The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-17
ONE AN Ex-PoLIcE REPORTER
ONE Is A KENTUCKY GENTLEMAN OF
BIRTH AND BREEDING.
The Third Is a Kansas Politician of
Proved Power and AbiIity-How
They Work for the Public Good.

in the world. IT is equipped with everything
that money can buy, and It's discipline is
akin to that Of modern military establish
ment. A former Chicago police reporter.
Kansas politician and Kentucky gentle
man are at the head Of the three branches
which comprise it. Each Of these divisions is
separate and apart from the others, but
when occasion requires they work together.
Uncle Sam is the boss, and it frequently
happens that he calls on men in one section
of the governments detective agency to
perform duty in another.
xxx
John E. wiIkie was police reporter in
Chicago before he became chief of the
United States Secret Service. The active life
which he led in the great inland metropolis
well equipped him for the exacting and re-
sponsible duties Of his present position
Joseph L. Bristow, fourth assistant post
master general, is the official head of the
corps Of postoffice inspectors. He was active
for more than a decade in Kansas. where
politics is the ruling passion all the year
round, and the training he received there
fitted him for the strenuous life which he
has led since entering the Postoffice De-
partment. John w. Yerkes, commissioner of
internal revenue. is from the famous blue
grass region of Kentucky. They don't
make much moonshine in Kentucky" said
Colonel Yerkes. 1.-THE product of the State is
an honest one, and. justly famed far and
wide" But at the same time the Ken
tuckian is regarded as an excellent man to
direct the operations of the special agents
whose duty it is to run down the moon
sinners in the mountainous regions Of the
South.
Any man who can spend years doing po-
| lice for a large newspaper in Chicago I'M
doubtedly bears charmed life. Such a
feat was performed by John E. Wilkie. He
has the reputation of having been one Of
| the best police reporters in the United
States. But even the wild whirl OF Chicago
| grew monotonous and Mr.. Wilkie pinned for
| wider fields of endeavor, ard few years
| ago when there was shake-up in the
| United States Secret Service he made
| it's chief. AS the ''headsman'' of the admin
| istration, "Jose' Bristow started to work
| soon after William Mckinley was inaugu-
! rated President with an energy that
startled the dry bones in the Postoffice De-
partment. He chopped heads right and left.
His ak had long handle and extended into
every State and Territory in the Union. He
made great record in decapitating the Of
| fetal heads of fourth-class postmasters but
| when ne had been in office a year he ceased
| his labors somewhat-not that the spirit
! was lacking or the flesh weak, but because
| he had accomplished his mission. Life then
grew monotonous for the strenuous man
| from Kansas. He wanted action. He got it
| when the disclosures were made in connec-
| ton with the operations of Rathbone and
| Nicely in Cuba. When informed that there
| was work for him in Havana Mr.. Bristow
| packed his grip and started for his destina-
ton like a hound at the chase. He went to
the bottom of the Cuban postal frauds, and
| 1t Is the opinion of every one familiar with
| his work in that case that no one could
have done it better and few as well. Mr..
| Bristow then had another brief breathing
spell. He is now engaged in the task of as
| certaining how much there is in the charges
of fraud and corruption made against
! prominent officials in the Postoffice Depart
ment
John w. Yerkes, of Kentucky, commits
| sioner of internal revenue, Is fine type of
| the Southern gentleman. He is a man of
high ideals, unquestioned integrity, a Re-
| publican in a State where, at one time, 1t
] was treason to acknowledge allegiance to
any political organization but the Demo-
! cratic party an executive of great ability
and a courteous and affable official. He has
had a wide training in business, and he
! has already made a fine record in the re-
sponsible position at the head of the United
| States Internal Revenue Service. Mr..
| Yerkes Is one of the most active Republic
ans in Kentucky, and is not altogether sat
| isfied with the tranquil atmosphere In the
| Treasury Department. He is a man of ac-
| ton ambitious and destined some day TO
represent his State in the United States
Senate.
The United States Secret Service was es-
tablished primarily for the purpose of pro-
tecting the government and people from
those who desire to manufacture money on
their own account. 1t has performed its du-
ties so well that counterfeit money has
grown to be a rarity The art of pushing
| the queer is still practiced, but only TO a
limited extent, and the secret service
agent gets on the scent, the counterfeiter is
not long at liberty The exploits of the Sc
] cret service are legion, and they reflect
great credit on the skill and ingenuity of
the personnel of this important bureau of
| the Treasury Department While counter
| felt notes are seldom seen nowadays there
/ is still a large amount of spurious specie
| In existence. While created TO protect the in
| tegrity of the coin of the realm the secret
| service has widely enlarged its scope and
| duties in recent years. Secret-service agents
| now guard the President and high officials
| of the government and prominent foreign
ers during their travels in the United
| states They are called on at times to aid
internal revenue agents in ferreting out vio-
/ lators OF the law in the moonshine district
! and locating illicit stills In the large cities
| of the country. They frequently assist post
l al inspectors in mail rObberies and mail
| depreciation cases. The secret-service agents
| cooperate with the other branches of the
/ federal detective force when called on, and
engaged in similar work in other branches
/ of the government.
| Little is known by the public of the opera
| tions and extent OF the United States Secret
| Service The annual report of the chief of
| the service is as thick paper collar and
| contains about as much information. Only
a few officials of the Treasury Department
know how many men are included in the
corps OF secret service agents Appoint
| ments are never made public and the rec
| ords are a sealed book. The movements OF
| the men are never announced Nothing is
| given to the public except actual results,
| and then only in the most abbreviated form.
/ Notwithstanding the gum-shoe methods of
Chief Will<ie and his men their work is
sometimes outlined In advance. When Pres
| ident Roosevelt started on his westward
| journey three of the best men in the corps
started out ahead Of the presidential party