The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-08


into his pocket, drop of the train and make
for the woods. But the express companies
are relentless in their pursuit OF criminals
who have sinned against them, and the ex-
press messenger would not get very far with
his wealth. Like Mr.. Thomas, he would
soon be behind prison bars.
The largest amount OF money handled by
the express company Is that which is
shipped out by the treasury. The money
received is chiefly in mutilated currency
sent in for redemption. The heavy ship
ments are those which are sent from the
treasury department 20 the sub-treasuries
in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and
elsewhere. There has been no theft OF any
OF this money. and the precautions taken
for its protection are such that it would be
well nigh impossible for any one to abstract
any part of IL. The packages of bills are
placed in iron safes which are considered
burglar proof. The government count is
accepted because il would be impossible for
the express company to do the work
passed through the hands of the expert
counters OF the treasury. The express COM
pany receives the said packages, stores them
away in iron safes, which are shipped to the
destination for which the money is Intended,
and tbs packages are delivered with the
seals intact. II any shortage should be
found among the packages received from
very quickly to the woman in the depart
ment who counted the money. But In the
history of the Treasury department no such
error has been discovered. Sometimes
errors are discovered in the count Of money
received at the Treasury department. from
the, backs and other individuals, but no flaw
in the government count has been found
during tie quarter of a century in which
women have had charge of the business Of
counting the cash -
Each safe in which the money is stored
for shipment has spriug slide which COW
ers The keyhole When The safe has been
locked this strip of iron is slipped over the
keYhole ana to the spring catch which
holds it in place is fastened shipping tag.
It's doubly fastened, once with a piece of
string aud once with piece of wire, and on
both OF these are placed the seal Of the ex-
press company-on one the ordinary green
wax seal and on the other lead seal, such
as IS used in fastening the doors of freight
cara. To get at the ksyhole of this safe it
would be necessary TO break both Of these
seals or TO cut both the wire and
string. Even then the operator would have
placed himself only IN position to unlock
the safe IL he had key, or to break the
lock II that was possible. In the event he
did either he would be arrested within if
teen minutes after he had reached the end
of his run, because the agent of the COM
pany would discover the break in the seals,
and would discover the crime Immediately.
The lead seal is put on chiefly for the pro-
lection of the express messenger, because
sometimes In transmitting the wax seal is
broken by contact with some safe or some
heavy package in the express cars
Small packages Of money are placed in
stout canvas bags. made so that they cam
not be tempered with without bearing evil
dence plainly upon their faces. The ex-
press company is about to put into use
new canvas bag, the invention of Balti-
more man. which, it is believed, will afford
greater security than it had even with the
extraordinary precautions which are now
taken for the protection of the govern
ment's money In transit. This bag mas a
metal top. which Is locked by
bolt passing through either end
inside the cover. The keyhole is in
the side OF the cover. In the top are two
apertures. Through one of them when the
bag Is not locked, the letter 10" can be seen
on the rim Of g little metal wheel. Through
the other can be seen four similar wheels
carrying numbers These wheels are like
the register which is fastened to printing
press tosregister the number of revolutions
which it makes. With each revolution is
added to the number displayed until e,999
is registered. When the key is turned in
the lock the first wheel springs around until
the letter III" on the opposite side of its
periphery appears through the opening in
the top. AZ Tnis shows that the bag is
locked-a The figure on the register re-
mains unchanged. But when the key
is inserted again and turned to unlock the
bag the first line of numbers is shifted, and
when the key has made a half revolution
the register shows the next serial number
above tnat which it carried before. In this
way every time the cover is locked the reg
lister is changed, and in order to bring it
back to the number which it registered be-
fore, the lock would have to be opened and
closed $3.50 times. II bag leaves the ex-
press company at Washington carrying the
number 1852 or any higher figure, it is evil
dent that the lock has been tempered with.
This is a much more perfect device than
thas of sealing with sealing wax, and is
soon to be put in operation in handling the
small sums of government money.
When the United States Express Com
pany took hold Of the duty of handling the
governments money less than year ago,
the Adams. which had the contract for
twenty-five years. notified the government
that whom the contractors were tired Of
carrying the money at a loss they would be
willing to take the contract again at the old
rate Of twenty-five cents on the thousand.
Mr.. Platt says that the United States Com
pany Is making money on its contract and
that it will not trouble tho Adams to fulfill
its Offer