The Washington times., 1901-10-27
SECRET ST.
ACES.
Many Odd Characters Aspire to
Positions of Trust.
An AstroIoger Desires n Government
ohce-Wouid Predict Coming
E.ents-Uniauc Offer of Assistnnce.
Could Enter Any building Unseen.

/ Assistance.
Gould Enter Any building Unseen.
| The discussion OF the Secret Service by
the press OF the country since the McXin-
| ley assassination has led to some peculiar
! applications for appointment In that bu-
reau, but none more quaint than that of a
professional astrologer. He reasoned.
| with much forcefuI logic. that II a praeti-
| toner of his art had cast the horosAope OF
| President Mckinley the police and ,,lhlic
| would have been warned OF what was 10
| happen in Buffalo. When asked what
| good this would have done il il had been
decreed by fate that the assassination
should occur, he gave as his opinion chat.
at any rate. everyone In interest would
| have been spared the shock Of surprise.
He was then asked whether he could cast
the horoscope Of President Roosevelt. and
did so. with what results it would be in
eXpedient TO. publish here. He was put
| through several more tests TO which he
responded in a manner equally practical,
out II was decided not to take Advantage
OF this opportunity to employ him
Perhaps the most picturesque offer of
assistance e~er made to the Secret Service
was received by Colonel Whitley when he
was Its chief in the early seventies.
gerous and troublesome members of the
counterfeiting fraternity I'm the United
St9tes, had just been put behind the bars
at Springfield. ILL.,, and Whitley went
through the prison before leaving town
As he passed McCartney's cell the cour-
terfeiter engaged him in a cheerful con-
versatie:: &C minute or two, ending with
the enquiry, where the colonel was stay
ing Whitley mentioned the name OF his
hotel. bade Mccartney good-by. and went
on his way.
That evening Whitley was seated in his
hotel room working over some papers in
a case which had been giving him good
deal of trouble. He was seated at Ia
BILE where he could Use the light of
lamp, the rest of the room being dark,
and his back toward the door, He had
reached a point In his case where it was
necessary that he should have for an as
siStant a man of unwayering nerve and
ingenuity, who could enter
and leave. without discovery, building
to be xept securely locked. Al
most unconsciously. he had begun talk
ing aloud to himself, and as he finally
brought his fist down upon the table with
the exclamation. Where can get hold of
such MANI" he was startled to hear a
I. .amiliar voice behind him say, Maybe 1
cdn heip you out he SprSalg up, turn
ng as he did SO. and looked into the face
1f Mccartney. 1t seems that Pete had
ooasted to the chief that there was no
use in locking him up. as the dungeon
1ad not vet been built from which he
could not walk out at viii. and this un-
expected appearance was simply by way
If ocular demonstration of his point. The
,hief reached for his pistol. which lay in
IN open gripsack by his side, but Nc
Cartney reassured him, saying that. hav-'
ng proved his statement. he WAS ready
low to go back and be locked up again.
Whitley did not put his pistol away, but
he two men walked amicably over to-
he prison. and the counterfeiter called
lpon the keeper and gave hi.neslf up.
Stories of Mccartney are abundant In
secret service circles. His most eonspicu-
)uS trait appears to have been his e-front
Try, and this doubtless will account for
l part of the success he achieved in his
iisreputable calling. One illustration will
suffice. He had just acquired the noto-
-iety incident to a release from consid-
,rable term of Imprisonment for coun-
erfeitiBg. and took advantage of the pub
ic interest In him by going upon the lee
ure platform and regaiing large audi
noes, at fifty cents head, with the
Confessions of a Crook" Naturally, he
moved about with some rapidity as his
acture consumed only one evening in each
lace where he stopped so that it was
ONE time before the police discovered
hat he had steadily made use of his box
ffice to get rid of an iMmense amount
Z his own counterfeit money. Every
pectator who handed in a dollar for a
icket received 4 counterfeit half-doIisra
4 change. The scheme worked nagnift-.i
emily for a while. but, like all Mcacart-1
eys enterprises. it led at last to diSas-
sr and the penitentiary. His wit and Ciar-
Eg would have equipped an honest man
or gaining fortune.-Boston Transcript.