The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-21
IN THE SECRET SERVICE.
Incidents of the Work of Detectives Dur
ing the Days of the Great Rebellion.
How Baltimore Sympathizers We're Entrapped
by Secret-Service Man. Onfscating
Contraband Rebel Schooner.

provost guard of the city.
During the early months of 1868 my position
in the provost marshals Office gave me many
opportunities of observing the peculiar phases
of the Secret Service as it then existed.
The Office was located in the old Gilmour
House, on Battle Monument square, and was the
scene of many queer interview
Daily a large crowd of people of both sexes
and of all conditions would congregate there,
some desiring passes to visit Fort McHenry,
others anxious to go South through the lines;
and many others came under surveillance, to
answer, if they could, questions relative to con-
cealed arms, medical supplies, stores ready for
shipment or bags Of mail which had been Sc
cretly prepared for transmission South, and of
which information had reached the provost mar
shall through the watchfulness of agents of the
Secret Service.
One of these agents was man of my own
regiment, named Hunter, whose ready wit and
keen insight into human nature specially adapt
ed him to the calling of detective. He was
brave as a lion and possessed calm disposition
that nothing ever disturbed; he was always cool
and collected, and, moreover, had marvellous
faculty for transformation that few could ever
hope to equal.
At this time Barnum's Hotel was great re-
sort for sympathizers of the Southern Confeder-
acy, and it was determined that an effort should
be made to break it up.
Hunter was accordingly sent for, and, after
protraced interview with the provost marshal,
he left the Office.
Two weeks passed before I saw him again,
when he told me the story of his experience.
The night after he had received his instruc.
tons he appeared at Barnum's Hotel thoroughly
disguised, and registered under the name of
wyatt Lacy. of Richmond, Va"
He was very lavish with his money (which had
been supplied him from the Secret Service
fund.-, and in a very few days had made many
friends, to whom he singly. and at various
times, impaired the fact that he was shortly
to return to Richmond, and would be glad to
take any letters or small packages that he could
carry on his person. In about week he had
accumulated all he could take care of, and max
ing package of them, he deposited them in the
hotel safe, telling the clerk he would call for the
package the next day, as he was to return to
Richmond the following night
That night he had an interview with the pro-
half an hour patrol of one officer and twenty
men appeared at B arnum's Hotel inquiring for
mr. Lacy. of Richmondl"> Strange to say, he
could not be found. CONSERVATION appeared on
the face of the clerk and he was ordered to hand
over the package deposited by ''Mr. Lacy" in the
safe.
Argument was out Of the question; the clerk
complied; the guard was left in the hotel with
orders to allow no one to leave, and thu package
yrq tak RI fhn chole NffSoo 4
examined.
The result was an increased attendance at the
office the next morning. and goodly number of
citizens were sent TO join their friends in the
Confederacy at Richmond within twenty-four
hours
The propriety of closing Barnums Hotel was
seriously considered with view of using it as
hospital but it was decided to allow it to re
main open and the guard was withdrawn. al
though it was kept under official scrutiny during
the remainder Of my stay in Baltimore
Some months later information was received
from Colonel Baker, the head of the Secret
Service in Washington, that there certain
person from the South then in PHILADELPHIA
evidently an agent of the Confederacy who was
purchasing large quantities of clothing, boots,
shoes and medicines, for use in the Southern
army, and that a vessel would probably be fitted
out to run the blockade with these supplies.
The provost marshal at Baltimore was directed
to send suitable detectives to Philadelphia to
ferret out the business, and to use such funds
as were necessary to complete the undertaking
Among the detectives then on duty in Balti-
more were two brothers named Moore cool, de-
liberate fellows, equal to any emergency, and
fearless to the last degree.
"Tom," the elder brother, had former been
a sailor, and was tolerably familiar with the
various harbors up and down the coast
Jim" the younger brother. had received a
fair education, and, prior to the breaking out of
the war, had been employed in a commission
house in New York
These two men were intrusted with the deli
cate mission Of ferreting out the scheme to run
the blockade.
1t was indeed delicate mission. The name
Of the suspected agent was unknown, and only
the barest possible description of him had been
given. 1t was like looking for needle in a
hay NOW, but the two brothers were equal to
the task.
They laid their plans before leaving Balti-
more. and then proceeded to Philadelphia to
carry them out. On their arrival "Tom" and
his brother parted company; the former, going
down into the lower quarter of the city, fire.
quented by seafaring men, and taking up his
abode at sailors lodging house, remained qui-
city there, daily scanning the lists of maritime
arrivals and departures, and giving the impress
sion that he was on the lookout for Job as mate
on a coasting vessel
In the meantime, Jim" frequented the va
rious hotels and boarding houses, ostensibly as
an insurance agent but in reality engaged in
looking for the mysterious stranger. Several
odyS pdSSSu WltuOub LILO accompaniment or MS
desires, and, after following up a clew which led
to nothing, he had about given the matter up
when, by sudden stroke of good luck fortune
turned in his favor He was strolling leisurey
along Ninth street late one night, while return
ing from the theater, and as he stopped to light
a Cigar, two men approached in earnest CONVEX
satlon, and as they passed one of them said:
What! five pounds of quinine!" Moore started
and well he might, for man who could talk of
five pounds of quinine, when it was worth at
least fifty dollars an ounce, evidently needed
looking after
At last he had spotted his man. His unerring
instinct told him that one of th ose two men was
the suspected agent of the Confederacy
but which? ah! that was the question
As the two strangers hurried along the street
it was an easy matter for Moore to shadow them
and after an hours walk he saw them enter one
of the uptown hotels, but, to his great conster-
nation, on entering the building few minutes