The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-06-25
GUARDING THE
KINGS CASTLE
Precautions at Windsor for
Safety Of Sovereign and
Royal Visitors.


,and yard, and known anarchists
have been watched for at the ports,
and those whose presence is known
IN This country have been Swallowed.
The precautions, however, taken for
tho safety OF King Edward are so
k.1rearly perfect that little remains to
ho done in the actual guardianship
of Windsor Castle.
For an unauthorized person to gain
an entrance into one of the Kings
nalaces is almost an impossibillty. 1t
has been done, but the number Of
times could be almost counted en-
the fingers Of the hand.
Within the walls of Windsor Castle
are treasures Of priceless value. ana
even if the court is not in residence
no one can enter without his pres
ence being known to the police.
Although the royal residences are
so we'll guarded at all times the guarH
is strongest when a foreign sover-
eign pays state visit 10 this con-
try. Then almost every other man IS
detective within a mile or two CT
Windsor Castle, and no one who is
not well known has the slightest
chance of getting within easy reach
Of the royal apartments.
When the King is in residence at
\ Windsor the guards are doubled. In
stead of one man marching up and
down with bayonet fixed between
sentry box and sentry box there are
two.
Then there are Metropolitan police
men on duty at each gateway, as well
as royal gatekeepers in scarlet and
gold livery In addition to that there
are plain clothes detectives and night
watchmen.
A lunatic seldom gets further
than Henry Wills gateway at Wind
sor. The little police Office is just
inside the gate, and here is officially
recorded every day anything of note
that takes place within the precincts
Of the castle.
A few yards inside the gateway
are also the quarters Of the officer
who is in command of the castle
guard. Telephones are installed all
|. over the castle and the different en-
fances are connected with the main
y switchboard near the equerries' en-
trance.
II a paper knife were taken out
Of the castle today it would be missed
tomorrow. Every treasure and piece
Of furniture in Windsor Castle is en-
tered into huge books and photo
graphs are kept of all the most val
liable articles.
The sentries were always provided
with ball cartridge until guardsman
dred three bullets into a stone ele-
plant on the East Terrace OF Wind
sor Castle. which he mistook for a
ghost in the mists of the early morn
Ing. Now they have to depend on
their bayonets.
It is very seldom that thefts take
place at royal residences. The police
have power to search all bags or
parcels being conveyed from the roy
q palaces. Many years ago sentry
1t Windsor Castle managed to hook
down valuable gold watch and
chain from one Of the royal apart
ments with his bayonet on the end
n his rifle, but he was quickly found
out and punished.
A night Waterman goes on duty in
eide the castle at Windsor every
night and comes off in the morning.
In case Of fire he would at once give
the alarm and in a very few min
utes the royal firemen and castle
guard would be on the spot and all
entrances would be closed and guard
ID. The same system prevails at the
chief Of the other royal residences.
There used to be sentries at Frog.
v more in the early part Of the last
century, but there are none now.
Around the Royal Mausoleum at
rogmore, where Queen Victoria's re-
mains repose, the Metropolitan po.
lice are on duty all through the TWEEN.
ty-four hours.
The penalty for a soldier failing to
perform his duty when on guard out
side royal residences is so severe
That there are very few cases indeed
On record Of men having to be taken
on their posts.
Two hours on and four hours OH
duty are the allotted times in the
twenty-four hours round, and men
are very seldom discovered asleep
When the court Is in residence at the
chief royal palaces the strain OF duty
u very severe at times.
The royal household police o!
course take turns at night and day
] duty. and when I'm nortant functions