The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-26
HUNTING SPANISH SPIES.
Chief of the Secret Service Tells of Some Very Clever
Operations.
Operations.

respondence-in fact, everything nee
essary to make out a perfect case. He
never recovered from his collapse. He
had brains enough to see that it was
all up with him. We turned him over
to the soldiers, who took him to the
military prison, and there, after a Sc
we're attack of melanchOlia, he COM
mitted suicide by hanging"
WILKES RISE.
Chief Wilkie is young man, under
40 years of age. He is the son of the
late distinguished journalist, Frank
Wilkie, whose articles in the Chicago
Times when Wilbur f. Story was alive
were largely instrumental in the sue
cess Of that newspaper. John Wilkie
followed in the profession of his father.
For number of years he was city edi
tor of the Chicago Tribune. He left
journalism to become manager of
Lows Exchange in 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 and nerve. Wilkie performed the
task so quickly and satisfactorily that
Gage almost took Wilkes breath away
from him by Offering him the high posi-
ton he now holds. Wilkie had had no
of his ability to fill it. But Gage was
confident; and that the selection was
good has been abundantly demonstrate
ed by the short time it has taken the
young Chicago to practically break
up the Spanish spy system here by
capturing it's chief operatives and ex-
posing. so completely, the identity of its
chief that the latter. according to the
present outlook, will have to leave his
no, in, do nd
hemisphere.
During times of peace the secret ser
vice is engaged in looking after crimi
nails who take to counterfeiting for a
living. That pursuit in itself is spicy
enough in variety. But the demands of
war lend additional bite to the spicy
quality of the service. Shortly after
the Spanish legation left Washington
the war department received numerous
reports concerning Spanish spies and
asked Chief Willie to look after them.
President Mckinley placed $4,000 to
Wilkes credit and later $4,000 more
to his credit to carry on his operations
He was thus enabled to secure a large
and competent force to cover the coun-
try thoroughly; and with the knowledge ,
that there is plenty more money where |
the last came from.
Chief WillIie is naturally disinclined |
to speak of the operations of the secret |
service during the war. After the war
is over he says, there will be num- !
Der Of good stories for publication. But |
Wher, as for instance at present, he |
has one man in a band of Spanish cut
Threats in the south who think that |
he is one of them and who would slit /
his throat in an instant were they even
to suspect him, it is not wise to the
service or fair to the man in question
to mention the case or for similar |
reasons to say anything of others.
Nominally the state department has
charge of the secret service men in
Cuba and other Spanish territory. But
there is good reason to believe that all
of them are under Chief Wilkes con-
troll though he himself refused to adj
nit that there are any secret service
men on Spanish soil. If the records
are ever published, however, it is dol
lars to doughnutS that foreknowledge
Of the operations of the Spanish forces
during this war has come to this gov
eminent from secret service opera
tives at the front.
A week or so ago BILLY" Pinkerton,
the famous Chicago detective, was
seen to come from Chief Wilkes room
and straightway the report went forth
that Pinkerton had been engaged to
assist Willxie in running down Spanish
spies The report is wholly incorrect.
In the first place the government is
prohibited by statute passed by con-
gress just after the Homestead riots
from employing the Pinkertons. In the
second place instead of coming to help
Willlie with advice, PinkertOn came to
clear his skirts of all suspicion of be-
ng IN any way connected with the
Spanish spy system. Prior to the war
Pinkerton was in the employ of the
Spanish legation and by his detective
ability many filibustering expeditions
we're foiled. 1t was therefore not I'M
natural to think that he might still
De retained by Spain. 1t is but just
% Pinkerton to say that he demon
;trated to Wilkes complete satisfac-
ion that he is a loyal subject citizen
and has now no connection whatever
With Spain.
In personal appearance the chief of
he secret service is a fine specimen of
young American manhood. He is
lbove medium height, just escaping be-
ng tall. His shoulders are square and
broad and his back. head and hips on
he perpendicular. His face is intelli-
yent and strong and his walk firm and
swinging His voice is magnetic, his
landshake full of feeling, and alto
yether he is as fine a chap as you
would meet in a days walk