The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-01
THE UNITED STATES DETECTIVE DIVISION.
Ex-Chicf Detective Wood Hauled Over the
Goals and Roasted.

Ex-Chicf Detective Wood Hauled Over the
Goals and Roasted.
TO THE EDrr0R OF The HERALD
William P. woods letter In Mondays HERALD IL
something unique, and the touching natuete with
which he alludes to his own honesty and his praise
worthy claim to the good opinion OF his fellow men
u made quite ludIcrous by the ambiguous title OF
the article-"when Thieves Fall 0uti-which,
though highly appropriate Is scarcely complimentary
to the innocent ex-cnef.
A little better than year and half ago Ihave
very vivid recollection OF Mr. Wood and the memory
Is one not calculated to reflect brilliant light on
his character. past, present or TO come.
Shortly after the installment OF Mr. Boutwell,
into oilice, Mr.. Baaheld and Colonel Whitley were
appointed to their respective positions. the one
as Solicitor OF the Treasury and the other chief OF
the United States secret detective service-positons
which, permit me to say, according TO the unanimous
appreciation OF the pubic, both have filed honestly
and ably with hardly breath OF rcproach from
either press or people Their appointment OF course
necessltated the retirement OF Jordan aad Wood
from those places. Jordan acted the gentleman ac-
cepted the situation and quiety rcsigned but Wood
hating everything aud ever body because OF his re-
moval, published in revenge the most foul, false
Insane, libeous pamphlet IL possible for
the vilest att and scurrilous brain to
wild mass OF savage abuse strung to yether In the
coarsest language ana the worst conceivable STYLE
infused throughout with u spirit OF maligna ncy l
never saw eqaaied and which only satan himself
could have prompted In the breast OF any man.
and was Infinitely worthy OF the source whence 1t
emanated. Armed with this low printed excres-
cence. growing ont OF his unrestralned malice Wood
actually had the assurance TO force himself into
MI. Boutwells presence ana In the courry Secreta-
rvs own office he brasslly handed MIN the viciously
fulsome pamphlet, which, before Its publication in
SO private ana expensive form, lie had carried In
manuscript to every newspaper publisher in Wash
1ngton except the GAgoatcle which MS extraordinary
literary EFFORT dercely assailed, simply on Its owner
being warm personal friend OF the Secretary.
But not single editor IN The city, from the least to
the greatest, would as much as read 1t after under
standing It's malicious purporr Not clerk
III the Treasury Department who does not
remember the circumstance OF Wood prowl.
Ing through che building at that time, thrust
Ing his pitlab.e pamphlet production OF his
nate in the hands OF everybody who could be
Induced to SOP long enough 10 accept 1t. The VIII
famous contents We're mainly devoted to threats and
Iaisehoods against the e.retary; but Mr.. Baniled,
the Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury, and many
others, were likewised remember 4 and generously
favored with q copy lett The ex.chief in person.
abusing and detaming hem all In terms too gross
Tor decent repetition and all these distinguished
gentlemen nave remarkably reteatlye memories
u is not at all likely llat they have forgotten
the pamphlet or ITS author. Yet recently,
IN the face of that infamous production, Wood
has had the supreme eilrUntry TO solicit
the assistance Of both Mr.. Ranlield and the secre.
taly In behalf OF his OLD friend, sailiul house
breaker. bank roDber and counterleter Charley
Adams. whom he Is anxious 10 rescue from Jail ana
tne Impending vengeance OF the outraged law. Is 1t
70 pc wondered at that his efforts IN that quarter
TAILED at the outset? 1t needed no word froi Colo
mel whitley or any else Illustrate his schemes
ant1c ee aa slu NC, ompsnment rested ON the
an.icpated approval and aid OF those distinguished
gentlemen Ihey knew him, and that was
Boutwe to took render no his o' b futile NJ
let or the man. II the old saw of tile dog bark.
ing az the moon over again. and the moon shone on
quite unmindlul OF the little noise below him. the
secretary dismissed the puerlle attack as quietly
ana emphatlcaly as he did Mr.. Wooi's late INSULT
assistance In compoundng a felony
having been SEM 10 the right about by Mr.. Bout
wen ana Mr. Banle.d Wood turned his at.
tehtlon TO Judge DAVIS anu tried his powers
OF persuasion anew where he was not SO well
known, ana consequently had better chance OF
success, out not To twist him around his finger as
some have supposed. Like the others, judge DAVIS
cylly listened, ard, being not grea ly prepossessed
dress touched the case gingery, inqtllfea into
little, found 1t excessg4 ~ rotten within and With
ject IN full cry and he enemies OF WOOD sprang up
III protest every where against The injustice medl-
tated and IN which the government was invited to
take part inquiries when resulted in MS firm deter
mlnaon to have nothing to 90 witu the the ex-chicf
and the burglar Adams.
W0orS raining and swearing around the United
States District Attorneys office, Since lie discovered
his little game blocked, shocked even wicked men,
and they stared aghast at his swapping rage and
neshcreeplng oaths characteristic oil tie man
when loiled IN his plots and plans.
Wood says in Mondays letter that she did not re.
Ceiye the $4,000 reward alluded TO" for capturing
the spurious sew n-thirtyplate from which
the $1,000 notes were printed. No, but he
did receive $1,000 Tor That Identical transaction,
as the records OF the Treasury now show and prove
beyond doubt. The plates are worth just their
weight In old "copper" no more nor less; and, not
witnstandlng WOODS assertion to the contrary, they
may be at the United States Treasury to-day Ii
any one cares to take the trouble, SO battered and
runously disfgured as TO preclude the possibility OF
judging OF the work or guessing anything OF their
original perfectness-a suspicious circumstance in
itself, considering they were turned over TO the
government Ill this condition when the dlScoverer
was Chief OF the Secret Service In exchange for
$1,000.
Indeed there are those who do not hesitate to say
that Mr. Wood knows the entire history OF those nys-
ferrous plates from their earliest existence and go
far as TO say that he graclOusly superntended both
their making ana subsequent battering lie Is the
kind OF man at whose hate and loud vllifcation we
snlle and from whose praise and fawnng we shrink,
and would rather great deal he would give us the
full blast OF Mis- Venom than the treachefous Oil OF
his favor. lie used to be prolific in
creating jobs in which there were goodly
fees to be OBTAINED, and this fact causes
travelling expenses and sundry incidentals, that
formerly cost the government from 81 600 10 500
month, while seeking the pardon OF Adams and
searching the disreputable evidence suitable to
his afflicted friend aud cover his outlay OF time,
temper and money as lavisnly applied.
He cannot play the Secretary nor Judge Davis for
high. lie must try lower trump or stock the cards
ana throw up the game ONE WHO KNOWS.