Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-26
HUNTING SPANS INFORMERS
Important Work Of the Secret Service in the
Present War.
SPY DOWNING THE FIRST OF THE LOT
chief wiIkie Tells of the Clever OPP
erntions OF His Men-From Jour
nnIIsm 10 the Management
Of sIeuths.

The war power of the government is gem
orally understood to consist OF the army
and navy only. There is, however. another
element belonging to 1t, an element com
paratlvely Insignificant in numbers, but Of
great worth In point of personal bravery
and value to the government. Its members
are selected because OF their rare combina-
tion of unmeasured daring, shrewd judg-
ment, GOODNESS and untiring energy and
alertness. Their loyalty, of course, is I'M
Questionable. 1t is not unquestloned. how
ever, till 1t has been tried and not found
wanting.
Reference is had to the secret service and
It's personnel. 1t is a most powerful arm
in time OF war. Men go into II unknown,
are sent upon some perilous duty which is
often more likely to result in their death
than in its successful accomplishment. And
when successful accomplishment of the re-
suit, the name of the hero is seldom blaz-
oned forth in the public press. These men
OF the secret service go about their work
quietly. 1t is necessary that they should.
Their lives and the success of their under
taking depend on 1t. There is no crowd Of
proud companions looking on to cheer them.
There is no martial music to welcome their
triumphant return. There is no regiment
or ships crew to mourn their death.
Their death, unless they are killed while
their discoverers are hot with wrath, is
generally the ignominious one OF the rope.
For they are spies. And spies are consid-
cred by the law of nations to be the legiti-
mate prey of the gibbet. Being spies, many
people are prone to look down on them.
But 1t must be considered that spies in
time of war are absolutely necessary. And
IL should be remembered that some OF the
bravest and most honorable men of the re-
bellion were at one time or another de-
tailed for and went on spy duty-many Of
whom never came back. These men of the
secret service must be ready at any time
to go anywhere and without regard to the
danger incurred. If they succeed, well and
good. II they fail, they seldom get blamed,
for they seldom come back.
The secret service during the present
war has been mostly employed in discover
ing and thwarting the efforts of Spain to get
and gain certain ends in this
country by means of secret agents. That
the secret service has been successful. has
been attested by Lieutenant Carranza, for
merly of the Spanish legation in Washing
ton and the head of the Spanish spy sys-
TEN in this country. In his published letter
= ~ VI ms hSBNS l'N'S ''N NFlNf'
ences he referred to the work of the secret
service thus:
9TH Americans are showing the most
extraordinary vigilance. They have cap
turcd my two best men," And he might
have added: "In a moment one of their
men will come into this room, take this
letter, send it to John Wilkie, chief Of the
secret service of America, who will thereby
be informed officially as If were to con-
fess to him myself, all that l have done
and all that l hope to do"
An illustration of how neatly the secret
service does its work was given to me to-
day by Chief Wilkie himself during a con-
vcrsation in his private office. There was
no b~oasting in the chiefs tone. He spoke
In the key of casual talk.
III Downing Case.
The Downing case was taken up by us
and we disposed of him." Chief Wilkie be
gan, lin less than one week. / was warned
that George Downing, a former sailor on the
cruiser Brooklyn, had entered the Spanish
spy service. He was located on arriving in
Toronto, When he went to pay his first
call to the attache of the Spanish legation
my man was within earshot and heard every
word that passed between them. He heard
all of the instructions Downing received, and
Nutu bONlluB ltll me IOOll, my man NE
him as If by chance and asked him for q
match to light his cigar. He walked with
him to the hotel office, got a good look a
him, followed him to his hotel, learned his
assumed name, got a tracing of his hand.
writing from the register and later Swallowed
him to the train, Then he telegraphed mi
that Downing had left for Washington or
the 5 O'Clock train, sent me a full descrip.
ton OF him and when the train arrived
here three of my boys spotted him. They
followed him to a boarding house, where h,
left his grip. Then they followed him abou'
town and back to his house. After an houl
or so he came out and walked to the post.
office. When he dropped a letter to hi
Spanish employer in Toronto, through tn,
postotiice receiver, the letter fell into tn,
hands OF one Of my operatives and wa
brought at once to me-, while the other op
~eratives followed Downing back to his boa
ing house. l opened the letter and upol
reading 1t, communicated with the War de
p%artment, which decided upon a military ar
rest. Soldiers were sent for, and taking
few operatives with me, w went to Down
ing's house. He was still there and W,