The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-03
GUARD THE PRESIDENT.
Whenever He Appears In Public He
Is Guarded by Detectives.


Whenever He Appears In Public He
Is Guarded by Detectives.
HOW the detectives guard the Presd't
The care with which President Nc
.<inley is guarded when away from
Washington Is known to only a few
ington Sta. The silent, observant men
who are assigned to protest the chief
executive naturally make no display OF
their business. and the chances are
that the president himself knows not
who they are. They do not make
themselves known to him or to any
one else unless absolutely necessary.
Yet they are within speaking distance
Of him on all occasions when he appears
in a crowded place or Is riding along a
crowded thoroughfare. That is what
they are paid for. They are to keep
their eyes open for suspicious charac-
tiers and to protect the president from
harm Of any kind. either intentional or
accidental.
The men who do this work are from
the secret service bureau. Nobody at
the White house asks for them, as the
president would probably be offended
II he learned that any one thought
he had to be protected from the people
who love to see him. Chief Wilkie Of
the secret service assigns the men and
holds them to account for their work.
Their time is not wholly lost, as they
ascertain facts Of Importance to the
government wherever they go. In all
cities visited by them they encounter
the local detectives and learn whether
there Is counterfeit money in circula-
ton in that section. They are awake
and watchful nearly all the time. They
see all that is going on and hear about
all that Is said. In the hotels where
the president stops they mingfe with
the crowd, apparently as eager to get
glimpse of their chief executive as the
throngs Of curious people in the corri-
doris and on the streets. They have
to know everything about the program
of the day-where the president is go
ing, what time he will be there, who Is
expected and how best to get there
themselves along with him. The last is
generally the most important question
to the detectives-exactly what to do
to be along with the president when
he starts out on the street. They may
have to bride the driver Of the presi-
dents carriage to get a seat beside
him; they may have to bluff the driver,
they may be unable to do either. and
have to walk behind the carriage for
miles. All the same they go with him.
WHEN HE IS AT HOME.
Up to the time of the war with Spain
not so much care was taken in guard
ing the president. He went to many
places without a detective or police
man in sight. He does so in Wash
ington yet, as the amiable and shrewd
chief Of the secret service is not always
aware of the presidents intention to
take an unexpected walk or ride. The
war with Spain, Of course, increased
the possibilities that some crazy Span
lard or Spanish sympathizer might
wath an opportunity to do the presi-
dent harm on some Of his visits out
of the city. Such person could do
no harm at the White house, as cranks
and suspicious people never get access
to the president at the executive man
sion. They are promptly gobbled up
when they appear around the building.
Cranks who go to the White house on
any business nearly always tell their
stories to the doorkeepers or ushers at
the front door, or before reaching the
second story. If they manage to get
through the Gordon Of watchful men
on the first floor they are forced to tell
somebody what they want. and that
exposes their purposes. They are gen.
orally harmless, but no chances are
taken with them. For weeks before
Guiteau shot President Garfield he went
to the White house almost daily to at
tempt to see the president. He was
not arrested, but was given the usual
'jolly" and put off as easily and as
smoothly as possible. Whether that
treatment resulted in his determination
to kill the president. or whether his in
tention had been that from the start Is
not known.
ON THE SOUTHERN TRIP.
On the presidents recent trip to the
south there were two secret service
men along. They went to Atlanta be-
fore the presidents train and secured
quarters at the hotel where the party
would stop. They made themselves ia
miliar with the program for the two
days the president was to be in the city
and then began finding out everything
to be learned. Wherever the president
appeared they were near him. So were
two local detectives assigned by the
police department Of Atlanta. After
addressing the legislature Of Georgia,
the president was to receive the public.
The president walked down the mar
BILE steps Of the state house to hold the
reception. An immense crowd swarm
ed from rear and front to shake hands
with the president, who had stopped
at the last step. He was protected from
the jam by one Of the local detectives,
and also by one Of the secret service