Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-09-27
EIGHTY MEN GUARD
UNCLE SANS MILLIONS


HOW THE CASH OF UNITED STATE I
| PROTECTED FROM THIEvEs-MEN
| WATCH 1T DAY AND NIGHT
| Despite all the electrical devices
warnings, combinations, time. lock-
and other protection surrounding tn
millions of dollars of the United State
in the big vaults of the treasury. exper
cracksmen and safe men would have al
easy time getting to the money hu
for the watchmen who guard the i'm
mense treasure through the long hour
of the night. In the daytime th
watchfuIness is exercised by regula
clerks of the big financial establish
ment that Uncle Sam operates.
The treasury watch force consists OF
saventy-nine men. including two lieu
tenants. Captain IL. A. CObaugh,-tb'
captain of the force, makes q total o
eighty. The force is divided into three
reliefs. The day relief, from s CLOCK
in the morning until O'Clock in th'
afternoon. consists OF just fifteen men
besides the captain. The duties o.
these men in the day are chiefly al
dOorkeepers. They have no respon-
sibility in connection with the 81 .176.
500, 900 of cash and United States bonds
that are on deposit in the vaults. Al
all of the doors and entrances they are
stationed to keep watch over the
hundreds of visitors, preserve order,
keep out peddlers, sharpers, swindlers
and ticket sellers, The rules of the
treasury prevent ticket selling and any
form of molestatiop that Will take up
the time of the employees.
THIRTY TWO MEN WATCH AT NIGHT.
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
midnight. This relief consists of thirty
two men, including one lieutenant.
The midnight relief consists of exactly
the same number of men, headed by a
lieutenant, while at any hour of the
night Captain Cobaugh is liable to
drop in TO ascertain how things are
going and to receive reports.
Shortly after 4:30 o'clock every door
in the big department is closed except
the main door, 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 utside is
heavy iron grating that is carefully
and securely locked. The is not
much attempt made to secure the
windows. as there would be some diff
Guilty in getting TO them except by
climbing over the iron fences sur
rounding the treasury grOunss. Such
a performance would attract attention
on the streets.
With all the doors closed except
one, dOorkeepers are not needed, and
the entire force of each relief, with
the exception of a reserve of four or
five men, on duty near the main door,
is stationed in the north part of the
where all the vaults are situ-
ated. Armed with the latest pattern
of 3S.calibre army pistol and within
quick reach of krag Jorgensen rifles,
the watch force over millions keeps
silent vigil.
There is no chance to go to sleep, as
each watchmaD must signal his pre-.
sence at his post every fifteen minutes
during the night, and the lieutenant
on duty keeps record of these signals.
Ii man should 60 as long as five
minutes beyond the time for turning i n
his signal, some of the reserve men
would start at once for his post and
quickly make an Investigation.
THREATENED TO HAUNT HIM.
1t is seldom that this occurs Years
ago the missing signal did not come
over the electric wires to the lieuten.
ant from certain spot. He went to
investigate His man was missing
from the post. A quick search reveal
ed him stretched out in the dark re-
cesses of 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 a piece of brown wrapp
ing paper, in which be said that he
was sorry the captain of the watch
had not come that way, for be wanted
to kill him first He had fancied that
his chief had it in" for him, but his
grievance was not correct. Large rats
were running over the deed watchman,
who said in his note that he would
haunt the captain of the watch the
rest of his life. So far Captain
C0baugh has not been pestered by ap.
partitions resembling tie watchman.
Before the several hundred clerks
and responsible officials connected
with the Office of Treasurer Roberts
leave their posts at 4:30 O'Clock, they
report TO the captain OF the watch that
all the vaults-sixteen in mum ber-have
been securely locked and that the re-
spOpsibility is with bin until the next
morning at 8 O'Clock.
SET TIME LOCKS.
The last thing these employees do is
to set the time locks, which prevent any
human being getting into the vaults
until the hour for opening next morn
ing. Treasurer Roberts bimself, the
m m who is responsi ble for the millions
of securities and money, could not get
in.
AS further protection, what is call
ed the electric protector is set upon
each door. This is nothing but wood