Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-02
GUARDING AGAINST THEFT.
IrRANc METHODS or PROTECTING
GREAT TREASURES.
mink vauj. which was Flooded
Every NiEht some scicntinc
RobberIcs by Experts ut
the business.


Exchange.
In one OF his sensational detective
rtories. NJ. du BoIsgobey, the French
Novelist. matches up an intricate plot
Which turns on an attempt to break
INTO a bankers safe in Paris. one Of
be burglars was lady, who. on
tpuching piece of machinery securing
be safe. caused 1t 10 operate and hold
Der In It's vise-lilse grip. Her comrade
ln crime cut on her hand rather than
ID her be caught in the act OF rob
+ berry; and SO the tale takes It's name
Rom the main point OF interest, and is
Known as la Main coupee" the Sew
ered HANDY
II Is a long way on from the COM
plex and powerful mechanism of the
modern safes, which are constructed
~ defy alike burglars and FIRE, TO the
hines when man could not trust his
h.liow man. but must needs hide his
tossessions for safety in secret places.
There Is no surer test Of civilization
fhan the measure Of pecuniary conf
Hence which members Of a community
fepose in Zone another. with half
civilized people like the Hindus gold
II either buried or worked into orna-
nents.
M The emperor OF AMMAN has hit upon
d peculiar device for keeping the royal
Reserve secure against burglars and
even against himself. This is the plan
% the uneivilized potentate; He causes
s his treasure to be placed in followed
\ but trunks,of trees, which are thrown
INTO a pool OF water within his palace
wallis In the water are kept a NUM-
aber OF absolutely incorruptible guar
dlans In the shape of crocodiles, which
VII eat alive any person who attempts
* ID NEEDLE with the submerged treas
ne. when 1t becomes Indispensable to
Nav on his novel style Of bank the
efocodiles have to be killed, but this
chn only be done with the emperor'a
Permission and after the matter has
Been duly approved by the minister of
finance,
In past days in Scotland. when the
"Dld Bank" as II was termed, was To-
chted In Gourlay's House, Old Bank
Close, Edinburgh, precautions We're
Evidently adopted to secure the safety
% the cash in the banks strong chest.
When the Old Bank house was taken
Down In the first quarter Of the cen-
bury, IL was found that all the shutters
Communicated by wire with row OF
BELLS in an attic which was assumed
b be plan put In practice long ago
of sounding an alarm In the event OF
Burglary This bank also had guard
hrmed with fiintlooks and bayonets
ns an outside protection.
4 The Bank of England Is watched
Nightly by guard Of about fifty men
lrom the Household troops, under the
rommand of an officer, who usually
narch from wellington or ST. Georges
Barracks. They patrol the spacious
puadrangles Of the bank and do sentry
duty over allotted spaces till the morn
\ ing, when they are relieved on the ar
ryal OF some members OF the banks
Ham. The officer in command is al
Owed dinner for himself and Il friend,
ihcluding the provision Of bottle of
tic banks special old port. The men
Arc also supplied with the needful re-
fection Besides this military guard,
tAyo clerks remain on duty all night
"a the bank. as wen as all day Sunday.
Md these watch clerks" must not go
u sleep Their duty Is to move about
Nom building to building, inspecting
\ DC various rooms TO see that all goes
& Well, Several Of the higher officials
s >lso sleep on the premises, ready to be
summoned at moments notice,
The Bank OF France Is also guarded
b. soldiers, -who do sentry duty outside
: De bank. a watch being likewise kept
Within its precincts. A former practice
81 protecting this bank was to get ma
+ aons to wall up the doors OF the vaults
in the cellar with hydraulic mortar 80
Noon as the money was deposited each
day In these receptacles, The water
was then turned on, and kept running
+ until the cellar was flooded A burg
ier would thus be Obliged to work in
diving suit and break down brick
Sall before he could even begin ia
plunder the vaults. when the bank
nlficers arrived each morning the water
Vas drawn on, the masonry torn down
ahh the vaults opened.
The Bank of Germany like most
other German public buildings. has a
4 military guard TO protect 1t. In very
atrongly fortified military fortress al
y spandau Is kept the great war treas
ure OF the imperial government, par
% the French indemnity, amounting L
Several million pounds.
By FAR the most ingenious and darini
Bass Of burglarIes is that which has
heen accomplished by means Of tunnel
Ihg or mining This operation implies
lpng sustained and arduous toll. no
d speak OF danger while the soienti6,
duaiiaes displayed are really admirabi,
lad worthy OF better use. There IS {
splce OF romance about safe-breadns
b tunneling. and we may therefor
5arrate one unsuccessful and two sue
essful instances Of this kind Of rob
bery
A few years ago a cashier IN on,