Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-21
THE SECRET SERVICE.
1t is Not the Gigantic Organization it
is Supposed to Be.
ONLY TWENTY.EIGHT MEN In 1T.
The Work Confined Wholly to Suppressing
Counterfeiting.
DISCLOSURES FROM EX-CHlEF BELL
WRITTEN FoR THE pIsPATcH.I

|
cerniug the business of the department shall
be revealed by the employees of that depart
ment, and it is very rarely that any of the
facts relative.to that department are given to
the public through the press. It is my in
tention, owing to the fact that am no longer
connected with the Secret Service, to reveal
| a few facts which will in some measure give
the public an idea of the workings of the
Secret Service.
The reasons why the business of the de-
| partment is not revealed to the public are
manifest, but 1 think there are many things
which might we'll be revealed, and which,
| if known to the general public, would save
the chief of the Secret Service and his aids
much bother; for it is q well-known fact
that the ignorance of people concerning the
workings Of the department is simply
| astounding. 1t is the common impression
| that the United States Secret Service,is in
existence for the purpose OF ferreting out all
| crimes against the Government. If a petty
mail robbery occurs in Alabama, or opium
| smu -gling is being practiced on the Cana
dian frontier, people of this country imagine
that the secret service officials to the number
of several hundred are at work upon the
cases.
FOR CoUNTERFEITERs ALONE.
This is indeed far from the TRUTH The
Secret Service of the United States is for the
sole purpose of ferreJing out counterfeits
and counterfeiters, destroying said counter
feits and securing, if possible, the convic-
tion of counterfeiters. The work done by
this department is simply marvellous, in the
face of the fact that the number of men em-
ployed on such work by the Government is
but %. Just think of it! Twenty-eight
men cover this entire country hunting out
counterfeits and counterfeiters, devising in
tricate schemes to catch the coniacker red
handed IN his infamous work, planning
deep-laid schemes TOR securing the green
goods and hunting up evidence against
men we'll known to be engaged in making
or selling counterfeit money.
1t is not the general public alone which is
ignorant of the fact, but even Senators, Con-
gressmen and the higher class of politicians
generally. These men who spend many
years at the Capitol have simply amazed
me many a time by their rank ignorance of
the workings and character of the Secret
Service. Just let me give you a sample
which actually occurred between a we'll
known Southern Senator and myself last
January.
WHAT SENATOR DIDN'T KNOW.
The Senator had previously applied to the
President asking for the appointment of a
constituent as q detective in the Secret Serv-
ice The President of course referred the
Senator to the Secretary of the Treasury,
anu the Secretary in turn referred him to
me. He said /:
81 have a brainy young man in my State
who has shown great deal of detective
ability, and 1 desire his appointment as a
detective in the Secret Service. He is a
hard worker, intelligent, faithful, shrewd
and in every manner capable of performing
anv of the duties which may devolve upon
an employe of the Secret Service"
"My dear Senator" 1 replied, "do you
realize that can do nothing for you? Do
you not know that there is but one man
who works in your State for the service, AID
he has been there for the past Is years?
Don't you know, too. that he is good Re-
publican and as faithful and honest q man
as one could possibly wish to have on this
earth. Now, in the lace of this, do you de-
sire his removal for the sole purpose OF
securing a place for another friend who
probably is not as good Republican, and
more than that, has not had the vast expert
ence of the man who now holds the posi-
tion?"
QUITE A SURPRISE.
''The deuce you say" replied the Senator
in amazement; "why, thought we had
about 20 men working in our State"
"Why, Senator" said, "instead Of hav-
ing 20 men in your State, the one man that
is there at present covers two other States
beside"
"Well," replied the Senator with sigh,
as he arose to leave nv room, ~ guess my
man don't want the place."
Then sat down and wrote a letter to this
Senator, referring to our conversation OF that
day and assuring him of my sympathy, but
at the same time informing him of the fact
that there were no vacancies at the present
time in my department. Then I made hit
for the Senator by saying at the close of my
letter that his earnest work in behalf of his
constituent would not 60 for naught for
would certainly notify him should there be
a vacancy in my department. The Senator
then inclosed this letter with one of pro-
found regret written by himself or his secre-
tary to the disappointed constituent. These
letters acted as sort of healing balm to the
wounded ambition of the seeker after a DO
sition. 1 ieel certain that l do not exagger-
ate particle when I say that there are at
least !, 900 applicants in every ten States in
the Union for the positions now occupied by
the 2S men ih the service.
CLEVELAND WORRIED BY IT.
President Cleveland told Inc that the
| Secret Service worried him to DEATH in view
OF the fact that so few persons knew nything
concerning its workings. Secretary Dan
Manning, the late lamented Secretary of the
| Treasury was wont to remark TO his personal
| friends that he sincerely wished the Secret
Service was in some other department than
| his. Morning, noon and night he was
bothered by Senators and Congressman for
positions for constituents in the service, and
! of course he had to refuse them all, for it
| would never do to replace man WHO had
been Is years in the service by a man who
! has had no experience. The men now in the
service are all old employees who have done
yeoman service in hunting out counterieits
| and convicting counterieiters. A few of the
% men have been in the service Tor 20 years.
Considering their work they are indeed
| poorly paid men. Some Of them receive but
S3 a day except when travelling, when they
are allowed So per day ior board besides
their travelling expenses. This brings mt
down to tine subject of the appropriation Tor
.. the service, which has for the last three
years been bnt $4,000 per year. This
amount of money is certainly inadequate to
meet the needs Of the department. When
you come to consider that nearly $35, 900 OF
this amount is spent ior salaries alone, leav.
the service, YOU will realize as iully as de
how inadeq uate the sum really is.
NEED TWICE THE MONEY.
There are hotel expenses, railroad farei
and thousand and one other expenses Incl
dental to carrying on the great work OF tht
department. Tn my opinion there should
not be less than S100, 900 appropriated yearly
for the Secret Service. Even this amoun