New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
QUEER THINGS IN BOXES
SECRETS OF THE SAFE DEPOSIT vAuIrS
ELABORATE PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT TKIU3
AND BURGLARY-soME UNPLEASANT Ex-
PERIENcEs or THE OFFICIALS.


PERIENcEs OF THE OFFICIALS.
The steady growth Of the business Of the safe d.
| posit companies In New-York and the demand fe0
similar institutions In smaller places show theo
people are anxious to secure their portable sReoso
against fire. burglars and mobs. Securities, Wills,
Jewels and valuables of all kinds were formerly
stored In the strong boxes OF the large banks. ana
In many instances priceless herIooms and valuable
documents kept In badly constructed safes In
the homes Of the owners. who had more confidence
in their own primitive precautionary measures thso
In the more elaborate safeguards OF the bank be-
cause. one man explained. they were less
afraid Of a burglar breaking in and taking away
their stun than OF a bank official breaking out
and taking their securities with him."
With the establishment OF safe deposit companies
the calls upon the banks to take care OF the vau-
abes Of their patrons became fewer. and people
ceased to take the risk OF storing their valuaoes
home The growth OF the business has boen
steady. and for a number OF years IL has been con.
sidered the proper thing to have A box In some
one OF the safe deposit concerns for people who
possess much jewelry negotiable or other valu-
able papers by people who the custodians OF
such property.
The vaults are all perfectly constructed with
view to keeping out fire and burglars and they
arranged that every comfort is provided
for those who visit them. An officer OF the Lincoln
Safe Deposit Company said:
THE people in the country were quick TO recog-
nze the advantages OF the safe deposit vault, ana
hundreds OF our customers live out OF town They
have their vauables here and the tramp and tho
burglar have fewer terrors for them than for their
neighbors who are less wise
HARD TO BREAK THROUGH THESE.
The safeguards, consisting Of great doors with
many layers OF chilled steel and time locks.
petent honest and wel-armed watchmen and per-
feet precautionary measures make breaking into .
safe deposit vault almost ;mpossibilty But
suppose man did get through the outer gate"
the official said. what good would 1t do himf
Here is room lined on both sides with small safes
of various sizes. All around the place floor. roof
and sides. everything is solid steel Now. take Il
for granted the man even had key to one OF the
safes. II would be perfectly useless 10 him. be-
cause before he could open the box attendant
must prepare the lock with a key. and as
every customer is known to our people. the lock Of
a box would surely not be prepared for any person
unless he had a right to the box. and after he had
been there for little while he would probably
be anxious to get out again than to make
any further efforts to get at other peoples prop
erty."
When a person rents a box in safe deposit vault
he Is impressed at with the thoroughness Of
the system and the evident determination on the
part of the company that no unauthorized person
shall have to the subscribers treasures
The customer II he has been found worthy to
have a box anywhere from s. to 81. 900 year and
II the officers have fear that he will put bomb
or anything OF that kind into 1t. is registered and
must tell mis- residence place Of birth profession
age height. weight place of business. If married
or single and size OF family. To this record the
officials add other points Of description such az
complexion color Of eyes, characteristics OF the
face hair and figure, and when it Is all done tho
patron selects password which will
further means OF identification II by any chance
the gateman does not recognize him.
(~I-RIOJ,S THINGS IN THE HONES
"A list OF articles contained in the strong boxes
would surprise and you" said bank
official. "and although il is believed that securities
stocks and bonds form the bulk OF the vauables
kept in the vaults. there are hundreds OF other
yalua bies. o. course the bank officers and the
attendants not expected TO know what Is In
the boxes and they would not have any Knowledge
on that score but for the customers themselves.
who in many instances BECOME communicative
and tell of their treasures and then snow thJ6. So
We know that one man and pays regularly fof
a box which never contained anything more thar
his naturalization papers. He every little
while and takes the box out and examines tha
document and puts 1t away again and walks out
with a strut which shows that he knows he Is still
secure In his citizenship Then there are boxes In
which family secrets are hidden away. and other
boxes with divorce papers and all sorts of legal
documents commissions ard diplomas, love letters
and jewelry. We hear of these things and are fire.
quently called upon TO admire some old piece OF
jewery to hear the story connected with lock
Of hair ragged and yellow letter"
Most Of the safe deposit concerns have a stock
of goods hand for which they have no use. but
must keep because the owners cannot be found
According to the charters of the companies. when
a patron neglects to pay his box rem, for three
years notice Is sent to him by registered letter:
and II in sixty days he does not pay the amount
due the box l. broken open and the contents are
stored until owner can be found. by this
process il was said. I'VE have accumulated LOT
Of truck which is of no value 10 US, but o: which
make no disposal. Many OF the boxes
were found empty. and they were probably rented
for the Gf & da no haS
II worth while to return the key. We have also
look for wills which supposed to be In our
possession.
UNPLEASANT FOR THE OFFICIALS
Among the unpleasant experiences which all safe
deposit companies have are the complaints OF
irons who say that their boxes have been broken
into and valuable papers jewelry extracted. In
every Instance the missing articles have been
found either In the box or In the homes OF tho
persons who thought they had been robbed.
safe deposit vaults TO take from her box somo
jewery which she wanted to wear AT the opera that
she then opened the little compartment and the box
was taken out and handed 10 her She placed It
pose. and in few moments said with much ex-
element that the biggest piece In the box, valued
at large amount, was missing. She was told to
look again and she did 80. but insisted that the
Everything, was replaced In the box. the little
hy sterical condition. The next day she came
again. and her looks indicated that she told the
sleep wink because OF her loss. Another search
was made. and OF the first objects the grief.
Jewellery There II is" she said. 'and / missed
the opera because | thought II was gone"