Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-08-24

silver vaults were DlleQ Will Sltcl Cda-
ings around their common shells Of
masonry, and fitted with time locks,
different parts OF the combinations OF
which were distributed among varl-
Gus officials of the treasurer's office, so
that the vaults could be opened only
with the concerted action of all OF
them, and then only at the stroke OF
the hour at which the time locks were
set The necessity OF keeping pace
with the improvements in the fine
profession OF modern burglary was
first recognized by Mr.. Folger.
If there we're no watch force on con-
slant guard at the treasury depart
ment, however burglars could do
about as they chose with the safes in
! the treasury building The safes are
as good as any made, but even manu-
| facturers OF safes admit that the safe
has not yet been devised that the
modern craftsman cannot get into.
| The best that modern builders Of safes
| can do is to build them in such fashion
as TO involve the greatest possible con-
sumption of time on the part of the
cracksmen who attempt to get into
them thus rendering their detection
! during the progress of their work more
| likely.
An expert manipulation of safe COM
! hinations was summoned to the treas
ury from New York not long ago to
| open a safe that declined to respond
to its figures. The expert opened the
| safe in half minute. Then he made
tour of the building and opened
every one of the safes except those
| fitted with time locks There was not
one of them that he didn't get into
within IA minutes after making the
! first turn of the combination handles.
He modestly stated to the officials ac-
companying him that he didn't amount
to much as a safe opener, and that
| there were any number of cracksmen
at large who could do anything he did
in one-half The time.
The treasury watch force is divided
into three reliefs like an army guard,
only the treasury Waterman is on post
| longer than the soldier. His tour of
duty lasts eight hours. The first
watch of the day goes on at o'clock
in the morning. 1t is relieved at 4
in the afternoon by the watch which
remains on duty until midnight The
midnight watch, which is regarded as
the most important Of the three, com
pletes the triple-linked guard chain,
and goes off at in the morning, AL
though, as stated, the mid watch, So
called, is considered to carry the great
est weight of responsibility OF the
three, on account of the well-known
nocturnal preferences OF burglars.
| Capt. Cobaugh, the head of the watch
! force, is of the opinion that the day
| guard needs to be more on the alert
! for surprises than either night shift
Eight of the night watches" said he
! the other day, is made up of twice the
number of men comprising the day
watch. in spite OF the fact that should
an attempt ever be made to loot the
treasury the job would unquestionably
be attempted in the daytime. At
night it would be impossible for an
organized band of robbers to gain ac-
! cess to the building, for all the en-
| frances are securely locked and guard
! ed after 4 o'clock in tne afternoon. A
| gang of robbers after nightfall would
have to employ dynamite and batter
ing rams, and by the time they had
made a thoroughfare lAey would be
! fanked by the entire police force OF
! the district, the soldiers from Fort
| Myer and Washington Barracks and
| the Marine Barracks, with all of which
| forces we have direct alarm communi-
cations Such an assault is about as
probable as another sacking OF Wash
inston by the British.
I'VE should have much more diff
Guilty in repelling a day invasion. A
| large number OF robbers, for instance,
might walk into the building in broad
daylight, when the department is open
to visitors, entering at the many
different doors so as not to attract
attention At a given signal, all of
them having assembled at con-
yenient point, they might make an
onslaught upon the cash room where
in the neighborhood Of s600O000O0 in
currency is kept. and hold up the
clerks and other employees in the room
at once.
An attack OF this sort would give
! the men of the day watch a heap OF
thinking to do within a short space OF
time. OF course, even If a band Of day
| light robbers successfully accomplished
| this trick, they could not get away
| with their booty. even II they had
race horses waiting for them outside
/ the building They would be
swooped down upon by uniformed men
1 in such numbers that with them II
would be a case OF h~"ds mp before
\ they had reached che exits Not
withstanding all this, a daylight rob
/ berry Of the treasury IS much more
! practicable than a night robbery, al
. though ! should not particularly care
10 be a riuEloader Of such foolharly
! robbers. either al high noon or mid.
night There would be some tail old
shooting In this building on such ar
occasion.