Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-10-03
GUARDING OUR MONEY
How the Treasury Vaults at Washington Are Protected.
WATCHERS DAY AND NIGHT.
Always on Duty and Always Prepared to Shoot to kill--Never Has a Dol lar Been Taken From Them by Force-Ons Daring Scheme.

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 neap the
 treasury and is known as the Fifteenth
 street sewer and which grows larger
 as 1t enters the Potomac about three
 quarters of 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 it
 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 10 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
 Ii was Broadfoot's scheme to dig his way through this obstruction and to let the earth float or wash down the man more than two weeks working only at night. to have made an opening large enough for 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. Ii 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 n trial has never been known to the public He was an intel llgpnt 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 Ii 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 it and get away. About the onfy chance would have been 10 bury 1t somewhere in Virginia, for if It had been placed on boats 1t would have been easy to recover 1t.
 II 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 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 reorganized, putting them under the strictest disci- pliie Elaborate and extensive alarm systems were installed. The old safes were replaced by modern steel affairs with time locks and intricate combina- tions. The gold and silver vaults were fitted with steel castings and time locks. different parts of the comblna- 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 profes- sionals.
 The watch force Of the treasury is perfectly organized. and the least in- fraction of rules means layoff 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 rellefs. the tour of duty lasting for eight hours. However, the watch does nof anficiNafe an attack by rObbprS