Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-15
Llbrnry BURGLAR Alarm.

OMAHA, March 1A--To the Editor of The
Bee: In the most prominent part of the
front page Of last evenings Bee appears
a sensational article headed Alarm System
Mere Joke" in which City Electrician
Michaelsen is quoted as giving notice to
the burglar fraternity Of the country that
they have nothing to fear In attempting to
rob the city OF its collection Of coins and
In which Mr. Michaelsen holds up the
Library board for censure for neglecting to
properly safeguard this valuable collection.
The facts of the case are, several years
ago the Wolfe Electrical company, under
the direction of City Electrician Schurig,
equipped the Byron Reed room and cases
with the latest up-to-date electrical bur
glar alarm protection. II was pronounced
by Mr.. Schurig TO be the very best and on
his approval OF the same the Library board
installed It at a large expense. This alarm
system has never failed and has proven It's
efficacy on every occasion. There have
been three attempts to rob the Byron Reed
coin collection and the alarm has responded
each time promptly and In the most salts
factory manner, IN one case resulting in the
arrest and conviction OF the burglar. On
the occasion OF the recent burglary Of the
Byron Reed collection thet alarm worked
promptly and perfectly, and had II not been
for the negligence OF the Telephone COM
pany in reporting the burglar alarm only
to their lineman instead OF Immediately re-
porting It also to police headquarters; and
had Il not been for the inexcusable careless
ness and delay OF the police department in
falling to respond promptly when the alarm
was given, the burglar would have undoubt-
edly been apprehended
One night Waterman who knew that the
burglar alarm had gone of promptly, after
waiting an interminable time and despair
ing OF any response from the police, jumped
out Of the second story window and with q
broken leg dragged his way TO the fire
engine house across the street and gave the
alarm. After all this the police depart.
ment. instead Of reporting Immediately al
the library. waited until the police surgeon
got up, dressed and rode with the officers
to the engine house in order to combine ar
emergency and burglar alarm.
1t was all of twenty minutes after tho
alarm was given at police headquarter'
before anybody appeared at the library.
/ The Library board at the last MONTH,
meeting instructed its attorney to investl
| gate and place the responsibility of thi
failure to promptly report the alarm a
police headquarters. and If the fault lie
with the telephone company, as It appears
/ NhSH fiNkdi sNtps will We AdfAfil " hplu
responsible for the lost coins.
1t seems a little strange that City Elec
| trician Michaelsen. whose business 1t is Il
look after and inspect electric alarm sys
tens OF the city, should at this late dat
find out that the alarm system at tn
library is a mere Joke. The fact that al
electric alarm will sometimes get out of or
4 der and send In false alarm is just a
true Of the fire alarm and police ALARM
! systems as II is OF the burglar alarm sys
TEN OF the Byron Reed room.
II the telephone company, the city cleo
trician and the police department Of Oman
had done their duty as we'll as the Librar
board is doing its duty to protect the Byro
Reed collection. this burglar would hav
been apprehended and the collection woul
still be intact. The loss Of few coins
fortunately easily replaced, cannot be lai
to the negligence Of the Library board no
TO any defect or insufiiciency Of the burgla
alarm protection. Respectfully,
+. l.. HALLER,
Member of the Library Board.