The record-union., 1893-03-14

Outwitted-Tale of the Red Ballots.
Uncle Sam manages most affairs better
than do his brothers and sisters who wear
crowns, and in no event of national life
is his superiority more manifest than
when a new Chief Magistrate takes the
staff of leadership from the hand of his
predecessor. The nice old gentleman
with the red and white striped trousers
makes no fuss on such occasions. 4
proper ceremony there is, and much re-
joicing, at least by one-half of his family:
but there is no terror in the solemnity, no
great display of guns and sabers, no vast
aud grim armed guard about the incom-
ing ruler. \ considerable body of troops
will be in Washington on March 4th, and
they will doubtless look very well in the
parade; but no innocent yokel who stares
at them in Pennsylvania avenue will be
more peacefully employed than they.
Nevertheless, the President-elect will
not be unprotected either during the in
auguration or before it, while he makes
his little journey to Washington. A num-
Der of quiet-looking men Will take great
interest i'll his movements without APP
pearing to do so. This is as safe a coun-
Try as there is in the orld, but every ma
uon produces its crankS, and it is the
part of prudence to be on the lookout for
them.
Mr.. Cleveland is not a nervous man.
lie has due appreciation of his hold
upon the people, and has no fear of
bombs or plots. True, Mr.. Cleveland had
~ detective escort when he wenttO Wash
ington eight years ago, and he is said TO
have expressed much satisfaction with
the arrangements then made for his pro-
lection. Probably his qualification was
largely due to the fact that there was no
ostentatious display of the guard. 1t is
not, however, advisable to entirely con-
ceal the presence OF the guard. Probably,
III the case at hand, Superintendent
Byrnes viii send from New y ork two or
three of his best known men, whose
presence viii be instantly perceived, and
viii exercise deterrent effect upon
crooks-if that is necessary-and upon
such cranks as are not entirely out of
their heads. They will ride to Washing
ton with Mr.. Cleveland. Some other men
there will probably be, not so well
known, and their part Will be simply To
keep themselves informed regarding the
movements of any persons whose con-
duct may lay them open to suspicion. If
an arrest of any suspicious person is
made it will be done so quietly that
scarcely any body will know about it.
LINCOLN WAS HURRIED INTO \ CAR
RIAGE.
1t is the custom at Inauguration time
for the Chief of the Government Secret
Service to call his men to Washington.
They are there assigned simply to the
duty of finding out anything that may he
significant. They have their sources OF
Information, and can learn of the pres
ence of suspicious characters. But their
efforts are of secondary importance to
those OF Colonel William E. Moore,
Chief of Police OF the District of Column
bia. He is a very efficient officer, and
. his men are under excellent discipline.
The Secret Service men nave No special
acquaintance with the class of people
who are to be feared on such an occasion,
either as possible assailants of the Presi-
dent or as thieves who will prey upon
the crowd. The business of the Secret
Service men lies mostly with counter
letters, and they know little about high
class crooks, for the counterfeiting busi-
ness no longer suffices for the support of
trst-rate talent. The business is con-
fined to a few large cities, and few but
Italians are engaged in it. So the Secret
Service men are not likely to meet old
acquaintances in Washington. The most
important arrangements in the city will
be made by Colonel Moore.
For some months before an inaugura-
ton he is in correspondence with chiefs
OF police and heads of detective bureaus
throughout the country, and secures the
services of men who are acquainted with
the crooks and cranks of various regions
Every part of the country is thus repre-
sented in Washington by skilled de-
tective. When all are assem- bled in
Washington it is nearly impossible for
any person who has ever made himself
at all conspicuous by questionable pro-
ceedings to be at large during the inaugu-
ration exercises. 1t is the man who never
made himself conspicuous who is danger
Gus; the crank whose mind is now for
the first time bent on mischief. We have
no plots in these days in this country;
the danger comes from individuals
Take the case of Garfeld's assassina-
ton. Nobody knew what Guiteau was
going to do. He simply crept up behind
The President and fired. 1t is hard to
imagine any protection which could abso-
lutely guard against such a tragedy. 1t
would not have been possible to guess
with what intent Guiteau had come to
the depot where the crime was commit
ted. The fatal act was done so quickly
that detective would need 20 be excep-
tionally alert and speedy to prevent it
with his own fire. A man standing
bomb in his pocket can use it before he
can be prevented, even though one man
in dozen of the whole assemblage may
be a detective.
But it is exceedingly rare that such
cranks fail to beuray themselves before
manner, their very appearance is Il rev.
elation of their designs 10 the acute detec-
live. Colonel Moore's men will be on the
lookout for these fellows, and none of
them will be allowed to approach the line
of parade or TO mingle with any crowd at
reception or the ball.
al have had a good deal of experience
in the protection OF persons supposed to
be in danger OF ASSAULT said veteran
Washington detective not long since.
IAN escort to be efficient need not be
large; but its members must be well
trained and have a thorough system of
communication with one another. When
I acted as escort to William II. Nander-
bilt during the time before he sailed for
Europe in 1852, had no help but that of
man and a boy, except a couple of
watchmen for the house 1t was just
after the discovery of plots against Cyrus
w. Field and William II. Vanderbilt.
Internal machines had beensent to them
through the mails. One of them had ex-
ploded in a mail sack on the Il road, and
had lifted the forward wheels of the ear
of the track, but had not done as much
damage as might have been expected.
designs OF the persons sending the ma
chimes, and there seemed some cause for
alarm.
1.-THE boy was Mr.. Vanderbilts imme-
date escort, He was a bright little fell
low, about y years old, and had trained
him to the last degree. | could hold con-
yersation with him by signals when we
were four or five blocks apart, and he
never failed to read my orders instantly
after had given the finishing touches to
his education in the sign language.
Dressed like any street urchin, he would
loiter in front of Mr.. Nanderbilt's house
in the morning about the hour when that