Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-08
Uncle Sans Secret Service.

:
The report Of John E. Wilkie. the
chief Of Uncle Sans secret service, has
just been issued. The reports OF this
department are always of interest be-
cause of the fact that there Is some
thing fascinating about the work of
skillful detectives. but this year it is
especially so in view Of the fact that
we have had war, and the men in
the secret service have had their hands
full. Chief Wilkie briefly reviews. and
modestly considers the work Of his de-
partment in breaking up the spy sys-
TEN inaugurated in this country by
Spanish agents during the war, and in
fact too modestly, for certain it is that
the breaking up of that spy system and
the driving Of the Spanish agents from
this country and continent was most
cleverly manipulated. And, by the
way, what glorious inspiration It
would furnish the famous Conan
Doyle. whose detective stories of Sher-
lock Holmes have created such a SEN
sation in the world of literature! The
clever tracking of the Spanish minister
at Washington Senior De LONE, after
he received his passports and went to
Canada to open up a bureau for Span
ish spies; the skillful interceptance OF
his letter describing the whole system,
and the foiling of all his plans. are
well known to the public as general
tiles. but those little details that have
never been made public would make
the foundation for story by Conan
Doyle that would be his masterpiece.
The report shows that during the
year $50 arrests were made by the
secret service agents, this number be-
ing considerably above the average,
but less than in the three preceding
years. Most of the arrests were for
counterfeiting money, misusing the
mails and "moonshining." but the list
of charges upon which arrests have
been made is long one and contains
as many different charges as the report
of municipal police department.
Chief Wilkie says the simplification of
photo engraving by modern processes
has resulted in much counterfeiting by
novices, though in most cases the
counterfeits have been crude and easily
detected. Over 81, 000, 900 in counterfeit
and bogus money of various sorts has
been seized and destroyed by the de-
partment during the year. and in run
ming down this class of criminals the
secret service has been very successful
Chief Wilkie reports that much an
noyance has been produced by the So
called reform money known as trad
ing checks" and token money" and
the service has notified a large number
of people using such forms Of money"
that At is unlawful and that arepetition
ofst1e offense will bring down the
might of the law upon their heads. OF
the $50 arrests made by the depart
ment 269 were convicted, 290 are now
awaiting the action of the courts, IA
were acquitted, one escaped and one
died. 1t is department of stha gov
eminent service which is very impor-
tant but is very little known-lit.:a
known, perhaps, because its success
depends upon secrecy-and it is also
department which is given but little
credit for what it does. The bravest
men in the employ of the government
are in the secret SERVICE, they so fire.
quently take their lives in their hands
to serve Uncle Sam that they become
hardened to it, and without them the
very foundations of the Republic might
be imperilled.