Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-09-09
Guarding OUR MONEY
How the Treasury Vaults at
Washington Are Protected.
WATCHERS DAY AND NIGHT.
Always on Duty and Always Prepared
to Shoot to kiIl-Never Has Dol
lar Been Taken From Them by
Force-One Daring Scheme.

Force-One Daring Scheme.
Not a dollar has ever been taken
from the United States treasury by
force
Perhaps the nearest approach to loot
ing the vaults of the treasury was the
time Martin Broadfoot had his plans
about perfected. This was back in the
eighties, and the plan was to get into
the building by means of the great
sewer which runs under and near the
treasury and is known as the Fifteenth
street sewer and which grows larger
as it enters the Potomac about three
quarters of a mile from the White
House.
Broadfoot's plan, as developed after
his arrest, was to get into the building
crack the safes and place the money
in large rubber bags and float them
down the sewer to the Potomac. where
! his pals would be in waiting. These
bags were found in his room when he
was arrested, and secret service men
had often seen him walking along the
! shores Of the Potomac near where the
/ big sewer empties This sewer Is
about nine feet in diameter where 1t
passes the treasury. A man could
easily make his way up the sewer
| through stream of water which un-
der normal conditions is only about
twelve inches deep. BY entering the
| tunnel or sewer at the river the jour.
| ney to the treasury could be made by
keeping a sharp lookout. When the
man or men in the sewer reached the
| Fifteenth street sewer nothing would
| separate them from the gold coin and
bullion except about eighteen feet of
earth and not too secure stone wall.
1t was Broadfoot's scheme to dig his
way through this obstruction and to
let the earth float or wash down the
sewer. 1t would not have taken one
man more than two weeks working
only at night. to have made an opening
large enough for a man to crawl
through. OF course Broadfoot knew
the exact location of the vaults, and
when he once reached them he would
have had no trouble in getting the gold
coin and bullion. 1t was evidently his
purpose to fill the rubber bags with
the precious stuff and float them down
the sewer to the river, where they
would be looked after by his confed-
crates. This was the only really well
laid plot ever made to loot the treas
ury, and just why Broadfoot was
never given a trial has never been
known to the public He was an intel
ngent man, and suspicion was first
aroused against him by his frequent
visits to the money rooms and vaults
and by the questions he asked watch
men and messengers as to the hours
Of duty. when the time locks closed
and what time they opened, and all
such questions. That he could have
successfully carried out his plans SO
far as getting into the building and
the vaults are concerned there is no
question, for men have been In the
sewer and conduits who say that 1t
would have been easy work. The most
difficult part of the job would have
been in getting away with the money
and bullion. for 1t would have required
hard work to secure 1t and get away.
About the only chance would have
been to bury it somewhere in Virginia,
for If 1t had been placed on boats 1t
would have been easy to recover 1t.
1t is the opinion Of the secret service
men that many celebrated cracksmen
have from time to time contemplated
the conversion of few million treas
ury notes to their own use, but after
careful study they have decided that
the undertaking was too colossal In
character. Secretary Folger when he
assumed his duties was not slow in
deciding that the treasury was not
properly and safely guarded. There
was not an electric alarm In the build
ing. the watchmen were isolated and
had no facilities for calling help, and
the safes were of the old time lock and
key sort, scattered almost all over the
big building. The secretary went to
work to bring about proper condition
of affairs. He had the watch system
completely changed and recognized,
putting them under the strictest disci-
pine Elaborate and extensive alarm
systems were installed. The old safes
were replaced by modern steel affairs
with time locks and intricate combina-
lions. The gold and silver vaults were
fitted with steel castings and time
locks, different parts Of the combina-
tions being distributed among various
officials, SO that the vaults could be
opened only with the concerted action
Of all of them, and then only at the
stroke of the hour for which the time
locks had been set But without per-
feet system of watchmen to guard the
safes the treasury could be easily rob
bed, for the most perfect safe ever
made is not proof against the profess
SIGNALS.
The watch force of the treasury is
perfectly organized, and the least in
fraction of rules means layof or dis
charge. The men seem to realize the
heavy responsibilities resting upon
them, and they are careful almost to a
fault The watch is divided into three
reliefs. the tour Of duty lasting for