Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-08-10
NO MORE" sold SLEUTHS."
DISCUSSES ARE NOT USED IN MOD
LRN SECRET SERVICE.


Vicious Glasses - Hereditary Crime.
l. In the government secret service
"make-up' wardrObes have gone their
way TO the old-clOthes man, and the
wigs and mustachios Of the venture
some agents now find the limit OF
their usefulness at masquerade balls.
The "lynN-eyed" sleuth, whom yellow
covered literature was wont to picture
always hot on the trail" Is usually
found. these days. quiet and composed,
behind a roll-tOp desk in an easy arm
chair. with telephone at one hand
and push bells at the other. Here he
transacts most OF his work without
moving from his seat He will tell you
tina. stories like Sherlock Holmes, the
development of the police columns in
the daily newspapers, and their devo-
ton OF so much space to the rascals
and the catchers OF rascals have broad
ened the criminal mind. as well as
smashed the theory OF disguises to
smithereens." This has revolution
ICED the whole business
| William p. HaZen, who has just be-
come the head Of private bureau
after twenty years in the government
service, said today that agents in run
ming down criminals have to depend
for their disguise solely upon their
own ability to be ''One Of them" Often
times their careers do not vary much
! from the life of a commercial traveller,
inasmuch as the object of each Is to
| ingratiate himself in the good will of
the tradesmen in his particular field.
Decoy letters and judicious use of 'the
coin" have superseded the bulls-eye
| dark lantern and the six-shooter.
THE working force OF the secret SER
vice up to date" said Mr.. Hazen, us
picked from al classes in which crime
exists. This includes men and women
of all nationalities. Some lead a no.
| madic existence over the length and
| breadth of the country, under assumed
| names; Others do not change their
residence or their names. They live
| the life of the people they hunt. they
make them their friends; the resorts
Of those wanted are their resorts;
their friends are mutual, and they even
share each others bread. When case
is made against q laW-breaker, the
secret service agent has been known
to be the first to extend his sympathies
to the man whom his wits have placed
within reach Of the law. Unless it can
not be avoided. the secret service man
does not reveal his identity by testify
ing for the government at trial
That is left for others. for Just SO soon
| as the informer' gives himself away,
from that period begins his uselessness
to the government and also his dan
ger of being removed by friends or
| members of the family of the man he
has run down.
There are those in other walks of
life who look down upon the secret
service agent on account of the work
that he performs. They say it is fille.i
with hypocrisy and deceit, which they
think would make the calling loath-
some to any man OF principle; but
those well-meaning persons know lit
tie of the people that the government
is pitted against. Violators of the law
lay great stress on trickery and deceit.
To many of them a human life is OF
little account, and to match this des-
perate cunning. nothing has proved SO
effective as the very same methods"
Chief Wilkie. who is now at the head
of the secret service, says that New
York maintains an unenviable pre-
eminence in the counterfeiting of
coins During the twelve months just
closed, he adds. there was less counter
feiting of notes in the United States
than during any similar period since
the adoption of the present system Of
currency. "rhe counterfeiting of coin
has decreased all over the country.
with the notable exception of New
York City and vicinity. In that dis
trict are made more than rs percent
coins in circulation in the United
States" This opinion is apparently
shared by ex-Chief HaZen, who says Of
the maker of bad money:
"COunterfeiters give the service its
hardest trials. The making of the
queer will probably never be stopped
as long as the system Of legal tender
notes exists. Up North here 1t seems
to be done mostly by foreigners, but
in the South it Is distinctly habit
that seems, like moonshining. to con-
fine itself TO families, from generation
to generation, Men with a genius for
creating limitations and love for ex-
citement drift into the life of coun-
terfeiter, arc caught. convicted. and
serve their time. They become con-
firmed enemies of the government. No |
sooner are they out Of prison than they |
go straight at their Illicit trade again. |
seemingly intent upon but one thing. |
and that to beat the power that broke |
them. Imprisonment does not seem to |
divert them from their purpose. Be- |
tween iron bars and copper plates they |
use up their lives, and when age dulls |
the eye and nerve. they bring up their
children, not only in the trade. but |
with the principle that the government |
is to be lifelong opponent. The for
eigners who operate In the North are
for the most part fugitives from justice
on the other side. Hatred of govern |
ment seems to be generally bred in all |
of them.
Because a counterfeiter curses the |
government, it does not necessarily |
follow that in his enthusiasm to preach |
his belief he leaves open a loophole by |
which he might uncover his occupa-
tion. Counterfeiters, on the contrary, |
are the closest-mouthed of persons.
What grievances they may have they
keep to themselves. and they have such
a professional Jealousy, lest their me-
chanical secrets and inventions should |
become known to others Of their kind, |
that they make no confldants. 1t is on
such men as these that the secret SER
vice uses up its supply of informers,