The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-01-21
Guards ON A7n1Orgd Trucks Perform
Daily Ch0rp With Military Precision
Move Into Stations Set for
Them as Money Is
Transported.
BY VINCENT S. LYONS
Times Financial Editor

stone in front of a bank. The
front and rear doors puff out four
uniformed guards, each with their
right hand wound around the ham
die Of a revolver lodged in their
holsters. Quickly they snap into
prearranged positions with the
smoothness and CELEBRITY Of care
fully coached football team. With
these four providing the Interior
ence needed, a fifth guard energies
from the rear of the truck with a
satchel containing untold money,
makes his way across the sidewalk
and into the bank.
Thus, does Drinks, Inc, score an
other touchdown. All of them are
executed with a precision indicative
Of a drill of West Point cadets.
Scores of times on each business
day the play is enacted and each
time it draws a small audience Of
onlookers who pretend to see in 1t
a bit of adventure. The spectacle
constitutes to them the scenario for
thrilling tale of a holdup. The
fact that the robbers do not appear
on the scene matters little to them;
they relish the idea of watching the
episode and creating the what
might have been" conclusion III
fancy.
Are Veritable ArsenaIs
These armored trucks, veritable
arsenals on wheels, scurry through
the streets of the city with the
nonchalance of bakery wagon.
The truck itself is so constructed
that charge of dynamite could
not lay it open. In addition to the
two men in the front of the car
there are concealed two or three
men equipped to withstand any at
tack and stage a reprisal of their
own.
Besides the revolver which each
guard carries every car is equipped
with a sawed-off shotgun and a
modern tear gas gun. The exterior
of the truck can withstand the fire
of attackers. Crevices all around
the truck permit the guards to
shoot from any angle, yet will not
allow the smallest of bombs to be
inserted.
Drinks Inc, performs many serv-
ices in the romantic game of trans
porting money. 1t carries funds
from one bank to another; delivers
pay rolls to business establishments;
collects receipts and, in some in
stances, pays off the employees of a
client.
Guards Chosen Carefully
Ned H. Danforth, manager of the
indianapolis branch of the enter
prise, pointed out today that great |
care is exercised in employing |
guards. "The job Of moving money"
he says, "is very delicate activity |
and offers many temptations. Con-
sequently, all applicants records are
studied for 10 years and only those
with the highest recommendations |
are accepted"
Married men are preferred for
this job, Mr.. Danforth said, al
though some times this condition is
waived when the character and the
recommendation of an applicant are
unimpeachable. No person will be
employed, however, unless he has
been in the town where the Brink
office is located for a period of years
and is at least Is years old. This,
it was pointed out, forestalls the
possibility of acquiring any float
ers."
At least once month all the
guards must attend target practice.
Trailers Are Used
The number of guards on truck
varies with the amount of money
being carried. On those occasions
when the cargo of money is par
ticularly large, the company sends
along a second car to trail the first
one.
Drinks Inc. carries more than a
billion dollars of insurance in the
conduct Of its business. This load
is so great that part Of this cover
age is underwritten by foreign COM
panies. 1t is one of the few COM
panieS which carry fire insurance on
the money transported.
The local branch of the company
is one of 80 stretched throughout
the country, which serve 600 cities
in this country and Canada.