The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-04
HUNTING SPANISH SPIES.
Chief Whkie Tells How He Capture
Downing In Washington.

Nnier WThte leIe now Nc Captured
Downing In Washington.
The secret service of the government
during the present war has been en-
ployed mostly in discovering and
thwarting the efforts of Spain to get
information and gain certain ends in
this country by means of secret agents.
That the secret service has been sue
cessful has been attested by Lieuten-
ant Carranza- formerly of the Spanish
legation in Washington and the head
of the Spanish spy system in this coun-
try. In his published letter setting
forth his hopes, plans n experiences
he referred to the work of the secret
service thus:
THE Americans are showing the
most extraordinary vigilance. They
have captured my two best men," And
he might ave added: I'm a moment
one of their men will come into this
room. AXE this letter. send 1t to John
Wilkie, chief of the secret service Of
America. who will thereby be informed
officially. as II I were to confess to him
myself. all hat I have done and all
that l hope to do"
An illustration of how the secret
service does its work was given last
| week by Chief Wilkie during a con-
versation in his private office:
THE Downing case was taken up by
us and we disposed of him. Chief Will
kie began, lin less than one week. 1
was warned hat George Downing, a
former sailor on the cruiser Brooklyn,
a entered the Spanish spy service.
He was located on arriving at Toron-
to. When he went to pay his first call
to the attache of the Spanish legation
my man was within earshot and heard
every word hat passed between them.
He heard all of the Instructions Down
ing received, and when Downing left
the room my man met him as If oy
chance and asked for a match to light
his cigar. He walked with him to the
hotel office, got a good look at him, fol-
lowed him to his hotel, learned his as
sumed name, got a tracing of his hand
writing from the register and later
Swallowed him to the train.
Then he telegraphed me that Down
ing had left for Washington on The 5
o'clock train. sent me a full DESCRIPTION
of him. n when the train arrived
here three of my boys spotted him.
They followed him to a boarding house.
where he left his grip. Then they
followed him about town n back 10
his house. After an hour or so he
came out and walked to the postofice.
When he dropped a letter to his Span
ish employer in Toronto through the
postoffice receiver. the letter fell into
the HANDS of n OF my operatives and
was brought at once to me, while the
other operatives followed Downing
back to his boarding house. / opened
the letter and. upon reading IL. COM
inundated with the war department.
which decided upon a military arrest.
Soldiers were sent for, and taking a
few operatives with me, we went TO
Downing's house. He was still there.
and we waited till the extinguished
lights told US he had gone to bed.
The we knocked at the front door.
The mistress of the house thrust her
head through the window n declined
to let us in till l threatened to break
down her door. Then. very much
frightened, she admitted us. Leaving
the soldiers below, / took two of my
men, and bidding the landlady go be-
fore. went up to his door. / babe the
landlady knock and tell Downing that
some friends from Chicago wanted to
see him. She could leave the rest 10
me. She did so. Downing bit at once
and we could hear him dressing. The
hall was dark. and we stood on either
side of the door. When he opened the
door he was in the best possible situa-
ton for capture had he been disposed
TO put up a fight, for he was in the act
of putting on his oat and a one
arm through his sleeve and the other
only half through, so hat he couldn't
have used either to advantage. 7
~ hfhh W N"C Oil dlu w
planned u errand briefly. Instead of
fight, he wilted like an icicle on the
Washington pavement in July.
Entering his room, We ound his eff
fects, the cipher he was to use in tel
egraphing to his Spanish employer,
some destroyed correspondence: in
fact, everything necessary to make out
a perfect case. He never recovered
from his collapse. He had brains
enough to see that ii was all up with
him. We turne him over to the SOL
diers. n tool him to the military
prison. and there. after a severe attack
of melancholia, he committed suicide
by hanging"
Chief Wilkie is under 40. For years
ne vas city editor of the Chicago
Tribune. He left journalism to go 70
London and went from there to the
secret service.
Not long ago Secretary Gage asked
Wilkie to do a bit of special work for
him.. The work required much shrewd-
ness. Wilkie performed the task so
quickly and satisfactorily that Gage Of
fered him h place he now holds