The National tribune., 1901-10-03
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.
At the reouest of President Roosev,

the use of Mr.. Roosevelt. The horse,
which is a typical cavalry mount. is now
in the White House stables and will, 1t
is said, be used frequently. \ regular
cavalry saddle and trappings were also
secured by Col. Whitney, to be used by
President Roosevelt.
The detective force furnishes the men
who look out for the President after he
has passed beyond the precincts Of the
squad at the White House. Two and
sometimes more are detailed to look out
for the Executive every time he goes out,
and the time is as well known at police
headquarters as it is at the White House.
When the President drives the detectives
usually drive behind him. Half the time
the President does not know he IS being
watched.
Last Sunday, when President Roosevelt
went to church and dismissed the bicycle
policemen, he heaved sigh of relief, and
thought that for once he was unmatched.
He did not notice. however, that he ran
into uniformed policeman at almost
every street corner, and that there were
two quietly dressed men walking along
returning from church, like himself, but
who, in reality, were detectives on the
alert for any suspicious looking individual
who might approach.
The facts about the socalled detect
ives" who were supposed to guard the
President at Buffalo are that they were
no detectives in any sense of the word.
They had no experience with criminals,
oc crimes, but were merely young men of
Washington who managed to get nice
berths in attendance upon the President.
am convinced that if a real detective,
al
had been beside the President, CZ0lgosz
would have probably been detected in his
murderous attempt. and possibly frus-
trated. His deed required a good deal of
preparation, practice and summoning of
his nerve at the moment He must have
revealed this by his eyes. Now, any man
who has had dealings with criminals
knows that the thing to do is to watch
their eyes. If there had been real de-
tectiye alongside of President Mckinley,
intent upon preventing him from being
assaulted, he would have watched with
the greatest closeness the eyes of every
one who approached. Czolgosz's eyes
would have certainly betrayed his pur-
pose. The youngster who was playing
detective had no such thought in his mind,
and contented himself with helping hurry
the people elong past the President.
Despite President Roosevelt's aversion
to espionage of any kind and his repeat
ed statements to the effect that he is per-
fectly capable of taking care of himself,
he is probably one of the most closely
watched and carefully guarded men in
the world, at least while he is in Wash
ington.
The people of Washington have been
used to seeing the Chief Magistrates of
the land during their terms of Office walk
ing or driving about the streets. Presi-
dents Grant and Harrison were fond of
walking along the leading thoroughfares,
looking into the shop windows and oc-
casonally stopping to chat with acquaint-
| ances. They appeared to be alone. Pres
idents Arthur and Cleveland liked moth
ing better than to drive along the smooth
streets behind a spanking pair-and they
had the horses, too. President Mckinley
was accustomed to drive out through the
suburbs regularly ON pleasant evenings
and enjoyed them. They were seldom
! guarded in ostentatious fashion.
1t is probable. however, that no Presi-
dent of the United States since Lincoln
has stirred a foot outside the door of the
White House without being watched over
as carefully as 1t is possible to guard
man without an actual bodyguard of
troops. When the President walked his
guardians walked behind and before.
When he drove, they drove also. Few of
the Presidents knew that such precau-
tons were taken, all, like President Roose-
welt, scorning such surveillance, but the
fact remains that they were guarded, and
closely.
The vigilance which has protected the
Presidents and kept them from harm at
the hands of cranks and fanatics, while
in Washington-their authority extends 10
farther than the limits of the District
has been that of the local police force,
and now the Department feels charged,
despite President Roosevelt's wishes, to
keep watch of his person. Men specially
trained for this work are on duty at the
Executive Mansion and at police head
quarters, to whom political changes make
no difference. Some of the men on the POI
lice force have performed duty of this
nature ever since the present Department
was organized, during the civil war. Some
of the men on duty at the White House
have been there for three Administrations
and many officers of the force owe their
promotion from the ranks to the efficiency
with which they have discharged their
duties in connection with the guarding OF
the President.
The watchword of the Presidents police
squad is eternal-vigilance, and night and
day they are on duty. In an out-of-the
way corner of the grounds surrounding
the Executive Mansion is a small watch
box, in which will be found a police
man at any hour of the "a. Distributed
about the grounds are four others. In
side the mansion three more watch night
and day. This force is never lessened
under any circumstances.
The squad is under the orders of two
Sergeants, one Of whom is on duty by day
and the other at night. The district they
patrol is entirely separate and distinct
from any police precinct, and Sergeants
receive their orders directly from the Ma
jOr and Superintendent as do the Lieu
tenants of the precincts. Inside the
watch box a member of the force keeps
an eye upon an indicator, which at all
times tells him just where the men are.
The grounds Immediately surrounding
the Executive Mansion are divided into
four posts, which the policemen patrol
regularly. So rigid are the precautions
that each man is compelled to cover every
post at specified intervals, day and night,
and report to the man in the box by
means of an electric push button, when
he enters and when he leaves the various
posts. The patrolmen are on duty eight
hours. They start out one man to each
post. At the end of an hour they report
to the patrolman in the box and change
posts. They are required to cover the
posts thoroughly and report every unusual
happening. The Sergeant on duty is
prowling about the grounds at all times,
and is required to hold the men to strict
account for their service. He visits each