The Colfax chronicle., 1903-05-16
WATCH ON TREASURY VAULTS.
Constant Guard ON the Governmenrs
Aohey Rooms-Only Plan Ever
Made to Rob Them.

Not dollar has ever been taken
from the United States treasury by
force, but some of the older watchmen
tell stories of attempted filchings of
the enation's wealth BY robbers and BAN
ults. Why these attempts have never
carried to success is said to be due
to the fact that the robbers lost their
nerve.
Perhaps the nearest approach to
iooting the vaults of the treasury was
the time Martin Broadfoot had his
plans perfected" said an old watch
man, who had been on duty at the
treasury for many years, according
to the Detroit Free Press. This was
back in the eighties, and the plan
was to get into the building by means
OF the great sewer which runs under
and near the treasury, known as the
Fifteenth street sewer, and which
grows larger as it enters the Potomac,
about three-quarters of a mile from
the white house. Broadfoot's plan. as
developed after his arrest, was to get
INTO the building, crack the safes, and
piace the money in large rubber bags
and hoat them down the sewer to the
Potomac, where his pals would be in
waiting. These bags were found in
MS room, when he was arrested. and
secret service men had often seen him
walking along the shores of the Po-
tomac near where the big sewer emp
ues. This sewer is about nine feet in
diameter, where it passes the treasury.
A man could easily make his way up
the sewer. through a stream Of water.
winch under normal conditions is only
ABOUT IL inches deep. BY entering the
sewer at the river, the journey to the
treasury could easily be made by keep
ing sharp lookout. When the man
OF men In the sewer reached the Fif-
teenth street sewer nothing would
separate them from the gold coin and
ouilon except about 1S feet of earth
ano not too secure stone wall 1t was
nroao1oots scheme to dig his wav
through this obstruction and LET the
earth hoat or wash down the sewer
II would not have taken one man more
tnan two weeks, working only at night
20 nave made an opening large enough
,or man to crawl through. OF course
oroad1oot knew the exact location of
ne vaults, and when he once reached
mem ne would have had no trouble
n getting the gold coin and bull;op
I was evidently his purpose to fl
ne rnooer bags with the precious stuff
lnd noat them down the sewer to the
i'er where they could be looked aft
r by his confederates.
oeheve that this was the only
eaiiy weil-laid plot ever made 10 loot
ne treasury, and just WHY Broad-
oot was never given a trial b.ya
ever been able to learn. He was an
man, and suspicion was
rs' aroused against him by his fire.
uent visits to the money rooms and
auits, and by the questions he asked
'atchmen and messengers as IN the
ours OF duty, when the time lock.
losed and what time they opened.
nd such questions. That he could
ave successfully carried out his plan
iar as getting into the building
nd the vaults are concenrued tbers
no question in my mind. for men
ave been in the sewer and condu;ts
no say that it would have been easy
ork' The most difficult part of the
10 would have been in getting awav ;
TN the money and bullion, for it
ouid have required hard work to
cure 1t and get away. About the
aiy chance would have been to bury I
somewhere in Virginia; for if Il :
I'd been placed on boats it. would
I'VE been easy to recover it."
The watch force of the treasury is
'rfectly organized and the least in
action of rules means a Iay-off or
scharge. The men seem to realize
at heavy responsibilities rest upop
EN- and they are careful almost to m
fault. The watch is divided into Al
rec reliefs. The tour of duty last.
: eight hours. The midnight watch h,
considered the most important Of b
three on account Of the noe. W
rnal preferences of burglars. OF