Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-13
GUARDS OF THE TREASURY.
They Keep Watch and Ward Over tn
Golfers of Uncle Sam.

AHey Atep "uVcn una "afu over tne
Golfers of Uncle sam.
Most people who have lived all their lives
in Washington have never noticed three lit
tie wooden houses, hardly bigger than dry
goods boxes. which stand at the corners of
the treasury building. Each of them is only
about six feet square, with a table, a chair
and a pitcher and basin for furniture. In
quiry develops the fact that they are occu-
pied by watchmen.
These watchmen constitute the outside
guard of the treasury. 1t Is their business
to patrol the streets around the building
Three of them are on duty at night. and one
in the day tine. Every half hour each one
of them Is required to touch a bell which
notifies the captain of the watch that the
patrolman is on duty.
This outside guard has been maintained
for so long time that nobody seems to
know when it was first established. No &C
tive duty has ever been required of it.
though there have been occasional false
alarms. But there Is Modelling what fine
night an attempt might be made to burglar
ize the Golfers of Uncle Sam
If such an attempt were made however.
the only practicable way to carry 1t out
would be by mining. From the cellar Of a
house across 18th street tunnel might be
run. with proper calculation, directly into
great IN the basement OF
the treasury. Once arrived there. the rob-
bers. IL undiscovered. would find themselves
overwhelmed by literal embarrassment of
riches.
Embarrassment OF Riches.
Imagine the state of mind of an enterpris-
ing burglar with $1o5,OOO,OOO In silver and
gold Immediately accessible! Unprotected,
save by a steel lattice he beholds 100000 900
silver dollars In a single gigantic box. But
.E.N
gltttering wealth to him, weighing, as 1t
does, 1900 tons? He can only gaze upon 1t
with a sigh and turn to the gold vault
which is defended by two massive steel
doors.
The burglar of a generation ago would
nave regarded such doors as an impreyna-
bic obstacle. Net so, however. his success
scr OF today. In the competition between
the safe builder and the safe breaker the
latter is away ahead thus far. With his
machine drills and high explosives he can
make his way into the strongest vault ever
constructed. A committee recently appoint
ed by Congress declared that the treasury
vaults We're old-fashoned and far from
burglar-proof.
To escape observation by the watchmen
on duty. che hypothetical gang of burglars
would DO well to tunnel directly into the
gold vault. which could be entered from be-
meath. They would have no trouble in car
ryihg away all the yellow metal found there,
Just now this particular strong box contains
only %',6s'lob in gold. The rest of the gold
belonging to the government is scattered
about in the subtreaSuries and mints.
The quantity of gold mentioned weighs
only little more than seven short tons
1t could easily be carried off through the
tunnel 10 the house across the street The
burglars could then put il on a wagon and
drive away with IL. Presumably they would
not care to touch the $4S,slbp IN silver
dollars now stored In the gold vault. nor yet
S1DoO in fractional silver and minor coin
They would have no difficulty In melting YIN
the stolen gold and disposing of it as bull
lion, II that were thought desirable
IL would hardly he possible for the robbers
10 get At the vaults upstairs in which the
paper money Is kept. If they could do so
unobseFyed. 1t would be easy enough for
them to drill few holes and take out SO
bp,No or so. The packages of notes and
certihcates are all labeled with the amounts
they contain in big red figures, SO that the
most valuable bundles could be selected off
hand. There might be trouble however in
disposing OF notes the numbers of which
would be promptly advertised by the treas
ury.
Regiment of Clerks.
In case OF an emergency at night, there
are always at least eighteen guards at hand
In the treasury. This number-all Of them
being picked men and armed to the teeth
would be sufficient to overcome any gang Of
burglars. Should an attempt be made TO
get the better of the watch by force of num-
bers. calls for assistance could be sent by
telephone to the Marine barracks the Wash
irgton arsenal and Fort Myer. At Fort
Myer are four troops of cavalry
During the war a regiment, 200 strong.
was organized In the treasury for the pro-
lection of that institution in case of neces-
sity. 1t was composed Of clerks, laborers
and messengers In the department There
was drum corps of messenger boys Sew
eral of these boys now hold official positions
In the treasury, and there are two or three
grandfathers among them The colonel of
the Treasury Guards. as the regiment was
called. was +. A. Willet. The present assist
ant United States treasure, James F. Meline,
was a corporal.
A flag was presented by the ladies' of the
treasury to the Treasury Guards. This bit
OF SILK was destined to figure importantly in
great national tragedy 1t was
loaned by the regiment to the
owner of Ford's Theater. and was used
to drape the box occupied by President Lin
coin on the night when he was assassinat-
ed. 1t was in this Tag that Wilkes Booth
caught his spur when ne jumped from the
box to the stage thus breaking his ankle
But for that chance he would have escaped
unhurt. and very likely he would not have
been captured.
The National Museum has tried to sc,
possession of the nag, but the treasury will
not give 1t up. 1t is kept In a glass case on
the wall of the office Of the captain of the
watch. The tear made by the spur of the
assassin Is about four inches long,
Women as Doctors.