Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13

in control of a centralized police organizA-
ton. which looks after all kinds of criminal
otienses against the general governments.
The one bureau has surveillance over crlm-
1nals of every class. The tendency is in
that direction in this government. The
secret service bureau is now being used by
a number of departments of the govern
n,ent.
The operations of the secret service are
confined by law to the suppression of coUn-
terfeiting and the investigation OF back Z y
and bounty cases. This IS all the law ser
m1tS the officials of the service to work on.
but every day they are at work on 9th y
M alters. That he law may moi he openly
violated the secret service operators assign
ed to do other work are practically taken
off the secret sarv' ce rolls and the depart
rlent employing them is required to pay
their salaries and expenses. Nearly all
the departments now recognize the efti-
cheney of the service and call upon the
bureau a any time for a man. The De
partment of Justice has used a number of
the operators in the last few years. In
the course of time this will become SO gen
eral that this government viii probably
build up a great criminal bureau one thar
will supply officers for investigation of any
crime. The Post Office Department now
has its own system of inspectors. who in
vestigate viola tons of postal laws, and the
effectiveness of the plan of pitting spe-
cialist against specialist is regarded as a
good one. This could be continued, though
If all the Grimm i organizations of the gov
eminent were centralized.
Chief John E. Wilkie.
Information as to the personnel and oper-
atoms of the secret service is carefully
withheld from the public. The names Of
the heads of the various districts and the
opera tors are unknown and are seldom pub
l:shed, unless in case of the arrest of a
counterfeter and the facts get into the
newspap ers. The bureau is managed by
John E Wilkie. chief. He has held the pc
sition since 1899. when he succeeded Chief
Hazen. Mr.. Wilk.e is a newspaper man.
having held responsible positions on many
large papers. He began his career as
police court reporter and worked his way
up to city editor of one of the big Chicago
papers. He he's great nose" for criminal
investiga ton, and his work is regarded as
brilliant. His assistant is w. H Moran. who
acts as chief in the absence of Mr. Wiikie.
Mr.. Moran has been in the secret service
bureau for many years He is regarded as
the best expert in the detection of counter
felt money in the service. Any money about
which there is question to its genuineness
is referred to Mr.. Moran. Mr.. Wilkie is
frequently out in the field, personally direct
ing difficult ca SEES and when he is away
Mr. Moran has charge of the bureau.
The United States is divided into thirty
secret service districts, each in charge of
an operative who has under his direction as
many assistants as The criminal activity OF
the section demands. The force is cOncen-
trated in one district If there are counter
feiting operations in progress, and then sent
to another district as required. A written
daily report, covering operations for TWEEN
ty-four hours, is eXacted from each district
operative and from each man under him.
These daily reports frequently contain
many fascinating stories, many details OF
criminal life and espionage that would
make columns The reports received by the
bureau in Washington are carefully filed
away by the seven clerks in the offices on
the third floor Of the Treasury Department.
A ACCOMMODATING the reports are the photo
eraphs and measurements of every IN Il
arrested for counterfeiting. The Bertillon
system of measurements is used by the
service, as well as plain indexed card sys
tenn The two are so complete that even
without the name of a man his name and
record can be obtained if his measurements
are forwarded.