being found. /
many old country towns there al
legends about money that was lost
this way. In case a fire occurs in
dwelling, the money secreted in it
, generally consumed.
That farmhouse is very unsui
able place for keeping money, and tn;
, its presence there serves to invite burs
; lars, must be admitted. 1t is by II
means strange that farmers have b'
, come suspicious of crossroads bank
! that have little or no capital, who:
, directors are irresponsible and who
officials are of questionable integrit
But there is scarcely county in IL
, country that does not contain at lea
one reliable bank. There is no col
, siderable city in which there is not
bank that enjoys the confidence of Il
, business men of the community. If
: is not convenient for man living
, the country to make deposits in tn
bank personally, it costs but trit1e
eCHu Ii'ntN W IL W CNPlCoo' = hC y
) press company is responsible, and ban
: will forward receipts for money receive
t by the express agents. Besides t
Y banks there are now safe depositori
; in nearly all large cities, where patro
9 can place money, papers, and 9th
+ valuables in private boxes of whi
4 they hold the keys. If they do II
e afford absolute security, they furni
II l.,
5 wisdom, Skill, and ingenuity can su
:. gest.- Chicago Times.