The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-10-17
THE NATIONAL DETECTIVE.
The sESecret Service" Of the Uuited
States.

such as the Inspectors of Customs, spec
ial agents of tie Internal Revenue
Bureau, sepcial agents of the Post Of
fee Department, etc, etc, and in the
same manner, the Secret Service Division
of the Treasury Department, which,
however, this-that it does not confine
itself or its range of labor to any Ger
tain speciality, but makes cognizance of
all frauds perpetrated against or upon
the United States Government, while at
the same time it takes the purpose of ar
resting and preventing the crime of
counterfeiting more specially the object
of its organization.
The extent to which these efforts
prove successful must, of course, neces-
sarily depend upon the adroiness of its
attaches in anticipating the depredations
of evil-doors, and lead to the discovery
of the Vaccinations and plottings of the
dangerous and criminal classes of socie-
ty. The old adage that ''it takes a thief
to catch a thief" has been long since
exploded-at least, in its literal sense;
and the method pursued by the United
States Service only in part partakes of
this principle. 1t might be termed, not
inappropriatively, a combination of
Fouch's and Vidocq's famous methods,
differing entirely from the cumbersome
systems of detection employed by the
secret police of Prussia; the Inpecteurs
and Cabinet Noir of the late French EN-
pire; the Crown-spies of Spain; the
Kaiserliche .Spione of Austria; and the
Oriental-Russian style of setting one
man to do piece of work, detailing a
second to watch him, and then a third
to watch the watchman. The system
adopted by the present Chief of the Sc
cret Service division is more in accor-
dance with the Bow Street system of Lon
don; although somewhat modified to
suit thei demands and contingencies of
the United States, with its much larger
field of operations.
The necessity of some vigorous meas
ures on the part of the Government to
suppress counterfeits on the national
securities became apparent very soon
after the first issue of fractional currency.
The issue were followed by the counter
feits with such rapidity that hardly had
the public had time to become familiar
with the former when the latter would
be in, circulation, doing incaiculable
damage, and making havoc principally
among the poorer classes, who could not
so readily detect the spurious article
The evil soon became so great as to
claim the attention of Congress, and an
appropriation of one hundred thousand
dollars (since increased to one hundred
and twenty-five thousand per annum)
was made by that body, and placed at
the disposal of the Secretary ofthe Treas
ury for the purpose of effecting measures
for the suppression and eradication, if
possible, of the crime of connterfeiting.
This fund was Immediately turned over
to the Solicitor of the Treasury-the law
officer of the department-with instruc-
tions to use it to the best advantage for
the purposes for which it was designed.
This led to sundry experiments termin-
sting finally in the organization of the
Secret Service Division, in the summer
of 1865, consisting of "chief of fdivision"
and number of subordinates, termed,
Technically, Operatives" As at present
organized, the force consists of the chief,
Colonel H. c. Whitley; chief assistant,
I. c. Nettleship, and large number of
"chief operatives, Operatives" and "as-
sistant operatives" Distributed all over
the country-one. at least, in each ju-
dicial district-and all reporting regu-
larly to headquarters. The chief of di-
vision is the executive officer, and guides
and directs his subordinates; but the So
licitor of the Treasury must approve the
acts of the chief to render them valid
All commissions issued to operatives
must also have his written approval; and
any very important movement, involv-
ing the expenditure of unusual sums OF
money, must first be submitted to him
The ramifcations of the secret ser.
vice division of the Treasury Depart.
ment extend-as has already been stated
all over the country. Its agents are
operating on the Canada border to pre-
vent smuggling, and in Florida and Key
West in the endeavor to stop the impor
tation of cigars and tobacco from Hava
ma without paying duty. There is ;
branch Office ofthe division in every city
of importance, as a commercial or none
tary center, in the United States, anC
each of these branches is under the i'm
mediate supervision of a chief operative
who is required to take charge of anC
give his exclusive attention to the dis
trict to which he has been assigned
The New York branch, ST No. 3.
Bleecker street, is virtually the head
quarters of the division, although all re
ports and the results of<aptures, such a
plates, counterfeit money, dies, stamps
f etc., etc, are sent to the Washington OF
fee and there put on record and preserv
, ed.
So much for the organization of tn
division, and now few words in expla
nation of the peculiar system adopte
+ by its chief in the detection of crimi
, nails.
4 In the successful detection and eonvic
: ton of counterfeiters, which is the spec
ialty of the division, it is absolutely ne
e cessary, says Colonel Whitley, to us
counterfeiters against their confederate
Long experience has demonstrated tn
> fact that spy in the camp, as a defeC
tive confederate, is more to be feared b
an organized band of criminals than a
= the other machinery of detection CON
!: bined; and it is we'll nigh impossible
u detect leading counterfeiters, and, whe
{ detected, procure their conviction, will
g out the use, as an entering wedge,
e men tarnished with the same crime in
lesser degree, as none other can as full
i have the confidence of the great crimina
u The criminal who has had a doze