Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-08
TAFT EASY TO GUARD
Less Strenuous Habits Would
Be Relief After Roosevelt.
docs NOT COUNT DANGER
Secret Service Men Kept on Edge
by Present Executive.
SHADOWS HAVE NO EASY JOB
Never Know What President Will
Do Newfoundland Not Such
an open-Air Exerciser.
DOES NOT COUNT DANGER
SHADOWS HAVE NO EASY JOB

Secret service men assigned to the
White House. but now at Oyster Bay. will
have no objection If William H. Taft is
elected President They feel they can
compete with his 800 pounds without the
with the 200 pounds Of muscle and activ-
ity of Theodore Roosevelt.
The cold fact is that President Roose-
Welt has given more people than heads of
corporations the shivers. He has kept
the wiry secret service men on edge at
all times They have never known what
he would do next-whether a twenty-mile
walk, going at rapid pace, or a horse
back ride.
There are two good men who have been
at the White House as shadows for
Roosevelt for years. They are Jimmy
Sloan from Danville. ILL.,, the home Of
Speaker Cannon. and Joe Murphy, an in
telligent athletic young 1rishman. who
has lived in st. Louis and elsewhere. Both
are small men. short and weighing less
than $50 pounds. but athletes and game
to the core. and cool under emergencies.
Experiences With Mr.. Roosevelt.
ences with Mr.. Roosevelt on his trips
through the country. but have never had
trouble in Washington with cranks or
Others
When the President travels the danger
of attack Is always greater. Strange
looking men crowd up to him. Secret
service men sometimes have to be rough
in handling these men.
+ In Washington there is little or no
bother. less outside of the White House
than in it.. Washington people under
stand thoroughly that the President is not
to be molested on the streets. He comes
and goes without being held up In any
manner.
People bow and lift their hats and there
is no interference. He rides, walks. does
what he wants. although he Is invariably
accompanied by secret service or other
officers. Upon his walks the secret serv-
ice men must be sure to be near him.
He never informs them Of his intention
to take a stroll. Somebody around the
executive offices, however, always knows
what his purposes are. Secretary Loeb
has given standing orders that he must
be informed at once so that he can tip off
the detectives. When the President goes
horseback riding or driving there are
either the two secret service men or two
city detectives on bicycles.
Two Of Washington's best bicycle de-
tectives have been assigned for years to
follow the President on his rides or
drives. They are fast riders themselves
and they keep close to the President.
Force Supplemented at Oyster Bay.
At Oyster Bay the two steady secret
service men-Sloan and Murphy-are sup
plemented by four or five post ONCE in
spectors. The squad Of men take turns
at guarding the Oyster Bay home. the
work there being harder than in Wash
ington.
Here the regular blue-coated police take
pretty good care of the grounds around
the executive off1ve. All Sloan and Muir
ply have to do Is to look out for wan
dering crank who may get into the execu-
tive Offices and to be ready to follow the
chief executive.
They have nothing to do with hauling
up cranks who may get into the White
House grounds. Policemen do that. At
both police and detective duty.
Mr.. Taft is active on his feet. but he
would not undertake long and fast walks
His exercise is on horseback and an &C.
casional game OF golf.
The practice Of guarding Presidents with
secret service ofiicers is comparatively
new. 1t has grown since the assassination
Of Mckinley at Buffalo.
Up to that time President Mckinley had
no secret service men around him at the
White House to follow his every move
ment. When he went out of the city.
however. there was always a man on the
trains with him so as to protect him
from rude and obtrusive people in va
rious cities and towns
One Of these men was with him at
Buffalo. but not close enough to stop the
assassin. After his ASA ssination one
man was kept steadily with President
Roosevelt.
The first man assigned to guard Mr.
Roosevelt was Detective Craig. who was
killed In a trolley car accident at Pitts
field. Mass. on one of the first trips Mr..
Roosevelt ever made. Since that time
two men have been on constant duty
around the White House during the hours
the President was in his Office or wnen
likely to be out for exercise. The night
hours are cared for by the regular police.