The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-27
ABOUTBANK MESSENGERS
THEY CARRY LARGE SUMS OF MON
EY THROUGH THE STREETS.
The Custom SavOrs of Reclxlessness,
but Is Not as Risky as 1t Seems
.'Snatch Thief, Most Feared.
Boston Herald.

Boston Herald
1t savors of recklessness, to the minds of
great many persons, to intrust the care
and conveyance of tens of thousands of
dollars to a young bank messenger. Here
is a youth, just from school and starting
into serious life, who probably never has
known what it was to own more than a few
dollars, suddenly placed in possession of
wealth which it would take him many years
TO accumulate in his own right. The chances
of his being tempted to make away with the
money are great. in the opinion of a con-
| siderable section of the community. And
the picture of easily-earned affluence which
such situation might suggest, often leads
to the belief that the temptation would, in
many instances, be Irresistible.
Yet the case of young King, of the Boyls-
ton Bank, is only as one to numberless oc-
caslons in which the same opportunity has
| been offered. The manager of a banking
| concern in Boston told a reporter that he
| once sent his messenger to another bank
| with over $4,000 in cash. Here, as in nu-
| merous other instances the temptation was
| enormous. But it is soberly stated by one
man that it is somewhat the same kind of
| temptation that occurs to a girl after she
| has spent week two in a candy store;
The precautions which taken to guard
against thefts of money in the hands of
messengers may be deemed insufficient by
| outsiders, but in view of the fact that mes
| sengers in common with other bank en-
| ployes, are no more affected by the sight of
| the money than they would be on seeing
SO much vegetable matter, for instance, the
| utility of these measures will be generally
appreciated
The common theory of Boston banks is
that it is unsafe to send large sums of
money about in charge of only one man.
| Most banks, therefore, give the money into
! the charge Of two men. At some of the
! more careful institutions of this kind the
man who carries the cash goes ahead, the
! other following him few feet distant.
| Under this arrangement the chances of ac-
| cident are reduced to minimum. 1t must
! be stated however, that the banks dis
/ trust is rarely directed to the messengers
| themselves. The treasurer of a trust COM
! pany, referring to bonds being required for
| bank employees, said that he would not have
! a man in his oIfice whom could not trust
| Wislout such a precaution. 1t is the
|'sEatch thief who concerns the banks
mcS,e tnan the messenger. The thief on the
| watch for the messenger has a much
smaller chance to get away with the, booty
when another bank man follows than if
! the latter walked side by side with his COM
panlon. But to guard against such an event
| the messenger is furnished with a chain,
/ covered with leather and girding his waist
| " WHICH is dIIdcn6Q the wallet containing
the cash. The pocketbook the messenger
may then carry in his hand, and, if it is
grasped by another the latter is brought
up with a round turn. Some messengers
| sling the chain over their shoulders. These
| steps are taken even when the money is to
| be conveyed only across the street, such is
| the care with which many banks invest
| their property.
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN.
Other establishments are not so solicitous
for the safety of their money. One messen-
ger is often considered capable of taking
care of considerable sums, the money being
carried in an ordinary bank wallet in the
hands of the man, and having no other con-
nection with his body. The wallets are
also carried in the pocket. Amounts up to
$4,000 are sent out in this way, and several
banks consider it unfair to their clerks to
| give them an escort. This has been the
practice up to the time of the King episode
| and the bank officials give no intiInation
mat they intend TO MAKE a change 1t is
seldom II ever the case that a messenger is
! sent away armed This procedure might
| nave been well enough in the old Boston
Gays, but now 1t is regarded superfluous.
IN no case is the outlook encouraging to
the thief. One bank sends two men when
| other, or to the clearing house on State
street. Others make the limit $4,000. The
treasurer OF a trust company says he would
day When he did not happen to have a sec
ond clerk handy and was in hurry for
Ine money s1;7 In the case Of the trust com
transacted through national bank just
across across the street. 1t has large windows
racing the bank, and the street is never
| overcroWded which permits the bank peo-
| pie to watch the messenger as he crosses
| over, should they be SO Inclined
| With even the most careful Of the banks
however, there comes time when, dur
ing vacations. for instance, their force is
limited. and they have to intrust the con-
| veyance of their money to a single mes
senger The man who. generally does this
work may be at the other side of the city,
and they have to choose the next avail
able person. In general two men are al
ways sent when the amounts to be carried
are considerable. When there Is a large
quantity of silver or gold to be borne to
another s bank ordinary canvas or leather
are also stuffed with bills, when the wal
let's are not large enough, and two men
carry It,. each having hold of one handle
! gers were a frequent sight during the re-
cent pinch in the gold market, and one
day four men We're seen crossing Devon4
shire street, each bearing bags containing
| $4,000 in gold, in the direction of the sub
| treasury A bank manager told the re-
porter that he saw. about a year ago. a
| young man coming from the treasury with
| 200 in a package under his arm, some
of it being displayed in the most careless
GO IN PAIRS.
| Although the money of the banks is often
carried by young men, it is in the capacity
of acting messengers, most of the latter, as
such, being men of ripper age, who on these
| occasions have probably been sent else
| where There some old men in the
| ranks Of the bank messengers. The report
| er heard of one who has been forty-thr
| years. in the service of the institution in
| which he is now employed, and who has
! been the carrier of millions of dollars
| When any but a small amount is to be
| transferred, this messenger is given a COM
| panlon, not that the bank mistrustS him,
! but to guard against the snatch thief
! Several of these older messengers are pos
| sessed of considerable property. The pay of
most Of the fraternity however, is small, it
| being said that the salaries of messengers
| in the banks range from only $3.50 to 81 800
year. When money is to be sent away by
| express, the express companies often send
| for it to the banks and the driver of the
| team is accompanied by another man, who
| sits on the box while his companion goes
| into the bank Often, too, a business-like
looking dog is on the wagon, which is pro