The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-29
CROOKS WORRY TIE
 NEW YORK POLICE Extra Precautions Taken at
 Equitable Building FORM HOLLOW SQUARE Twelve Hundred of the Ten Thousand Box Renters Have Removed Their
 Treasure-Only One Vault
 Remains to Be Opened
FORM HOLLOW SQUARE

New York January 2s.-(Special. )-Th' presence of a number of desperate crooks some of them of International notoriety in the curious crowds which hang about the ruins of the Equitable building while other valuables are being removed, give the police decided uneasiness.
 Inspector Hughes, on hearing that known thieves and desperadoes were hanging about the neighborhood, sent t of his best men to the aid of those al ready on the ground. among them men who have made a speciality of knowing by sight bank sneaks and safe blowers and highwaymen.
 In the course of removing great steel bound chest filled with gold coin and bullion and so heavy that six men could just barely lift it from the Mercantile Safe Deposit companys vaults, detectives and uniformed men formed a hollow square about the chest, facing out, with their revolvers ready to hand. When the chest had been put on truck the armed escort followed it to the Wall street of fees of the Bankers Trust company, to which the chest belonged.
 Just before noon three men, one a bank sneak, another a burglar and the other transatlantic card sharp, were seen talk ing together on the Broadway sidewalk opposite the ruins. Box renters who had taken strong boxes from the vaults were intercepted by the police as they came out of the temporary entrance to the Mer- cantile vaults, and were warned to keep a good grip on their boxes. Women were aenppiallV warned A dead line tablished a block in every direction from the building, and crooked characters were turned back.
 Twelve hundred of the 10000 box renters who kept securities, cash and Valuables in the vaults of the Mercantile Safe De- posit company have called for their treas ure chests and taken them away. only one vault remains to be opened. 1t is the largest of all, and is in the rear on the Cedar street side of the companys prem ises.
 It was said by bankers that in this vault was collection of deposits more valuable than all the other securities and cash taken from the ruins put together.
 The line of those who were waiting to- day to reach the boxes was at no time long. Patrons who had secured identif1ca- ton tickets from the temporary offices of the Mercantile Safe Deposit company at No. 20 Nassau street were admitted in groups of 10, and were only a short time in getting their possessions.
 Are you in charge of the bread lne?" a passerby today asked the big policeman in front of the wrecked vaults The of ticer guffawed right heartily. Bread line. bedad!' said he. Its a cake and pie line. more likely, I'm thinking. The felers in this line are getting rolls handed out to them, though, come to think of it. wouldn't mind having some of the dougf they're digging out of that dump" AS the box renters filed slowly in ant I took away the hundreds and thousands and millions of dollars worth of stocks l and bonds, jewelry and cash, directly un, der their feet in the cellar a band ot laborers was digging steadily for the body of Frank J. Neider, who lost his life while locked in to guard those same mil. | lions