The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-09-05
BILLIONS IN AN OLD CART.
HOW CUSTOMS RECEIPTS ARE
TAKEN TO THE sUB-TRBAsURY.
A Modest Hand Cart, Surrounded
by n Determined Guard, is Trun-
died Through Wall Street Daily.

N mOOcsb hanu-Carts SufrOunueu
by a Determined Guard, is Trun.
died Through wall Street Daily.
A heavy wheeled haud-c cart, with a
thickset little guiding wheel in front
and pushed by two men from behind,
clattered down the steps of the William
street entrance to the Custom House at
3:45 yesterday afternoon. 1t was in
stantly followed by four broad shoul-
dered laboring men, a smooth faced old
man of clerical appearance and stern
looking man with a heavy brownish
mustache, who quickly grouped them.
selves on both sides of it and in front of
it and behind, The little group, with
the cart rumbliug in the centre, pushed
rapidly to Wall street to the moth side and
then went at quick pace up the street to
Nassau, then around to Pine street, ard
was swallowed up in the rear entrance to
the Sub-Treasury Building. All along
the journey from the Custom House TO
the Sub-Treasury people stopped and
gazed curiously at the group, as it hur-
ried along and tried to get glimpse of
the cart 1t was not very handsome
vehicle. The box was literally a box
iron bound and tightly locked with
heavy brass paddock, but those who un-
derstood the matter knew that it might
contain anywhere from $500, 900 to
81, 900, 000 or more and that this money
represented Uncle Sans daily tolls on
merchandise imported from abroad, aud
that it was on its way to be poured into
the Treasury, another contribution to
swell the great surplus which now lies
idle there.
For over twenty years, at about the
same hour on six days in every week, the
cart has made the same Journey sur
rounded by its escort. How many thieves
have cast envious eyes at it, how many
spectators on the verge of ruin, how
many dishonest bank employees with the
impending crisis of discovery hanging
close over them, have thought that to
only have for but few weeks of a few
days the contents of that ugly iron bound
box would be rescue from ruin, flight or
suicide anybody can imagine. Doubtless
many a gang of knaves have wasted
many long hour trying to devise some
daring scheme to waylay its guardians,
smash the heavy box and make off with
its contents. But from all this nothing
has ever come. For nearly quarter of
a century the old cart has trundled over
its route and not an unlawful hand has
been raised against it. Collector He'd
den in his time did receive, it is true, o
written warning that a plot had been
Matched to attack the treasure cart. 1t
was the work of some practical joker
most likely. A little extra precaution
was exercised for a time, but the plot
never developed. The most daring rob
Der could not fail to see the madness of
e,,ol, Tho hos - 4
its millions with never the loss of so
much as a cent.
The system by which the money is
thus transferred is perfectly simple. In
the cashiers Office at the Custom House
are kept four boxes, iron-bound and
made of thick oak board. They are two
feet in length, by one foot in breadth
and about foot in depth. At each end
is massive iron handle that in itself
weighs nearly two of the fifteen pounds
at which each box tips the beam. When
the days work is completed the money
is counted and placed in these boxes. 1t
is then delivered to the custody of
United States Detective T. ]. Murtha.
-Four laborers then come, and each one
shoulders a box and carries it to the
ground floor. Here the boxes are placed
in the strong box on the cart, which
Mu5tna locks. At the Sub-Treasury the
money is again counted, and if it agrees
with the Custom House count a receipt
is given. .
"The daily average of cash we carry" I"
said the good -natured detective yester-
day, sis about $500, 900, though, of
course, there are many days when we
carry over million. When we have a
good deal of coin the load is a very heavy
one, and this, with the great weight of
the cart and the boxes, makes it no easy
thing to push. We always have two
men pusk'ug and four around it, besides
myself and the messenger. l am the
only one who is armed. We go up the
north side of Wall street because there
are more people there and always some
of Inspector Byrne's detectives about.
have only been here about two years,
but | suppose we have carried not far
from $3.50, 600, 900 in that time. What
wealth that old cart has had in its bowels !
1T makes a man dizzy to think of it.
fThe surplus in the Treasury would be as
a little chicken feed in your pocket
compared to it. / never feel the least
fear of an attack. How could they get
away with anything9 The street is filed
with people. They would have to disable
me first. There would be pistol-shots
before that Then they would have TO
smash in the box on the cart, and then
they would have to lug away the dead
weight of one or more of those inner
boxes. There would be 500 people and
a dozen policemen and detectives about
before they got that faT. The system is
absolutely safe so far as that is con-
cerned, unless a small army of desperate
men swept down upon us.
"The place where l have feared steal
ing the most is right in the public room
of the cashiers Office II is often so
p crowded that there is barely standing
room. Each importer fills out the blanks
there at a shelf running along the wall.
He then counts his cash there. Not in
frequently as high as $40, 600 is counted
out in one pile. have feared quick,
skilful sneak thief might snatch bundle
of bills, dash down the stairs there by
the door, and out into Hanover Square.
There would be few chances of his
eCpapiuor y Nogs YorL Io,JJ