Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-02-05
GUARDING OUR MONEY
How the Treasury Vaults al
Washington Are Protected.
WATCHERS DAY AND NIGHT

Always on Duty and Always Prepared
to Shoot to kiII-Never Has a Dol
lar Been Taken From Them by
~Force-one Daring Scheme.
Not a dollar has ever been taken
from the United States treasury by
force
Perhaps tne 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 1t enters the Potomac about three
quarters of a mile from the White
House.
Broadfoots plan, as developed after
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. man could
easily make his way up the sewer
| through a stream of water which I'M
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
It was Broadfoot's scheme to dig bis
way through this obstruction and to
let the earth float or wash down the
sewer It would not have taken one
man more than two weeks. working
only at night to have made an opening
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 vel
laid plot ever made to loot the treas
nry, and just why Broadfoot was
never given a trial has never beer
known to the public He was an intel
ligent man. and suspicion was hrs
aroused against him by his frequeu
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 al
| such questions. That he could hav'
successfully carried out his plans s.
far as getting into the building ant
the vaults are concerned there is n,
question, for men have been in tn
sewer and conduits who say that !
would have been easy work. The mos
difficult part of the job would hav
been in getting away with the none,
and bullion. for 1t would have requires
hard work to secure it and get away
About the only chenc would hav
been to bury it somewhere in Virginia
for if it had been placed on bouts
would have been easy to recover it.
1t is the opinion OF the secret seiTic
men that many celebrated eracks'ne
have from time to time contemplate
!, the conversion Of a few million treas
ury notes to their own use. but affe
careful study they have decided tina
the undertaking was too colossal i
character. Secretary Folger when b
! assumed his duties was not slow !
deciding that the treasury was nc
! properly and safely guarded. Their
was not an electric alarm in the built
ing, the watchinen were isolated an
! had no facilities for calling help, an
the safes were of the old time lock an
) | key sart, scattered almost all over tn
Z big building The secretary went
work to bring about q proper conditlo
Of affairs. .:e had the watch systei