The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-12-10
DOOHNEN At THE BANKS,
Most of Them Retired Policemen
Their Chief Du,y TO Watch Faces.

Ihefr CHIEF Duty to Watch Faces.
The man In uniform in the bank 's
good deal more than sign post.
From A VI uatil after banking
| ncu-f he stands there apparently for
t." sol oNr3n 2 of directing strang-
rrs ~ the p.oYer windows But there
Is good deal more that he does
Tha; ~ why at the larger banks
mere are few among the doormen
VINO nave not been policemen Many
CT them were sergeants or captains.
The chief duty of these men Is to
watch faces and warn the tellers Of
men they suspect. Most of them are
familiar with the faces of the old
crooks and are able to pick out the
new crooks almost instantly.
The knowledge of faces that some
OF theso doormen possess Is remark
able story Is told OF George n.
hewitt, who for thirty-one years has
been the doorman OF the First Ma
tional Bank, New York, which is .yp-
ical OF Ill these men.
man came In who fifteen years
before had been depositor at the
bank. He had gone to Europe. AMI
after that lapse of time had come
back with beard and fifteen years
more OF life on his shoulders As
soon ds he entered the bank Hewitt
was h re with his greeting. Good
mornins Mr. Farr," as though the
man had been away for hut wee Z.
Ihere are probably ten tho sand
men who in the course Of decade
ieal with the First National Eew'tt
knows every one os them.
There /, another duty that these
doormen perform. Often during tho
course of the day one Of the clerks %
sent out with a large sum of money
10 another bank. The doorman al |
ways accompanies him to see that lis |
progress through the crowded streets |
Is not interrupted by some crook |
who .nows the value of the roll the |
clerk carries with him.
The Oldest bank doorman in New
York Is George II. Hewitt Of the |
First National Bank. In the old
days the police force stationed men
at man. of the larger banks. Hewitt 1
was one of these men. He has been
there ever since, now more than thir-
ty-one years. His partner John Budd,
has been in the employ Of the bank
for six years and before that was on
the police force for many years.
The only police captain in this bus
mess is Francis J. Kear of the Gem
tr"l Trust Company. Kear retired
on his pension. but instead of living
in idleness is to be seen every day
watching the faces that enter the
,r"st company, looking for old &C
GU III tances in The crooked world
Another old timer is Christopher
Sr;ith CT the Merchants Bank. Smith
had the post at Broadway and Cham
c,rs street for eighteen years There
was not a prominent New Yorker in
the old days that he did not know.
One day President Grant was cross
ing TIE street there when a truck
camH tearing around the corner. !
Smith grabbed the President Just N
time and saved him from injury. The
General turned to him with a humar-
ous expression on his face and saii
You are the first man who ever
1erked me around like that"
After that whenever Grant passed
that way he had cigar for the off GER
on the post. Smith has tales to tell |
of all the men of that day, Arthur,
Tilden, Tweed, Roscoe Conkling.
Ther1 is not Judge that he did not
know, nor mayor.