The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
TIE SECRET SERVICE NAN.
4 MODEST, SkILFtL WORK VR
WITH 4 WONDERFI SYSTEM.
C0iners and Other Lawb-cihcrs Are
FTOtmdering Around IN lti- Net Most
OF the Time. WITH Little (hnncc OF
Getting Out--Dansers Of The work.


which the men Of the United state Secret
Service work. when the locsl police holp-
less in the face of particularly retolting
and battling murder. were able TO no're the
myster, only ar" ,nr Government men
had furnished them with the identity Of tho
murdered man. the names of the lat men
he had associated with before his death.
and the probable motive for tho crime
Tho popular idea Of the Secret Ser.ica
man Is that furnished by the slalwart fel-
lows who follow the President Of he United
States on fis travels. As n matter of fact.
these men are not detectives at all. but in
most cases men appointed ont OF private
life by political influence, and useful only
because Of their vigilance. their ability to
work hard, and their courage under any
and all circumstances,
The real Secret Service man is The man
that the public never hears of 10y name.
The public hears Of his exploits whenever
a gang of counterfeiters Is broken up. or
an illicit still Is raided, but ii doesn't near
the names OF the men who did the WORK
and IL hasn't the least idea in the world now
success was attained. 1t doesn't Know
that daily, for months and months, men
who work for comparatively shall salaries
have taken their very lives in their hands
to get evidence against the mos, desperate
class of lawbreakers in the country, ana
have finally got their men only because
they were quicker with their guns than the
criminals were, and were cunning enough
to catch them unawares.
In this age when even policemen and ire
men have personal press agents, SecreS
Service man is a refreshing novelty. \"
matter how creditable piece of work ono
Of these men does he will never willingly
let his own name be connected with 1t in
the newspapers. He will give no irforma-
ton 70 reporters, although TO do so would
be to bring fame to himself, and he will not
rest on his laurels after a big piece OF work.
but will start right out again on sonleth ns
else as soon as he has reported to mis- chief
The personal modesty OF the secret per
men who really rounded up the gang that
perpetrated the recent barrel murder IN
this city declined TO give reporters thelr
Names and it wasn't until Agent Flynh.
the head OF the local bureau had been
implored for half an hour that he finally
consented to tell who his men were.
The work OF the Secret Service men IL
confined 10 a very few classes OF crlmiEEls.
Chiefly ii is among corners, countefieH-nPte
makers and illicit distilers. There are ot er
klIltlS tl WOIh totIe' NV W.
by the crack men. New men attend to-
thieving postal clerks, dishonest Govern
ment employees and do the odds and ends
OF the work OF the Department.
The first principle of the crack men OF
the Secret Service is to know every law
breaker in the two first named, classes ~
sight, anyway; by name II possible, and by
a number If not by name This Is hard
task, but the Secret Service men accomplish
1t, The coiners and counterfeiters are
~; Itolto ThaV cunning. and
1t is no small thing for men to match their
cunning against them and win out;
Night and day, month in and month
out, these Italians are shadowed. Ihelr
leave town the Secret Service men learn
somehow where they are going. and when
they arrive at their destination they are
picked up by other Secret Service men.
record IT, for instance, it BECAME neces-
sary to know just what man like Morello.
the alleged leader of the Malta. was dong
on any certain day, it could be determined
by Just turning back the pages IN MorelloS
record to the day in question w.t.
A new man appears on the scene; He is
seen with the rest Of gang under sur
veillance In second he Is numbered,
and he STAYS numbered until his name IA
learned. His face is photogrsphed on 1ne
ton Of his appearance is sent to head
quarters and other Secret Service men
hurry to where he is to be found to get q
look at him. The whole thing is done IN
so skilful way that there ls ht.ie ,s OF NJ
suspecting that he is being observed.
The moment the Secret Service men dis,
covered the future victim OF the barrel
murder with his suspected muroerers IN
stanton street butcher shop, they sent for
ali the Secret Service men in town at once
To ace IL any of them knew him. For
several hours that afternoon. Secret Ser
vice men were going in and out OF that
butcher shop making ma o Rur si aSs ne Uue
conner" as they called him.. None had
ever seen the man before, so by night he
was on record in the Federal Building in
this city with number opposite MS de-
scription: ~
Vigilance is not often made public. as 1t
was in the barrel murder case. But its
worth ia demonstrated to the secret Ser
vice men themselves scores OF times each
wear. So perfect is the system now that
when a bad bill or bad coin turns up
anywhere the detectives can tell by Its
workrn anship just who made it and about
where it was made. They can come pretty
near also to finding the men they suspect,
it is simply a matter OF making out legal
case.
This is done by the closest kind of watch
ing Sooner or later the passers OF INC
had mCney, who, DIV tne way, are Idioiy
molested until the principals are caught.
will lead the detectives to the plant linen
it is a case Of coming down on IT sudoeniy
and bag ging the entire outfit red-handed.
Il ia dangerous work. At shadowing the
Secret Service men are too clever TO DO
cornered by ooiners, who would Kill them
in a second IL they could catch them; out
when a raid il made, the Secret Service man
takes his life in his hands. There is one
little Secret Service man working IN the
local bureau who has been shot several
Zines in these raids and whose oouy rs
ctyyered with the scars of knife WOUNDS
received in encounters with corners ana
illicit distillers. The story OF this man
career would fill a book, and II would an "
interesting reading; but II is imposslnle 10
Get him to saw a word about himself or MS
work for publication ,.a .<oros q,
allies in every city in the country. IN ,'is
city ministers. lawyers doctors af,u ot'o,
ness men are assistants OF the secret ser
or course, they are the most discreet
citizens, but even II they Weren they c Ix
tell very little, for most OF the WORK COLI io
by outsiders for the Secret Service Ii "o.l'
by men who are not allowed 10 know WV
sipnificance Of the information they are w.
procure. They are told TO watch q man Tor
a ciyen time and to report iiiiiH VIVA. ~
does during that time, or they are oru'''I
10 watch a house and make mental ho'e %,
what goes on out side OF i, during s'a''"
period ~, ,,,,or,.,o,
In this way a great mass of htioi i',a ,.
il collected by the Government detectives