The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-14

/ ASNVsstef nay AAFaAa Resi-
dencc Ii Not Fully Protected.
Oyster Bay IS laughing over the dis
comhture of BIZ Snitkin, says the New
York Evening Sun. At the same time it
is worried over the idea that the Presi-
dent of the United States is not amply
/ protected. No one hereabout ever dream
/ ed that it was easy to wander about Sag
amore Hill unmOlested at the dead OF
night. The story came as a revelation,
and the laugh is on the Secret Service
men, whose function it is TO guard the
! President, as well as on Bill Snitkin. IL
cidentally Bill is out SIS.
The plot was hatched. according TO
one Of the participants. in the barroom
Of the Octagon Hotel Bill has lived in
/ Oyster Bay all his life, and is as proud
Of the fact that the President OF the
/ United States lives there as that he him
4 self has an enormous capacity for Oyster
Bay fre-water Bill wandered into the
Octagon night before last and proceeded
TO put finishing touches 70 his Fourth Of
/ July celebration. His eyes wandered 10
the sign which Sam the bartender had
hung up over the bottles, announcing his
new masterpiece, the Fairbanks RoOse-
welt cocktail" Bills imagination was
instantly touched, and the way he went
at the new beverage made Sans heart
glad.
Two WasbingfOnianH.
In the course Of the evening Bill struck
up an acquaintance with two men who
had come TO oyster Bay TO see the Presi-
dents home. They had been out to Saga
more Hill during the afternoon and were
discussing the insufficient way IN which
the President seemed to be guarded
They had seen but little Of the Secret
Service men, and had had no difficulty
in driving around the Roosevelt estate.
We're from Washington" said ons
and it seems TO be the easiest thing in
the world for any one TO approach the
President III bet I could go TO Saga
more Hill any time OF the day or night
and no one would stop me-"
This was rank heresy to Bill. He knew
the Secret Service men personally. and
they had often told him how hard their
duties were, and how carefully they had
TO stand guard.
I'll take that bet" said Sam, wei
try it tonight"
So it was agreed that the attempt &c
circUmuavigate Sycamore Hill should be
made al L o'clock last night Just as
the hour struck the three climbed into a
one-horse runabout and started out the
Cove road They reached Sycamore Hin
at l o'clock in the morning, and drove
boldly through the gate onto the Roose-
welt grounds Ordinarily. there is E Sc
cret Service man stationed right at this
gate, but according to one Of the men
who took the drive none showed up 70
stop the party. They drove up the wind
ing hill, he afterward said. under the
porte-cochere. and completely circled the
house itself.
Presidents Guard.
-Four Secret Service men are supposed
10 guard the Presidents grounds at night
and four during the day. They are sta
toned at various points around the
grounds, one at g rustic seat under a
tree half way up the winding road. For
some reason or other none Of them ap-
peared to interrupt the successful entry
Of the three men in the runabOut. Il
was about o'clock in the morning when
the carriage stopped in front of the barn
directly IN the rear Of the house.
BY this time Bill was sound asleep.
The two Washingtonians, chuckllng over
their success, cuffed the sleeping Oyster
Batian until he awoke. Bill rubbed his
startled eyes, and the men showed him
what looked to be the Presidents house.
1t was some time before he could realize
that he was actually within a few feet
Of the horne of the President Of the United
States at o'clock in the morning, with
the President and his family asleep with
in easy call Of his voice. Not a dog
barked. not a stable hand or a Secret
Service man appeared When Bill had
become fairly awake the driver took the
three out Of the grounds, stu without
meeting any opposition. and went back 10
the village. over more cocktails IN the
barroom of the Octagon Bill, sadly crest
fallen, paid his SO The two Washing
tonians left by an early train.
No Money Back.
When Bill came 10 the next morning
he began 10 doubt that the men had
taken him to Sycamore Hill at all. The
more he thought it over the more con-
WINGED he became that another house
on che grounds had been palmed of on
him It was too late. however. TO get
HIS money back for the men had gone
When Secretary Loeb was asked II
IL were possible for such an incident
to take place he laughed.
Utterly impossible" he said why,
there are four Secret Service men up
there all night"
They may be up there" some one
suggested. but that doesn't guaran-
tee that they are on the job"
NO" replied the Secretary, but even
If they were asleep the dogs would
have awakened everybody. The Sc
cret Service men are the best that can
be obtained anywhere and they are al