Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-22
Those in the White House Grounds
Again in Position.
A STRONG FORCE OF POLICEMEN
The President Never So Well
Guarded as Now.
NO OPPORTUNITY FOR CRANKS

The presidential sentry boxes, which were
stored away at the opening of spring, have
been again placed in position in the grounds
| at the north front of the White House. They
have been well cleaned and repainted, and
look as good new" Their re-establish-
ment is due to the recent cold spell, and fur
thermore indicates that it is proposed to
Continue through the coming winter the po-
lice patrol CT the White House grounds in
argurated by Private Secretary Thurber
early in President Cleveand's present term.
A slight change has been made, however, in
the location of one of the watch boxes. Last
year 1t occupied conspicuous place on the
lawn directly in front of the main entrance
to the mansion. Now it is established on the
east side of the north entrance, at the juno
ton of the east driveway from Pennsyl-
vania avenue and the asphalt pathway from
the Treasury Department, thus holding
position corresponding with the sentry box
On the northwest front, opposite the State,
war ald Navy building. These boxes are
square, with glass windows on each side,
ana their occupants command view of all
the approaches to the Executive Mansion on
The north, east and west sides A similar,
eut larger. sentry box is located at con-
Henient point in the grounds south of the
ma nSion. These miniature houses are in
Tended as places of refuge for the policemen
detailed TO the duty of guarding the presi-
winter.
Well-Guarded Mansion.
The Executive Mansion is we'll guarded
by trusty men. A large force of watch
men, including police officers, is on duty in
side the mansion at all hours, night and
day, and continuous patrol is maintained
by the local police of the grounds imme-
diately surrounding the mansion. The out
SIDE watches are so arranged that there is
never less than six policemen on duty at
any time. day or night. This force is dis
trlbuted so as to command every avenue of
approach to the building north SOUTH east
and west. and it is hardly possible for any
one to approach the building at any time
from any direction. without detection. The
patrol of the grounds entails special hard
ships in the bitter cold nights of winter
and ii was to lessen these that the sentry
boxes We're erected The policemen are not
expeGed 10 occupy them unless the
weather makes such action essential. Al
though the boxes are not heated, they will
serve to protect the occupant from the
chilling rain and snow and the biting blasts
of the ice king.
Constant Police Surveillance.
During the past two years this police
surveillance has been maintained continu-
orsly regardless of the long and frequent
absences of the President ami family As
ar additional safeguard automatic alarm
S'SHdiS are HXeQ IN convenient places in
different parts of the house, AMI a strong
force of police could be secured almost at
moments notice. The mansion is also in
direct telegraphic and telephone communi-
cation with police headquarters, the mill
tary posts at Washington barracks and at
Fort Myer, Va, and the Marine barracks,
and 1t would not take very long to secure a
strong detachment of men from each of
the places named
The White House is better guarded now
than it has ever been before. except during
the war, and 10 precaution has been
neglected to insure the security of the
President and his family from molestation
Cranks are a constant source of annoyance
at the White House, but under the present
excellent system of espionage it is we'll
righ impossible for even the mildest spec
linen of that genus to get nearer the
Presidential presence than the outer portal
OF the building. 1t is also unlikely that
there Will ever he a recurrence of the eN-
perience of few years ago when "a man,
oelirious with drink, forced an entrance
through a back door into the blue parlor
ard made a desperate effort 10 intlict per-
sonal vtolerce on President Harrison. In
der the present system, visitation of that
kind, even under the cover of darkness.
would now be attended by extreme danger
to the individual who should attempt it.