Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-01-03
WHITE HOUSE SENTRY BOXES
Precautions Taken to Protect the
President.

Precautions Taken to Protect the
President.
Special Correspondence of the STANDARD.
Notwithstanding the general inn
preston which prevails with the
general public, due in very great
measure to the frequent statements
contained in the public press, relative
to the freedom with which access may
be had to the President, it is neverthe-
less fact that system of espionage
is maintained at the Executive Mansion
which is we'll nigh perfect, and can
hardly be excelled by the precautions
which are taken to guard the crowned
heads of European monsrchs.
The presidential sentry boxes which
have been stored away during the
summer months have. again been
placed in position in the White House
grounds. These sentry boxes are in
tended as places of refuge for the police
men detailed for the duty OF guarding
the presidential family during the
stormy nights Of winter. They are
placed at such intervals throughout
the grounds as to command view of
all OF the entrances both to the grounds
and buildings.
The present system of police pro-
lection was inaugurated by Private
Secretary Thurber early in President
Cleveland's present term. A large
force of wstchmen, including police
officers, is on duty inside the mansion
at all hours OF the day and night, most
OF the officers being in citizens dress,
as being thus less likely to attract at
tentiOn, and q continuous patrol is
maintained by the local police of the
grounds Immediately surrounding the
mansion. The outside watches are so
arranged that there are never less than
six policemen on duty at any time,
day or night. 1t is safe to say that so
efficient are the police arrangements
that even during the darkest and most
stormy night it would be impossible
for one to approach the building from
any direction without detection. The
patrol OF the grounds entails special
hardships during the bitter cold nights
OF the winter season, and the
duties OF the officers are rendered as
light as possible by frequent changes,
and by providing sentry boxes for their
protection. Although these boxes are
not heated, they are enclosed
upon all sides and provided with plate
glass windows through which watch
may be maintained, and they serve to
protect the occupant fairly well from
the cold winter winds.
During the past two years the police
surveillance has been maintained
continuously, regardless of the long
and frequent absences OF the President
and his family. As an additional safe
guard automatic alarm signals are 10.
Gated at convenient places in different
parts of the building and grounds. and
q very strong police force could thus
be secured at few moments notice.
The mansion is also in direct
telegraphic and telephone communities
ton with police headquarters, the
military posts at the Washington
Barracks, and at Fort Myer, Va, just
across the celebrated Long Bridge, and
the Marine Barracks, and in case OF
need it would require but very short
time to secure a strong detachment
from cash of the posts named.
Probably at no time since the close
Of the war has the White House been
better guarded than it is at present.
No precaution to insure the safety of
the President and his family has been
neglected. 1t is no longer possible
for even the mildest specimen Of the
genus crank to get nearer to the Presi-
dent than to the outer portals, even
should he escape the vigilance of the
outer guard, and to undertake to
surreptitiously gain admittance to the
White House, at this time, even under
cover OF the darkest night, would en-
tail extreme danger to the individual
Who was so reckless as to make the
attemDt