Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-03-31
Chief Executive Is Watched Over Day
and Night by Secret Service Men.

| may not like this lnSlStent caretaklnS
it is said that Mr.. Roosevelt some
times chafed under it-but the atten-
tion continues just the same.
The responsibility Of protecting the
president rests on the secret service de-
parment of the government, a charge
given it by congress. The number of
men detailed to the duty varies with
the time and place, but the president
never appears in public that there are
not at least two such guardians al
ways within a few feet Of him, and
| there may be as many as a dozen in
his immediate vicinity. If he goes for a
walk, couple of secret service agents
| will walk beside him or few PAGES
behind him. If he rides in a motor car
or carriage, they will have seats in the
vehicle with him. If he attends a for
NAL dinner at which there is large
company, his caretakers have seats at
the table near him. If there is pub
lie reception, guards stand at his elbow
and other guards mingle with the
crowd. When he abandons the capital
in summer, the grounds about his hot
weather residence are constantly pa
troled, night and day, by vigilant
watchmen. Even when he goes to
church armed men slip into the rear
seats in the house of worship and keep
their eyes on their charge.
The business of guarding the presi-
dent Of the United States might seem
highly enjoyable, as compared with
other forms Of police duty, and in some
respects it is; but it is not one continu-
al round of stimulating experiences,
for all that In the first place the Sc
cret service agent assigned to watch
over the president is constantly op-
pressed with the seriousness Of the re-
sponsibility resting on him, made more
harassing by the necessity for perpetu-
al self effacement. He feels he must
remain always at the chief executives
charge by obtrusive attention. He
must be always there, yet never there.
Presidents understand they must be
guarded, but they are like other hu-
man beings in their dislike Of constant
surveillance. Also, presidents some
times manifest eccentricity Of mood
and movement, when 1t is no simple
task for the protectors to keep the
charge in sight. And, Furthermore, act
ing as a buffer between the president
and cranks, fanatics and other unwel-
come visitors is a job requiring tact,
diplomacy, firmness and patience
Fred M. Tate, now in charge Of the
government secret service department
at Kansas City, is something Of vet
eran among presidential guards. as he
had protracted experience in that duty
in two administrations. One summer
he was at oyster Bay, Mr.. Roosevelts
summer home; another summer at
Beverly, Mass, where Mr.. Taft had his
summer capital, and he saw service as
travelling companion and home guard"
in Washington. The task Of watching
over Mr.. Taft at Beverly was compar-
atively easy, as the presidential resi-
dence was in a private park, protected
from intrusion, and Mr.. Taft's habit Of
life was extremely quiet and regular.
Conditions were less serene at Saga
more Hill. Mr.. Roosevelt was restless
strenuous and rapid in his movements,
scorned the idea of danger and kept
the corps Of watchers ION the jump" in
their efforts to remain in his immedi-
ate vicinity.
Visitors invited and unlimited, were
numerous, and there were frequent oc-
casions, day and night, when the
guards found occasion to intercept and
turn back persons determined to force
their way into the presidents presence
Once, late at night, the guards stopped
man who had driven into the
grounds on light wagon. In the
bed of the wagon was rifle, and
on the seat beside the driver were
two revolvers. The visitor explained
that he was bent on a little friendly
call on Mr. Roosevelt. Two secret SER
vice men rode back to oyster Bay
| with him, and he now is an asylum for
| the insane in New York. In the same
institution is a woman who was daily
caller for weeks that same summer at
Sycamore Hill, where she was regular
ly turned back after trying to force her
way into Mr. Roosevelt's presence un-
til she grew so violent that it was nee
| essary to remove her permanently.
Twelve secret service men were as
| signed to duty at oyster Bay in sum-
mer when Mr.. Roosevelt was president.
| They roomed in the town and stood
guard at Sycamore Hill in shifts of six
hours each. They seldom entered the
presidents house, their duties keeping
the grounds and met all visitors. In
terviews with Mr.. Roosevelt were by
appointment, and callers that were to be
received were provided with a creden-
| tial card. Each morning the secret
service agents were given list con-
tanning the names of the visitors eX-
pected that day, and from that list
they checked off each as he came. No
callers were permitted to reach the
Il
house unless they came by appoint
ment, day or night. Sightseers who
drove to Sycamore Hill from Oyster
Bay were permitted to ride through the
grounds in daylight, but only with the
understanding that their vehicles
should not stop nor any of the occu-
pants alight.
In spite Of the occasional violence
OF mentally unbalanced perso..s who
tried to reach Mr.. Roosevelt" Mr.. Tate
said a few days ago, the chief trou-
bles of the secret service men were not
with that class. Office seekers, una
dashed by previous denials Of inter-
views with the president, made most
of our work. They came from all di-
rections except straight up, and some
of them were masters of the art of
maneuvering to evade us. 1t was i'm
possible, of course, for the president
to see everyone who called, and it Of
ten was n difficult task to persuade
some of the unlucky to go away"
The diplomatic difficulties Of the
| presidents protectors are greatly in