The Washington herald., 1921-02-20
BANKS NOW Use
ARMORED TRUCKS
TO GUARD FUNDS
Have Elaborate Alarm
Systems for Use in
Event of Attack.

Sporadic cases OF lives lost and
payrolls stolen in the ambush by
bandits of armed, but nevertheless
practically defenseless, messengers
in a number Of cities during recent
weeks, have kindled a new interest
in the lead taken in New York, Bos-
ton, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cincin-
natl and Cleveland by banks, public
utilities and other companies having
constant need to transfer money
and other vslusbles. The lead they
have taken lies in the direction OF
greater security and enhanced serv-
Ice, less loss of life and money, in
the transportation OF large sums
through the thoroughfares' of con-
gested cities.
Seeing an opportunity to render
real service to industrial concerns,
merchants and others by making a
speciality of offering them safety
and service in the transfer of pay
rolls and money, while protecting
their own transactions by means of
the same conveyance, more and
more banks are purchasing armored
motor trucks.
Two White trucks, with ar
mored bodies, transfer thousands of
dollars daily for two big banks in
downtown New York. One truck
a two-ton unit-carries a body of
quarter-inch steel. In addition to the
driver, two guards generally man
the truck on its trips. The guards,
heavily armed. ride on the inside.
The keys to the only door Gin the
IN al L.
branch banks or in the possession
of the guards riding inside the
truck. In no case can the driver
open the door. In event OF the
truck being fred upon, the steel
walls OF the body are OF sufficien'
strength to datten ordinary lead
bullets, while from their protected
position in the interior Of the fort
ress," the guards can return the
ire Of bandits through "portholes"
arranged for such an emergency
Day and night, the auto bank"
owned by the Quaker City Cab
Company Of Philadelphia answers
calls. Its chief responsibility is the
safe collection of funds from the
ters, tradesmen, frsternal orders,
building and loan companies and
other Organizations which CuSto-
marily receive large sums OF money
after the closing hours OF banks.
A small rear platform makes it
possible to use the truck as pay
car. The truck is often used to
carry payrolls to outlying sections.
The body OF the auto bank" is of
bullet-proof steel. Should the truck
be attacked, the cashier could, mere
Iy by touching a button. drop steel
curtains over all windows. The win
dows are further protected by steel
bars. The door has a double COM
bination lock. Tampering with
locks on either door or windows
would set in operation a standard
burglar alarm system, connected
with a large gong in the roof of the
truck. II accident should befalI the
driver. the cashier could cut of the
gasoline supply and stop the truck
by pressing a button inside the
body.
In Chicago, the surface lines carry
the pay envelopes of their thousands
of employees to car barns and other
widely scattered pay-or places in a
White truck, all windows in which
are protected by iron bars and an
alarm system. In some cases the
truck merely carries paymasters and
money from one car barn to another,
while in others it goes into the
country to pay of linemen. trackmen
and workers engaged in special
construction. The Cincinnati (Ohio)
Traction Company also depends upon
White 2-tOn truck for the safe
transfer of payroll money to o,,tIv
ing car barns.
In the collection of money from its
many telephone paystations, the
Bell Telephone Company. of Phils-
delphia uses an armored truck.
Other users of armored White
trucks are the Federal Reserve
banks at Boston. Chicago and Cleve-
land. the Cleveland Trust Company,
the Citizens Savings and Trust Com
pany and the Garfield Savings Bank
Company in Cleveland. the First Ma
tional Bank and the National Shaw
NUT Bank in Boston.