The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-26
LARGE FORCE ID
 GUARD TREASURY Uncle Sam'S Money Is Under
 Watchful Eyes ELECTRICITY AIDS MAN An Elaborate System of Wires Gives Alarm to Guards-vaults Are Old
 Fashionc l and Could Be
 Easily Entered.
ELECTRICITY AIDS MAN
BY w. w. PRICE,

Washington, March 25.-(Special. Joe combinations time locks and other pro- lection surrounding the millions of dol lars of the United States in the big vaults of the treasury, expert cracksmen and safe men would have an easy time gel- ting to the money but for the watchmeR who guard the immense treasure through the long hours of the night In the day time the watchfulness Is exercised by regular clerks of the big financial estab- lishment that Uncle Sam operates.
 The treasury watch force consists O. seventy men, including two lieuten- ants Capt. II. A. Cobaugh, the captain of the force, makes total of eighty. The force is divided into two reliefs The until 1 o'clock in the afternoon, consists of Just fifteen men besides the captain. The duties of the men in the day. are chief ly as doorkeepers. They have iF respOiisi- bility in connection with the S1, 900, too of cash and United States bonds that day relief from s o'clock in the morning are on deposit in the vaults. At all of the doors and entrances they are station ed to keep watch over the hundreds of visitors, to preserve order keep out ped dlers, sharpers, swlndlers and ticket sell lers. The rules of the treasury prevent ticket selling and any form of molestation that will take up the time of employees
 New Relief on Duty.
 At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, half an hour before the busy thousands leave their desks for their homes. another re- lief comes on duty and remains until mid night. This relief consists of thirty-two men, including one lieutenant. The mid night relief consists of exactly the same number of men, headed by lieutenant. while at any hour of the night Captain Cobaugh Is liable to drop in to ascer- tain how things are going, and to re- ceye reports. Shortly after 4:30 o'clock every door in the big department is closed except the main one. fronting on Fifteenth street. The doors are fastened with the immense locks that have been upon them for so many years, and between these doors and the outside is a heavy iron grating that is carefully and securely locked. There is not much attempt made to secure the windows, as there would be some difficulty in getting to them ex- cept 'by climbing over the iron fences surrounding the treasury grounds. Such a performance would attract attention on the streets.
 Force Is Reduced.
 With all the doors closed except gre, doorkeepers are not needed and the entire force of each relief, with the exception of reserve of four or five men on duty near the main door, is stationed in the north pant of the buildings, where all the money vaults are situated. Armed with the latest pattern of 38-calibre army pis- tol and with quick reach of Krag-Jor- genson rifles, the watch force over mill lions keeps silent vigil. There is no chance to go to sleep, as each watchman must signal his presence at his post every fifteen minutes during the night, and the lieutenant on duty keeps a record of these signals. If a man should go as long as five minutes beyond the time for turning in his signal some of the reserve men would start at once for his post and quickly make an investigation. It Is sell dom that this occurs. Years ago the missing signal did not come over the cleo tric wires to the lieutenant from certain spot. He went to investigate. His man was missing from the post. quick search revealed him stretched out in tha dark recess of a big underground coal bin stone dead. His huge army pistol lay near him and half his head was blown off He had committed suicide. He left note on piece of brown wrapping pa- per. in which he said that he was sorry the captain of the watch had not come that way, as he wanted to kill him first. ne Hau IdHcleu that HIS cilieA Hdu ie III for him, but his grievance was not correct. Large rats were running over the dead watchman, who said in his note that he would haunt the captain of the watch the rest of his life. So far Captain CO., baugh has not been pestered by appari- tions resembling the watchman.
 Clerks Report.
 Before the several hundred clerks and ars- knd xrftfh office of Treasurer Roberts leave their posts at 4:SO o'clock they report to the captain of the watch that all the vaults sixteen in number-have been secureiy locked and that the last thing these em- ployes do is to set the time locks, wnicn prevent any human being getting into the vaults until the hour fixed Tor opening next morning. Treasurer Roberts himself the man who is responsible for the mil-