Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-18

264 Main street, Cincinnati, o.
The rest of the card was filed up in
writing with this:
CINCINNATI, July 10, 1879.
DEAR SIR:-It is possible that two Of
| the m,lrdertrs are nOlg making their head
! quarters in your county. We desire to
engage the assistance OF two residents OF
your county to act as detectives for us,
| men tina. lCW not be suspected as being
| officers, one who resides in your place
and one who lives three or four miles
south. We will pay literally by the
| day when acting under orders from this
office, together with all expenses incurr-
| ed i'm the matter, and we will pay the re-
ward if taken dead or alive. Please send
| the names of two trusty men at once,
and do not let this case be generally
known that the ends oil justice may be
subserved. We were recommended to
write to you by a reliable party.
Respectfully,
=. ID. HOPKINS.
Treasury American and European Sc
cret Service, 264 Main street, Cincin-
natl, Ohio.
An Enquirer reporter called yesterday
afternoon with the card upon Colonel
Wappenstein, Chief of Police, in order
TO ascertain something in regard to this
"secret service business.
The Chief looked at the card, and,
with contemptuous expression, imme-
diately handed it back to the reporter,
saying:
"Why, that's an old thing with me.
On an average | get no less than six let
tiers day from all parts OF the country
| from suckers who want to know some
thing about that concern. It's one OF
| the most complete swindles ever in
vented, and the head of the concern is
Byron II. Robb, who is robbing greeners
all over the country"
elbow does he do it? What is his
racket"
"Weli, for instance, he writes letter
| to John Smith, of Posey County, saying
| that he has heard of John Smith as be-
| ing a man Just suited for the detective
| business, and he would like to get him
to accept an agency in his Company
| that is, to be detective, and with the
| detectives stand. That he is in need of
| a good, shrewd, faithful man in that
section of the country, and he thinks
John Smith is the very man he is after.
He finally comes down to business by
offering to send Smith commission as
a member of of the Secret Service AssO-
citation for the small sum OF 50, with the
promise that if Smith develops good de-
tective ability, he will give him a per-
manent situation at a salary OF - day.
This kind of tatfy tempts the cupidity
| of Mr.. Smith-he sends his s., gets his
! commission and then buckles into some
| imaginary case, the arrest OF some lmag-
mary murderer or horse-thief, perhaps,
| but fails to impress his employers that
he is made of the stuff fit fora detective,
! OF course he fails. Mr.. Byron RObb
| didn't expect nor want anything else,
and finally Mr.. Smith is just where he
began. He is out So, and the job at 50
a day failed to materialize. But before
he gets To work, however, the Secret
Service Company has managed TO sell
the unsuspeCting Smith an outfit. This
| consists of 'Snide' revolver or two and
a pair of handouts. Most probably he
has also been induced TO subscribe Tor
n worthless sheet issued by the Com
| pany, for which he pays three dollars
i'm advance. This publication is called
The Criminal Gazette, and is filled
with accounts of robberies, manslaugh-
tiers AMI other crimes culled from the
daily papers, and issued weekly. BY
this time the price of the commission,
the revolvers, the handouts, and the
paper has been squeezed out of the vic
Tim. and that is all Mr.. Robb wants OF
John Smith. John Smith has made an
eyregious ass Of himself and finally
comes to that conclusion himself"
as there no way to reach these har-
pies"
"No. The suckers who are swindled
live great ways from the city. Mr..
Robb doesn't try his little game on peo-
ple who would be likely to give him any
trouble, whom you can get TO come here
and prosecute him in the courts. 1t is
too much trouble and expense for the
sum involved. They just charge il up
to profit and loss, and there's an end OF
it."
"Does RObb make much money out
of his scheme?'
Bushels of it; and he'll keep on I'M
til there is law framed in this State to
catch Just such frauds and dead-beats as
| he is.
"What do you do about the many
inquiries you receive asking for infor-
matiOn?"
II lust mail them little circular that
tells the story in nutshell Here it is.
Read it,"
The circular reads as follows:
OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF POLICE,
CINCINNATI, November, 1871
Mr.. . Sir: Your inquiry OF
- inst. received. In reply have to
say, the United States Secret Service
Company is regarded in police circles as
a fraud, and is one OF several such that
have been established here under the
guisc OF legitimate business, and which
unfortunately. through defects in our
| laws, We can not reach.
This notorious concern is controlled
by one Byron II. Robb, who, with his
! associates, were indicted last October
I 10y the United States Grand Jury for us
| ing the mail with intent TO defraud and
the case is now pending before the Uni
/ ted States Circuit.
Respectfully,
{. WAPPENSTEIN,
SUPERINTENDENT of Police,